At 3 a.m., Berkley Fuller ’26 began her shift at Starbucks with a line of at least 30 soon-to-be disappointed customers awaiting the release of the store’s holiday items, items the store didn’t receive.
“We ended up having to tell them that we didn’t get any cups, because our store is considered smaller than other stores,” Fuller said. “We had a lot of bad reviews and we ended up having to get our district manager involved.”
What happened at Fuller’s location wasn’t unique. The Nov. 6 launch of seasonal items like the popular bearista cup led to Starbucks’ biggest-ever sale day in North America, according to a statement by the company CEO, Brian Niccol. In the statement published to the Starbucks website, Niccol went on to mention that a week later, on Nov. 13, Starbucks had its strongest Reusable Red Cup Day in the company’s history. Penelope Robinson ’28 believes that these inflated sales reflect a growing pattern of consumerism across America.
“People are so used to going with the trends and buying everything that they think will make them cool, or things they think they need because of life,” Robinson said. “Like buying a special cup every time [Starbucks] comes out with a special cup.”
While Starbucks is a prominent example, the company is far from alone. Donn Bacon, an economics teacher at South, said many companies lean into the holiday season and sometimes rely on simple strategies to gain customers and profits.
“They’re able to draw in customers just by playing holiday music. Sometimes that’s enough to drive customers into their business,” Bacon said. “People are usually in better moods, [they’re making] happier purchases, so sometimes it’s easier to make sales.”
Heavy holiday spending has become increasingly normalized, with the National Retail Federation predicting that holiday spending in 2025 will surpass that of 2024 by 3.7-4.2 percent. For many students, this nationwide trend translates into personal pressure to meet expectations.
“Around the holidays, I spend my entire paycheck buying gifts and stuff. So it’s definitely something that America has normalized,” Fuller said. “You buy gifts for almost every single person you know and there are always parties or gift exchanges going on, even if you don’t know those people very well. “
Yet, for Fuller and others like those filling Starbucks lines in the early morning, the spending that fills the season isn’t just about stress; it’s tied to traditions, celebration and connection.
“I don’t see that as negative. I really love Christmas because I really love getting gifts. I like the joy that it brings and I like that it’s a tradition for many families,” Fuller said. “It’s nice to be able to have that kind of money and spend it on people that you love.”
