Gen Z’s obsession with the Stanley Tumbler is crashing, trend expert says
The Stanley Tumbler trend might be over even though it’s only just gotten started.
It seems like Stanley mugs are everywhere: on TikTok, at Target and Starbucks, and probably in the hand of the person currently standing next to you.
The drinkware was such a huge craze that it was seemingly the most popular holiday gift among Gen Z, according to a trend forecaster who observed hours of Christmas haul TikToks.
According to Amazon search data, the insulated 40-oz Stanley Quencher Tumbler with a side handle and straw was a top-searched product on the platform this holiday season.
Despite all the Christmas presents, though, Casey Lewis, a youth consumer trends analyst who writes the newsletter After School, told Business Insider that she thinks the hype is already dying down.
“They are absolutely on their way out. This is peak Stanley,” she proclaimed. “There’s no up from here!”
Lewis wasn’t surprised to see that the Stanley cup was a popular gift — but she was shocked at the “fervor a water bottle caused, especially among tweens.”
“When I was 11, I asked for dolls. Today’s 11-year-olds asked for Stanley tumblers,” she quipped. “Seeing Gen Alpha kids sobbing over water bottles is pretty surprising. At least the kids are hydrating!”
Lewis noticed that most people receiving Stanley cups as a present were college-age and younger, but she sees the appeal fading away as the trend plays out.
“In my experience, most trends start with cool youth, and then once they trickle down (to younger kids) and up (to adults), the cool youth move on,” she explained. “When young kids and tweens adopt a trend or product, teens and older Gen Z distance themselves.”
Underscoring the popularity, the terms “Stanley 40 oz tumbler with handle” and “Stanley cup” were searched a combined 4.5 million-plus times on Amazon Stores, according to Helium 10 seller software.
“To be ranked among some of the most popular products, brands and search terms of the year clearly demonstrates that Stanley is a leading lifestyle brand, deeply connected to consumers, and an influential part of culture in 2023,” Matt Navarro, senior vice president of Global Commerce at Stanley, told The Post.
The main selling points of the portable cups are the insulation that can keep a drink cold for hours, the rotating lid and the slim base that can easily fit into a car cupholder.
Stanley cups typically range in price between $35 and $45 depending on size and style, but some of the limited-edition Stanleys, such as the 2023 Holiday edition, are being sold on StockX for nearly $300.
Limited-edition Stanley cups can cause quite a frenzy, which people may have discovered when pink and red containers were released at Target for Valentine’s Day this weekend.
A TikTok video of customers pushing and shoving to get their hands on one has gone viral, and a sign on the display shows that Target limited each guest to two tumblers.
Stanley tumblers are also known for their durability, and a video went viral on TikTok in November that proved that to be right. A fire destroyed a woman’s car but left her mug virtually unscathed — and still containing ice a full day later.
The astounded, generous president of Stanley even responded in a minute-long TikTok stitch.
The company executive said that not only would they send her more Stanley tumblers, but they were also going to replace her incinerated car with a brand new one.