Aldi is no stranger to incredible look-alike products, offering food and drinks that are nearly identical to name brand groceries and occasionally dropping its own copycat versions of luxury cookware for a fraction of the cost. Beyond the Biscoff-style cookie butter and Le Creuset-esque dishes, though, the grocery chain has also released some products in the past that are eerily similar to Starbucks, from coffee to cake pops.
Now, just after the coffee chain’s most recent viral controversy, Aldi might be taking a jab at Starbies with a brand new Aldi Finds item that isn’t only a doppelganger for Starbucks’ newest merch drop, but way cheaper, too.
Aldi’s Crofton Holiday Ornament Glass Sippers
With the holidays come plenty of seasonal merchandise drops and viral grocery store trends, and the most recent one from Starbucks may be one of the most infamous this year. The coffee chain dropped a Starbucks “Bearista” cup on Nov. 6, which is shaped like a honey bear wearing its own silicone green beanie and holding a tiny Starbucks drink.
In addition to being a limited-edition drop in time for the holidays, the $30 glass cup was a hot commodity because of how few cups were produced and available in stores. The small drop meant angry customers, plenty of arguments, resale prices that rival Trader Joe’s Mini Totes, and a number of other brands taking to social media to poke fun at the coffee giant. For example, Walmart posted a picture of its own Great Value honey bear filled with coffee and the caption “Walmart version,” while Aldi shared a picture of its own Berryhill Clover Honey, writing “We’ve got the bear cup at home.”
In addition to plenty of its own bear-inspired memes, Aldi amped up the shade a little more and announced that it will be dropping its own version of the holiday cup in grocery stores this week—and fans are already stoked.
“Miss out on that $30 bear? Well, we’ve got this little diva,” the grocery chain wrote on an Instagram post highlighting the store’s new cup: an adorable smiling gingerbread man with rosy cheeks, a screw-top cap, and a straw. Aldi even went as far as dissing Starbucks in the caption, adding, “That Seattle-based coffee chain could neva.”
“That little gingerbread is low key cuter,” one shopper wrote on Aldi’s post sharing the news. Another fan replied to the comment, writing “Not low key, is cuter, that’s a fact.”
“I’m running to Aldi just because of this,” added another.
Beyond being pretty dang cute, Aldi’s gingerbread cup retails for just $4.99—a fraction of the cost of Starbucks’ Bearista Cup. Commenters on Instagram also poked fun at the price difference, asking shoppers what they were going to do with the extra $25 they were saving by skipping the Starbucks bear. Might we suggest picking up the other tree and ornament varieties Aldi is also offering?
Aldi’s gingerbread cup hits the aisles beginning Nov. 12, and just like other Aldi Finds, the cups are only available for a limited time. Given that the adorable glasses could probably go fast, you can always emulate Aldi’s alternative and drink your latte out of the Berryhill Clover Honey bear.
