The "Bearista Cold Cup," which sparked early morning lineups, in-store scuffles, police responses, and soaring resale prices in the United States last November, will go on sale in Korea starting January 29.
According to Starbucks Korea on January 28, the Bearista Cold Cup was exclusively designed by Starbucks Korea and first introduced as a limited fall promotion in 2023. The product was so popular that all available units sold out completely.
According to the Wall Street Journal and other foreign media last November, when North American stores began selling the Bearista Cold Cup, most locations sold out immediately after opening. Consumers flooded social media with complaints such as "I rushed there at 4:30 a.m. but every store was out" and "Only two units were delivered per store." Physical altercations over the product broke out at some stores, and in Houston, Texas, police were called to respond to an early morning dispute.
On the secondary market, the cup with a retail price of 43,000 won ($29.95) traded for approximately 1.95 million won ($1,400), with resale prices skyrocketing.
Following continued requests for a relaunch in Korea, Starbucks decided to produce additional units. The Bearista Cold Cup features a design shaped like Starbucks' signature character "Bearista" and comes as a set including a 591ml cup, a beanie-shaped silicone lid with the Starbucks logo, and a green straw. The product has gained attention as a social media photo item, as users enjoy showing how the Bearista's appearance changes depending on the beverage inside.
Other franchise cafes are also introducing limited-edition merchandise featuring popular characters for the year-end season. Twosome Place has launched the "Pingu & Twosome Handle Tumbler" and "Pingu & Twosome Mug" in collaboration with global character Pingu. Hollys has released large-capacity tumblers and special products in collaboration with Kakao Friends' popular character Chunsik.
