Apparently, reusable cups can get customers to Starbucks. Especially when they’re shaped like a bear.
The coffee shop giant generated massive traffic last week, when it introduced a line of reusable holiday cups featuring a glass cup shaped like a bear, called the “Bearista.” And the company’s annual “Red Cup Day” promotion is apparently on track to exceed expectations.
The combination, along with sales momentum that started in September, promise a potentially merry holiday for the Seattle-based chain, which is only now emerging from a stubborn, two-year sales slump.
“The day is off to an incredible start,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said in an internal memo, seen by Restaurant Business. “Based on what we’ve seen this morning, we’re on track to exceed our sales expectations for the day across company-operated coffeehouses in North America.”
Starbucks has long counted on the holidays as a crucial source of traffic, as holiday shopping often yields demand from customers looking for a dose of caffeine as they zip from store to store. Its holiday focus has continued even as more of that shopping has shifted to the Internet.
Starbucks kicks off the season with “Red Cup Day,” an annual event in which it starts using specially designed holiday cups and gives away free, reusable versions. The day is traditionally a big one for the coffee chain, which releases a special holiday menu anchored by the Peppermint Mocha.
Starbucks released the Bearista on Nov. 6 as part of a line of holiday merchandise, including tumblers, mugs and ornaments. The Bearista cold cup was priced at $29.99. It is made of glass and features a teddy bear wearing a green, “knit” Starbucks hat with a straw at the top.
Starbucks sold out of the Bearista cup quickly on its introduction last Thursday. Customers waited in line in the early-morning hours at some locations. A fight broke out at one Houston location, prompting an apology from the company.
A search of the auction site eBay finds some Bearistas priced at up to $525.
According to the foot traffic tracking firm Placer.ai, Starbucks’ traffic soared 37.8% on Nov. 6, the day the Bearista was released as part of a selection of holiday cups. That traffic continued even after the company ran out of the cups, as customers searched for available supply.
That followed the annual launch of the chain’s Pumpkin Spice Latte, when traffic increased 17%.
The results prove that, throughout the chain’s challenges in recent years, it still has the ability to attract customers during special events. An introduction of a line of lavender-flavored drinks broke records during the worst of the slump in 2024, for instance.
Same-store sales were flat last quarter, Starbucks said last month, its best performance in nearly two years. Company executives said that same-store sales were positive in September and October after they added more workers to locations as part of Starbucks’ new “Green Apron” service model.
The Bearista Cold Cup sells for as much as $525 on eBay.
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