Starbucks Delays Providing 'Desk Module' as Replacement for Summer Carry Bag

Separation Occurs in Wireless Charger Connector, One of the Components
All Products Reinspected... Scheduled Date Delayed by 2 Weeks

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Starbucks Korea has postponed the schedule for providing the desk module, which was intended as a replacement product for the 'Summer Carry Bag' found to contain formaldehyde.

On the 4th, Starbucks Korea posted a customer notice on its website stating, "The schedule to provide the desk module, which was planned to be given out in two rounds starting on the 8th and 22nd, has been unavoidably postponed by two weeks each." This was due to the discovery during the final inspection of the product that the connection terminal of the wireless charger, one of the components, was misaligned, causing connectivity issues with some models of charging cables. Starbucks stated, "Even if the distribution schedule is delayed, we believe it is the right decision to thoroughly re-inspect all desk modules before providing them to customers," and apologized, saying, "We sincerely apologize once again to customers who have waited for a long time."

The desk module is a replacement product for the travel bag 'Summer Carry Bag,' which Starbucks offered as a giveaway during this summer's e-frequency event but voluntarily recalled after detecting the carcinogen formaldehyde. The desk module can be used in six functions: pen holder, adhesive memo storage, multipurpose stand, coaster, storage box, and wireless charger.

On August 11, Starbucks announced the voluntary recall of the Summer Carry Bag, stating, "We decided to formalize the recall campaign, which had been underway since the 23rd of last month, to alleviate customer concerns and proceed with swift additional measures, in consultation with the National Institute of Technology and Standards. We sincerely apologize for the concern caused by this incident and will do our best to ensure safe collection through transparent and prompt follow-up procedures such as free courier service. Moving forward, we plan to focus company-wide efforts on quality-related areas by expanding the quality management organization, hiring specialized personnel, and strengthening verification processes."

As a result of the recall campaign conducted from July 23 to October 11, approximately 700,000 units, about 70% of the 1,079,100 Summer Carry Bags, were collected. The unreturned products are either still in use by customers or have been disposed of independently. Customers who received the Summer Carry Bag as a giveaway were given the option to choose between a Starbucks gift card (30,000 KRW) or the replacement product (desk module), with about 30% of customers reportedly choosing the desk module.