Starbucks apologizes for its bear cup drama. What's behind the 'Bearista' frenzy?

Some phenomena in the history of humankind simply defy logic.

The Dancing Plague of 1518, for instance. The Bermuda Triangle. Images of Jesus on toast.

Perhaps it's not our job to fully understand these mysteries, but simply to marvel at them — and that may also be the case for the sudden, seemingly inexplicable, absolute frenzy over a cup that's shaped like a little bear.

Coffee chain Starbucks released a $43.95 "Bearista" glass cold cup Thursday as part of its new holiday collection, and not only did the hat-topped tumbler sell out almost immediately, but videos circulating online show customers fighting each other to get their paws on one.

Empty-handed fans who lined up before dawn are sharing their outrage on social media, re-sellers are listing them for as much as $1,400 on eBay, and Starbucks has even apologized for the disappointment amid allegations that the company only sent a handful of cups to individual stores.

An Instagram post by Starbucks from Wednesday advertises the release of its Bearista cup. (@Starbucks/Instagram)

"Shame on you Starbucks, shame on you," wrote someone on the Starbucks subreddit Thursday who says they woke up at 4:30 a.m., went to multiple stores, and still couldn't find a cup.

"Girls were physically fighting at my Starbucks for these," wrote someone on a Starbucks Instagram post.

"Corporate only sending two per store on average was no matter what gonna cause a bloodbath," wrote someone else on Reddit.

Starbucks told CBC News they'd shipped more Bearista cups to stores "than almost any other merchandise item this holiday season," but didn't provide the numbers.

"The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations," a spokesperson for Starbucks said in an email statement. 

"We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused."

But what, pray tell, is so special about a cup that, as many have pointed out, looks like a cross between a Billy Bee honey bottle and those vintage Kraft peanut butter jars? And why was it so difficult for people to get one?

We'll try to explain the drama.

A cup is born

The Bearista cup appears to have first been announced Oct. 6, one month before it went on sale in North America as part of the chain's holiday merch drop.

"Your drinks have never looked cuter," Starbucks said in its online description of the cup, which is topped with a green hat and a striped straw. "Who’s getting a bearista cup on 11/6 lmk [let me know], the chain posted on Instagram Wednesday.

The reaction was immediate. “If I don’t get one of these I’ll cry,” wrote TV personality Raven Gates, who was on The Bachelor, in the comments of Starbucks' Instagram post.

"Stop, this is so cute," wrote influencer Piper Phillips.

"Oh my god I LOVE THIS ," wrote Elyse Myers, a comedian, influencer, and author.

Articles started circulating in the media about how and when to get one, with Parade calling the bear-shaped cup "the unexpected star of the season."

WATCH | Why we'll keep drinking coffee despite the price:Mike von Massow, a professor of food agriculture and resource economics at the University of Guelph, says the news that Tim Hortons is raising its coffee prices by about three cents a cup may reduce consumption somewhat but that it will take more than a small price hike to get most Canadians to give up a daily staple that is not so easily replaced. The frenzy begins

The problem, according to the many, many people complaining online, is that hardly anyone could actually buy one of the cups once they were released.

Some people, including some Starbucks employees on Reddit, allege Starbucks only sent a few Bearista cups to each store — as few as one or two cups, in some cases, according to the employees who commented on Reddit.

Others claim store employees were allowed to purchase the cups first, depleting the limited supply (although a moderator on the Starbucks sub-Reddit asserts this generally isn't allowed). The same moderator said Starbucks didn't place any kind of limit on the number of cups each customer could buy.

One video posted online appears to show three customers fighting over a single cup.

In Houston, Texas, police were called to a Starbucks before dawn to break up a Bearista fight.

"When it's 5 a.m. and the drama's already brewing," wrote Harris County Const. Mark Herman in a Facebook post where he explains that reports came in of "several individuals refusing to leave the store and fighting."

"Deputies are on scene, restoring peace before anyone spilled their latte or lost their teddy bear," he said.

Another TikTok video with 2.2 million views so far chronicles influencer Jared Mechem trying to track down a mug for his wife, visiting three stores before 6 a.m. and leaving empty handed.

"I'm sorry, but now I'm kind of determined to get one," Mechem says to his wife, Ellie, at the end of the video.

"No, this is how it works," Ellie says. "This is marketing. Good marketing. But I'm not gonna support that crap."

So, now what?

While its worth reiterating that Starbucks says they shipped more Bearista cups to stores "than almost any other merchandise item this holiday season," this wouldn't be the first time the company successfully used scarcity marketing strategies to create demand.

It's why the famous Pumpkin Spice Latte is only available in fall, why its limited-time Unicorn Frappuccino created a frenzy in 2017 and why its Valentine's Day collaboration with Stanley caused mayhem in stores last year.

"Many brands are capitalizing on their understanding of human psychology to offer limited-edition and exclusive products that consumers will eagerly rush to buy,” Farnoush Reshadi, an assistant professor of marketing at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Worcester, Mass., told retail publication Retail TouchPoints last year when discussing the Stanley collaboration.

Starbucks didn't specifically answer CBC News when asked if they would be restocking the Bearista, saying only that, "We have more exciting merchandise coming this holiday season."

But if you're dead set on a Bearista cup, and not willing to pay through the teeth for one on eBay, you still have options. Amazon and Shein are already offering dupes.

Or, if you aren't that picky, you can always head to your local grocery store and pick up some honey.