India, Nov. 10 -- At 5 am on November 6, thousands of customers lined up in a long queue across the Starbucks outlets in the US. No, they were not waiting for a new coffee roast, or a free hot beverage. They wanted to buy the new $29.95 glass cup shaped like a teddy bear, with a green beanie lid. By sunrise, most outlets were sold out. It was not rocket-science, as some stores received five pieces. Within hours, the cups were being resold for $300 apiece on digital resale platforms (eBay).

The frenzy over 'Bearista Cup,' as they were called, forced the coffee giant, Starbucks, to publicly announce that it had shipped "more (quantities) . than almost any other holiday merchandise this season," but the demand outpaced the estimated supply....