According to Yonhap News on June 17, Starbucks plans to gradually introduce summer beverages, food items, and merchandise that were delayed last month.
The company had refrained from large-scale marketing following the controversy, but it is believed that the decision to resume product launches is aimed at alleviating the burden on its partners, which could increase if the delays continued.
Summer season products are typically aligned with the production of raw materials, logistics, and store inventory schedules. Continued delays in launching products that are already prepared for delivery could negatively impact the sales of raw material suppliers and logistics partners.
Previously, on May 18, Starbucks faced criticism for a tumbler promotion that included inappropriate wording related to the May 18 Democratic Uprising. Following the backlash, Starbucks Korea CEO Jeong Hyun-soo issued an apology, and the company announced on May 20 that it would temporarily postpone its summer promotions and the Summer e-Frequency event.
With this decision, the sale of summer products will return to normal, but the e-Frequency promotion, which incentivizes customer purchases through giveaways, will be excluded. Starbucks is expected to continue a cautious approach by resuming product launches while avoiding large-scale marketing.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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