Stanley's Limited Edition Wicked Cups Had Target Shoppers Lining Up

Elphaba enthusiasts and Glinda groupies stampeded down the yellow brick road — to Target. On Sunday, fans flocked to locations across the nation, and waited in line outside the store for several hours to purchase their "Wicked"-themed Stanley Cup and reusable water bottles. Once the doors opened, it was like an Emerald Rush. According to a shopper who appeared on Inside Edition, customers were screaming, yelling curse words, shoving other shoppers out of the way, and swiping items from others' carts.

Stanley and Target released their collab, which features Elphaba-inspired green and black cups and Glinda-designed sparkly pink cups, on October 13. The water bottles are limited-time versions of the Stanley Stainless Steel H2.0 FlowState Quencher cups and are offered at $55 for the 40-ounce cup and $35 for the 20-ounce.

A movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, scheduled to release on November 22, has incited an angsty buzz among fans, explaining why Stanley and "Wicked" lovers eagerly anticipating the release swarmed local Target locations to snag a bottle.

Shoppers and Target employees alike were taken aback by the aggressive storm and documented their experience on social media platforms like TikTok. One employee posted a video of the piles of cardboard and plastic after stocking the shelves with the "Wicked" cups, writing that it resulted in three cuts. She captioned her video "[S]tanley release day is my worst enemy."

The cups are available as supplies last, but many Target locations have said that they're already out of stock. As of Tuesday, the special edition water bottles were entirely sold out on Target's website.

A similar craze occurred last January when Stanley, Starbucks, and Target dropped a special edition pink cup. Stanley cups mainly grew in popularity on TikTok, where hydration trends sent users looking for aesthetic ways to drink water. Later that month, a 23 year-old woman was arrested for stealing 65 Stanley cups. Reports of lead found in Stanley cups caused a dip in the company's sales, but promotional collaborations like the "Wicked" campaign are a strategic way to keep its popularity alive.