What Went Wrong With Starbucks Valentine's Coffee Sugar?

Ahead of Valentine's Day, Starbucks launched its Rose 20 series drinks and a limited-edition bouquet bear charm, and reception split sharply. The drinks use a rose extract made from double-petaled roses and a sugar-free formula, so customers can add syrup themselves. Some praised the natural floral aroma; others found the scent too intense. The bouquet bear charm drew complaints over crossed eyes, crooked mouths and extra ears.

Longtime customers noted this was the second plush misstep in a short period, after a rabbit plush paired with a ceramic cup was mocked for uneven looks. Because the rose extract contains no sugar, the question of what sugar goes in coffee shifts to the syrup each customer chooses, which also changes the coffee aroma description of the drink. Whether repeated quality problems affect the brand's merchandise reputation remains to be seen.

On the eve of Valentine's Day, Starbucks, as usual, launched its Rose 20 series drinks and a limited-edition bouquet bear charm. However, this season's reception has been sharply polarized: on the drinks side, the new items use a rose extract made from double-petaled roses, and the sugar-free formula had some consumers praising the natural floral aroma, while others bluntly said the scent was too intense and hard to accept; on the merchandise side, the bouquet bear charm ran into a wave of complaints due to quality-control problems, with defects such as crossed eyes, crooked mouths, one-eyed bears, and extra ears appearing frequently, leaving many fans who ordered it for its cute design deeply disappointed. What annoyed longtime users even more was that this was already Starbucks' second plush merchandise flop in a short period; the rabbit plush that had previously accompanied a ceramic cup was also mocked for its uneven looks. Will a string of quality problems affect the brand's reputation in the merchandise market? This article will walk you through the whole story.

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As Valentine's Day approaches, major chain brands are rushing to launch limited-edition drinks and themed merchandise ahead of the holiday. Starbucks, which never misses such occasions, has recently rolled out its festive Rose 20 series drinks as well as the limited-edition bouquet bear charm, drawing a large number of fans to stores to buy them.

According to the official description, this year's Rose 20 series differs from past rose-flavored drinks because the product incorporates a rose extract made from double-petaled roses, with a natural and rich aroma. In addition, employees revealed that this Starbucks rose extract contains no sugar, and customers can choose whether to add syrup according to their personal preference.

Although the new items are no longer criticized by consumers for being too sweet on the palate, those who have tried the Rose 20 series have mixed opinions about it. Some praise the sugar-free version's floral scent as refreshing and memorable; others bluntly say they cannot accept that aroma that shoots straight to the top of the head, joking that this Valentine's Day drink "made them break up after drinking it." From this, it seems that when it comes to Starbucks' Valentine's Day drinks, everyone has different tastes, and without buying a cup and taking a sip, it is really hard to say whether it suits your preference.

However, the bouquet bear charm launched alongside the drinks met with a completely different reception. Many consumers who bought the merchandise posted photos of the plush in their hands and complained that Starbucks' merchandise had "made them cry from how ugly it is." Judging from the feedback photos on social platforms, many users received bears that either had crossed eyes and crooked mouths, or had become "one-eyed monsters," or had an extra ear, each with its own sloppiness and flaws.

Bears in such condition greatly disappointed many fans who bought the item for the sake of the collectible, who bluntly said Starbucks' merchandise quality control was hard to describe: "Starbucks, open your eyes and look, is this bear with eyes on the bridge of its nose pretty?" "Can I call the police? Starbucks, are you there?" "Starbucks Valentine's Day ugly-cry series." "This quality control couldn't be produced without ten years of Parkinson's."

Beyond the complaints, longtime users who often buy Starbucks merchandise are also dissatisfied with the quality of products the company has sold recently. They pointed out that the rabbit plush paired with the ceramic cup launched at the end of last year was also mocked by many customers for its uneven appearance, jokingly calling it the "trisomy 21 rabbit."

But consumers who trusted Starbucks' quality control thought it was just a one-time flop. Unexpectedly, more than a month later, the brand's plush merchandise once again had similar quality problems. Their full expectations turned into complete dissatisfaction when they saw the bear with all its eyes squeezed to one side, and they complained that the charm they received did not match the official promotional images.

Two consecutive plush merchandise quality flops have already given some consumers a negative impression that Starbucks merchandise is poor quality at a premium price. Some longtime users said that if the brand does not value customer feedback, strictly control product quality, and improve merchandise quality, they may consider not buying from it in the future.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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