On Jan. 3, Starbucks (Target locations only) dropped a limited-edition color (shimmery pink) of the famous Stanley 40-oz. Quencher for Valentine’s Day. And there were longer lines for this cup than what we saw at ANY store on Black Friday. In fact, Stanley cup drops are the new Black Friday, we have officially decided. To try to understand the hype, we got in line at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 3 to be there for 8 a.m. opening time on drop day. No, we did not get the cup. But we did meet some folks who were there for not just themselves, but their besties and spouses, hoping to snag the biggest product of 2024 so far.
What is the Starbucks Valentine’s Day Stanley Cup?
It’s a limited-edition color (pink with a slight shimmer) of the famous 40-oz. Quencher that’s available only at Starbucks locations inside Target stores (price: $49.95). The last time Target Starbucks did a Stanley partnership like this was in November, when it released a holiday red cup. These Starbucks x Stanley products are never announced on official channels — information is disseminated on social media. And the products are never available online — you must go to a physical store and line up the old-fashioned way. By the way, this Starbucks-inside-Target collection is separate from the Stanley Valentine’s Day pink and red collection at Target (more on that collection here).
Standing In Line for the Cup
When we showed up at 7:30 a.m. at a Target in Austin, Texas, (Target opens at 8 a.m.) we encountered a line of about 30 people. The length of the line doubled within the next 15 minutes.
So why was everyone here? For a CUP? Some who were in line couldn’t pinpoint exactly why Stanley in particular is worth the wait.
“I don’t know!” said Pricila Fuentes, laughing. “I used to be more of a Yeti girl.”
Fuentes was hoping to snag two cups so that she could give one to her friend as a Galentine’s Day gift and they could have matching cups. And that, she says, is really her reason for getting in line.
“It’s about showing your appreciation for someone,” she says. “It’s just just about the cup, but about saying ‘I appreciate you, I got out and stood in line so we could have this cup.’”
Annabelle Koehler, meanwhile, was all about the cup’s color. This is her fourth Stanley, and adding the shimmery pink to her collection was what drew her in. She’s also a Starbucks cup collector as well. “This location is the best one for getting the different cups, I’ve found,” she said. According to Koehler, an acquaintance was in line at another location and had told her some had camped out all night.
Over the next several minutes, those in line speculated about how many cups would be available. Some tried to peer in the windows to gauge the selection. At 7:50 a.m. a Target employee came outside and delivered the official cup count: “We have 28 cups, that’s it. One per person. That’s all I’ve got for you.”
A few people left the line, realizing more than 28 stood in front of them. Others remained, hoping that some of the couples were after just one cup. And then, at 8 a.m. on the dot, the doors opened:
@retailmenot SOLD OUT in minutes!! Did anyone else line up early for the pink Starbucks Valentine’s Day Stanley Cup? #stanleytumbler #stanleystarbucks #targetstanleycup #targetstarbucks #targetfinds #valentinesdaystarbucks #valentinesdaystanley #stanleytumbler #soldout ♬ original sound – RetailMeNot
The procession was orderly, and those who reached the shelf first started claiming their cups and then passing the rest to those behind them. Within minutes, the shelf was empty.
There’s always the chance that more cups will be restocked as pleasant surprises to those at the right place at the right time. But we know from experience (those red holiday cups!) that this is rare — and those who got their cups today might be the lucky few to carry them (or sell them at a markup on eBay, Poshmark and Mercari).
Carla Din was one of the lucky ones today. She heard about the cup on TikTok and fell in love with the pink color. “I had the time today, so I got in line!” she said. And she was kind enough to let us snap a picture of her cup.
Why Is There So Much Hype Around Stanley Products?
Stanley’s genius marketing around the 40-oz. Quencher has catapulted the brand from a purveyor of blue-collar thermoses to a juggernaut of emotional support cups for a predominately female customer base.
According to those we spoke with in line, having a hard-to-get color in their Infinity Gauntlet is the whole point (although Stanley has a solid reputation for durability and quality, too). Stanley’s limited-time collections have become collector items, and partnerships with Starbucks and Target that immediately sell out only feed the hype through media coverage. The fact that these collections are informally “announced” via social media gives them a tantalizing exclusivity, too. While it might seem silly to some, everyone we met in line (a few cranky spouses aside) was just happy to be there to get a chance at snagging a rare item.
The post We Lined Up For the Pink Starbucks Valentine’s Day Stanley Cup appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.