Shoppers caused a commotion this week as Target and Starbucks released several drops of limited edition Valentine’s Day Stanley brand tumbler cups.
Videos showing crowds of people waiting in line outside Target locations nationwide before rushing into the store and grabbing cups off the display have been circulating on social media following the release on New Year’s Eve. The Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumblers are offered in Cosmo Pink and Target Red and are a part of the brand’s “Galentine’s Collection.”
“Made to gift, a card label is included while a tiny heart adorns the Stanley logo. With a pop of pink and the perfect shade of red, let’s celebrate your gal pal by spreading the love,” a description from the Target website says.
Cups sold out quickly online and in stores despite the $45 price tag.
Shoppers were equally excited about the January 3 release of the special “Winter Pink” Stanley cups, with some shoppers choosing to camp out overnight in the Target parking lot.
“We are seeing an enthusiastic response to the Starbucks x Stanley Quencher and many stores have sold out. It will not be restocked,” a Starbucks representative told Today.com.
One TikTok video documenting the in-store experience on December 31 in El Paso, Texas, showed a mass of shoppers running toward the display to score the tumbler. The TikTok user’s caption said, “Getting trampled for a Target Stanley Valentine’s Cup.”
Another viral TikTok clip showed what happened in a Target store in Goodyear, Arizona, saying the tumblers there sold out in less than four minutes. Just like in the Texas version, the video showed people rushing to get cups from the display.
“Pulling up to target to wait in line since 10pm the night before for the new Stanley,” user ivey_huerta shared on social media. “Store opens at 8am. It’s now 1:45am. Wish us luck.”
The post comments were a mix of people marveling that anyone would care that much about a beverage container and shoppers bragging about how they had scored one of the coveted cups.
One comment said, “Stanley definitely knows what they are doing. Everyone and their mom wants one. IDK I still can’t wrap my head around paying that much for a cup.”
“Nothing in the world I want or need this bad,” another commenter said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP
The limited edition cups are already listed on resale sites such as Mercari, eBay, and Poshmark for anywhere from $100 to $300.
The Stanley all-steel vacuum flask was invented by William Stanley Jr. in 1913. The brand has released various container products throughout the years and first introduced the 40-ounce Quencher tumbler in 2016.
Initially, the Quencher was not a good seller, leading the company to stop restocking and marketing it in 2019. The company partnered with a female-run blog with the goal of selling 5,000 Quenchers and resumed production, introducing the cup in a line of unique colors.
The cup’s popularity took off and has since helped drive Stanley’s annual sales from $70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023, per The New York Times.
The Stanley cup is a status symbol across demographics ranging from teens to adult women.