The Stanley cup craze is one few can make sense of.

The market of insulated cups, reusable water bottles and warm drink tumblers has plenty of quality options, but Stanley’s Quencher has become the most popular with sales soaring like a rocket ship, thanks largely to its popularity and word-of-mouth marketing on social media.

“We can’t really seem to keep them on the shelf. They sort of fly off,” said Ayden Danovaro, a camping sales associate at REI in Sacramento.

That popularity showed up in the Sacramento area last week when a 23-year-old woman was arrested and accused of stealing 65 Stanley cups, about US$2,500 of inventory, from multiple stores in Roseville. Delany Garcia-Lopez pleaded not guilty Jan 19 to felony grand theft and two misdemeanor counts of DUI.

“While Stanley Quenchers are all the rage, we strongly advise against turning to crime to fulfill your hydration habits,” the Roseville Police Department said.

What is a Stanley cup?

Stanley has made drink vessels for over 100 years and saw its revenue spike from US$73mil in 2019 to US$750mil in 2023, according to a CNBC report.

Its rare a simple product becomes a retail phenomenon when its not a Jordan Brand retro basketball sneaker, a sought-after holiday toy like Tickle Me Elmo or a collectors item like a Beanie Baby.

Shoppers on New Year’s Eve went into a frenzy trying to grab limited editions of Stanley’s Quencher cups at Targets, with lines outside and around stores, with some camping overnight to get their hands on the special “Galentines Collection.”

A limited collaboration with Starbucks also created a stir.

“We notice people standing in this vicinity pretty much all day,” Danavaro said, speaking to The Bee in front of a Stanley Quencher display at the REI near Cal Expo. “On TikTok and all that, there’s memes about the size of them and how unique they in nature.”

The video that made it a star

A TikTok video from the user danimarielettering helped spur the Stanley Quencher’s popularity in November. The woman pulled a Stanley Quencher from the cup holder of a car that had been scorched by a fire the day before.

“... And it still has ice in it,” the woman said, shaking the cup to show the ice was still inside.

The video garnered over 95 million views and the Quenchers have been tough to keep in stock since.

Danovaro estimated his REI sells 15-20 a day, while Joe Sanchez of the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Roseville, which police said was victimised by the mass theft last week, said his store sold roughly 50 to 70 a day during the holiday season.

“This is one in its own,” Sanchez said. “Ever since (the TikTok video) it got a little more hype. But it’s the simple fact of it’s a cup, you can put it in the car. Around here we do well with a lot of mothers and kids too. So the mom crowd definitely comes in because they need a cup to throw in their car.”

‘It’s a quality water bottle’

The cup itself stands out from other brands like Yeti and Hydroflask because of its ability to hold 40 ounces of liquid while also fitting in most car cup holders.

It comes with a lid that can fit a straw or a flap that can be closed like many coffee cups. The company boasts the Quenchers can keep drinks cold for 11 hours, ice intact for two days, or drinks hot for seven hours. It has a unique large handle that makes it stand out. They generally cost US$45 .

There’s no doubt the Stanley Quencher is considered a quality product with versatility and utility - but it’s immense popularity appears to be more fuelled by social media buzz than anything else.

“Marketing probably has a pretty significant amount to do with it,” Danovaro said. “But they do keep stuff cold for a long time. It’s a quality water bottle.”

 - TNS