"Only 44 Units" Then "Sold Out"...Is Starbucks Using 'Open-Run Hype' to Lure Consumers?

[The Financial News] At 6:30 a.m. on the 30th, when morning temperatures in Seoul had dropped to minus 12 degrees Celsius, an office worker in her 30s, identified as Ms. A, headed to Gwanghwamun in Jongno District with her boyfriend before work. They were there to buy a newly released item that went on sale that day: the Dubai Chewy Roll ("Dubai Chewy Roll") launched by Starbucks Coffee Korea.

At Starbucks Reserve Gwanghwamun, where Ms. A went, a line began forming an hour before the store opened. The first person in line said they had arrived at 6 a.m. As opening time approached, the line stretched to about 30 meters. More customers continued to queue up behind Ms. A and her boyfriend.
Fortunately for those waiting, the line was formed at the back entrance inside the building rather than at the main entrance that leads directly outdoors.
Staff also limited the queue to only as many people as could realistically buy the product, based on the number of units available on site. Those who tried to join the line later turned away after hearing the staff’s explanation.
One staff member said, "Each person can buy up to two, but some people might choose to buy only one, so we allowed slightly more people to wait than the number of units prepared," adding, "People toward the back of the line may not be able to purchase any, depending on how it goes."

The doors opened at 7 a.m., and the stock dwindled as quickly as the line shortened. Twenty-three minutes later, staff informed the remaining customers that the product was sold out.
On this day, Starbucks introduced the Dubai Chewy Roll, inspired by the hugely popular Dubai Chewy Cookie (Dubai chewy cookie). The Dubai chewy cookie is a dessert made by filling traditional Middle Eastern pastry strands called kadayif with rich pistachio paste and coating the outside with cocoa marshmallow. Its crispy yet chewy texture, combined with a photo posted by Ive member Jang Won-young on her social networking service (SNS), helped it spread rapidly in popularity.
A Starbucks representative stated, "The Dubai chewy cookie has become so popular that we received many customer requests," and added, "We decided to start selling the new item in response to customer feedback."
The Dubai Chewy Roll from Starbucks is a roll cake that combines the ingredients of the Dubai chewy cookie. Inside a marshmallow sheet, it contains kadayif and pistachio filling. It is priced at 7,200 won and is sold only at six locations: Starbucks Reserve Gwanghwamun, COEX, Yongsan Summit, Centerfield, Seongsu Station, and Starbucks Hongdae Donggyo Branch.
After successfully buying the product, Ms. A said, "I’ve tried similar items at neighborhood cafés before. It feels especially satisfying to get one through an open-run like this, and I’m really pleased."


Some observers said the rapid sellout was not only due to the popularity of the Dubai chewy cookie, but also because the quantity available was far too small.
Each store received an allocation of just 44 Dubai Chewy Rolls, for a total of 264 units across all six locations. Even if each person bought only one, only 44 customers per store could get one. Currently, customers are allowed to buy up to two each. For consumers who lined up early in the morning, the numbers fell well short of expectations.
People who heard the "sold out" announcement at the store entrance turned away, visibly disappointed.
Ms. Kim, a 21-year-old university student who came with a friend, said with a wry smile, "The staff did say that the allocated quantity might sell out, but it’s still disappointing."
Hearing that there were "only 44 units" available, she pointed out, "Everyone knows how popular the Dubai chewy cookie is. There are even articles about people lining up at local cafés just to buy it. It seems like Starbucks didn’t prepare enough."
Her friend, who was listening beside her, added, "It’s hard to understand why a big company like Starbucks would bring in only 44 units and call that a product launch."
Starbucks, for its part, says it has its own constraints. The company does not operate its own manufacturing line for this product, so the Dubai Chewy Roll is supplied through an Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) arrangement.
According to reports, the manufacturer recently told Starbucks that, due to the Dubai chewy cookie’s popularity, it has struggled to secure enough kadayif and pistachio, making mass production difficult.
As for the Dubai Pain Suisse (9,000 won) and Dubai Fresh Strawberry Cheese Cupcake (12,000 won), which are sold only at Starbucks Reserve Gwanghwamun, Starbucks explained that some of the semi-prepared ingredients are finished in-store, so the number of items available for sale can vary from day to day.
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter