I bought the viral Starbucks bear cup after camping outside the store at 1 a.m.
In October, Paden Ferguson noticed online that Starbucks was about to debut its new holiday drinks and a limited-edition Bearista cup — a tiny bear-themed tumbler with a green beanie and straw. The launch date was set for November 6, and he and his partner quickly made plans to get one right away.
At first, they assumed arriving at noon on release day would be enough. But as social media posts about the bear cup spread, it became obvious that interest was skyrocketing. The collectible item was turning into a viral sensation, and fans were preparing for a rush.
Wanting to see what they were up against, Ferguson and his partner began scouting their local Starbucks locations. On the evening of November 5, they planned a route to five nearby stores and stopped by the busiest branch to ask how many bear cups were available.
“We asked the barista how many they had — seven, they said.”
When the couple finally managed to buy the only two Bearista cups their Starbucks had in stock, other customers were frustrated by how few were available. The experience turned into an early-morning adventure that revealed just how intense the craze for limited-edition merchandise can be.
Author’s Summary
Paden Ferguson and his partner camped outside Starbucks to grab two scarce viral Bearista cups, showing how social media hype fuels overnight retail frenzies.