[Youth Report] From 60,000 Won to 700,000 Won Surge... US Gen Z Enthralled by 100-Year Camping Brand

Stanley Tumbler Popular Among US Gen Z
Reason for Tumbler Popularity? Influence of SNS
Korea Also Shows Increased Interest in Stanley Tumbler

Recently, the 'Stanley Tumbler' has been gaining popularity among Generation Z in the United States (born from the 1990s to the early 2010s). In particular, some Americans camped overnight or lined up outside stores to buy the special limited edition Stanley Tumbler released by Starbucks. The tumbler was launched at a retail price of $49.95 (about 65,000 KRW). However, due to scarcity, it has been traded online for up to $550 (about 736,000 KRW), more than 10 times the original price. The reason Stanley Tumblers have become a popular item among American teenagers is largely attributed to the influence of social networking services (SNS).

Overnight camping and open runs to buy tumblers

People lined up to purchase the limited edition Valentine's Day tumbler created through a collaboration between Starbucks and Stanley. [Image source=TikTok]

Stanley is a camping goods company established in 1913. Although it is a brand known for its clean design and high durability, consumers had never previously lined up early ('open run') just to buy its tumblers. However, recently, American consumers have even set up tents and camped overnight?so-called 'sleep-out runs'?to get the Valentine's Day limited edition tumbler created in collaboration between Stanley and Starbucks. This limited edition tumbler is also called the 'Pink Tumbler' due to its striking pink color.

Why has the Stanley Tumbler become a hot item in the U.S.? This is related to social networking services (SNS) such as TikTok and YouTube. Recently, many influencers have posted videos on SNS carrying Stanley Tumblers around like fashion items.

Starbucks limited edition tumbler released in the United States to celebrate Valentine's Day.
[Image source=ebay]

The influence of SNS on American teenagers is as significant as in Korea. A survey found that one in five American teenagers uses YouTube and TikTok apps daily. According to a survey conducted last month by the Pew Research Center targeting 1,453 American youths aged 13 to 17, 93% of respondents use YouTube, and 16% of them are on the platform almost all day. The second most popular app was TikTok. Fifty-eight percent of teenagers use TikTok daily, and 17% reported using TikTok almost all day.

Regarding this, The New York Times (NYT) introduced that Stanley Tumblers are popular among millennials and Generation Z, especially women. The NYT also analyzed that on TikTok, users promote the tumbler by showcasing their owned products or various accessories used to decorate the tumblers, creating a promotional effect. Shelley Cohan, a professor of distribution at Syracuse University, evaluated, "Stanley shifted its marketing target from men to women," adding, "The experiences of influencers spread through videos, influencing consumers."

U.S. influencers say, "No Stanley Tumbler means being an outcast? ... Bittersweet"

Influencer Dana Motika gifted a Stanley tumbler to her 9-year-old daughter.
[Image source=TikTok]

Given this situation, interest in Stanley Tumblers continues in Korea as well. According to Black Kiwi, a big data-based keyword analysis platform, Naver search volumes for 'Stanley' and 'Stanley Tumbler' increased by 126.74% and 140.38%, respectively, from the 1st to the 18th of this month compared to the previous month. This suggests that, similar to the U.S., the number of consumers seeking Stanley Tumblers is increasing domestically. However, the Stanley 'Pink Tumbler' that became a hot topic in the U.S. is a local limited edition product, and there are no plans to introduce it in Korea.

Some voices criticize the Stanley Tumbler's popularity as excessive. A U.S. influencer with a 9-year-old child claimed that her daughter was bullied at school for not having a Stanley Tumbler, sparking controversy.

In a recent video posted on TikTok by influencer Dana Motika, she said she did not think it was necessary to buy a Stanley Tumbler for her daughter who wanted one, so she gifted her a tumbler from Walmart. However, her daughter was teased by classmates for not having a Stanley Tumbler. Eventually, Motika reportedly bought her daughter a $35 (about 45,000 KRW) Stanley Tumbler. She said, "Although I bought it, I felt bittersweet. This atmosphere was ultimately created not by the children but by the parents. We need to think about what we are teaching our children."

Meanwhile, riding the tumbler craze, Stanley's sales are expected to grow rapidly. The U.S. economic media CNBC predicted that Stanley's annual sales will exceed $750 million (about 1.034 trillion KRW) in 2023. Stanley's annual sales have been growing at an incredible pace: from $73 million in 2019 to $94 million in 2020, $194 million in 2021, and $402 million in 2022.