Stanley Quencher
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The Stanley Quencher, also known as a Stanley cup, is a reusable stainless steel tumbler that comes in 14, 20, 30, 40, and 64 US fluid ounce sizes, introduced by Stanley in 2016. It became popular as a result of influencer marketing campaigns on social media, particularly TikTok.
History
Stanley introduced the Quencher bottle in 2016.[1] In its initial years, the Quencher struggled to make a significant impact.[1] In 2020, Terence Reilly joined Stanley as its new president. Reilly engaged with Ashlee LeSueur, co-founder of Buy Guide, who had discovered the Quencher in 2017 at a Bed, Bath, and Beyond store. Impressed by the product, she became a supporter, gifting it to friends and recommending it to her followers, which resulted in increased interest.[1] As a result the company decided to continue production and released the quencher in more colors.[1][2]
In 2020, the Quencher became the brand's top-selling product, a position it has retained ever since.[3][1] It is Stanley's most popular item among female customers, and has increased Stanley's annual sales from US$70 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023.[2][1]
Country Gold Stanley
On November 14, 2023, Stanley released a limited edition gold version of the Quencher in association with the country music star Lainey Wilson.[4][5]
Starbucks x Stanley Quencher
In December 2023, Stanley introduced a Valentine's Day-themed quencher, the Starbucks × Stanley Quencher, exclusively at Target stores in the United States. The product caused a frenzy at some Target stores; some customers camped out at stores, while others were reportedly "nearly coming to blows or otherwise overrunning the store", to buy one.[6][1]
Criticism
In 2022 and 2023, some TikTokers reported that the quencher may contain lead and may result in lead poisoning. The company released a statement reading, in part, that "no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product."[7][8] In February 2024, Stanley's parent company faced two lawsuits accusing it of intentionally misleading customers about the Quencher's lead-related risk.[9]
Although reusable water bottles have been praised as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bottles, the trend of collecting and showing off collections of Stanley Quencher bottles has raised concerns about whether Quencher bottles are better for the environment when they are used infrequently or stored as collectibles.[10][11]
A reviewer for the The New York Times's Wirecutter blog tested the Adventure Quencher tumbler in 2022,[12] and the Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumbler in 2024. The reviewer praised the cups' insulation and appearance, but strongly criticized their lids for being overly leak-prone. Wirecutter recommended similarly sized cups from other companies, including Hydro Flask, as less spill-prone alternatives.[13]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Vega, Nicolas; Shamo, Lauren (December 23, 2023). "How a 40-ounce cup turned Stanley into a $750 million a year business". CNBC. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ a b Demopoulos, Alaina (2024-01-12). "Stanley cups took the world by storm. Then the backlash began". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ Issawi, Danya (May 17, 2022). "The Sisterhood of the Stanley Tumbler". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
- ^ "There's Only One Way to Get Your Hands on Lainey Wilson's New "Country Gold" Stanley Tumbler". Country Living. 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ Muhammad, Latifah (2023-11-14). "Lainey Wilson's 'Country Gold' Stanley Cup Is Here: Where to Buy the Limited-Edition Tumbler Before It Sells Out". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ Deb, Sopan (January 5, 2024). "Why People Are Camping Out at Target for the Valentine's Stanley Tumbler". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "Do Stanley cups have lead in them? VERIFY". wcnc.com. 2024-01-22. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- ^ "Viral TikToks Are Claiming Stanley Products Contain Dangerous Levels Of Lead". Delish. 2024-01-23. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
- ^ "Seattle-based Stanley faces more lawsuits over lead in products". The Seattle Times. 2024-02-19. Retrieved 2024-02-19.
- ^ Klein, Elana (January 11, 2024). "The Big Problem With the Giant Stanley Cup". Wired. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ Tabuchi, Hiroko (February 9, 2024). "Is There a Climate Cost to Collecting Climate-Friendly Stuff, Like Mugs?". The New York Times. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Sanci, Elissa (October 5, 2022). "We Tested the TikTok-Famous Stanley Adventure Quencher. It's Good, but So Are Our Picks". Wirecutter. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
- ^ Sanci, Elissa (January 22, 2024). "Sorry, but Stanley Tumblers Leak Too Much. These 4 Dupes Are Superior". Wirecutter. Retrieved January 27, 2024.