No, it’s not the NHL’s Stanley Cup trophy we’re talking about. This story has to do with a recent water bottle craze that has swept the internet.
Stanley, a company that produces steel food and beverage containers, has been making water bottles since 1913. In fact, the brand claims that founder William Stanley Jr. invented the “all-steel vacuum bottle we know and love today.”
One hundred and ten years later, Stanley’s offerings skyrocketed in popularity like never before. Thanks to some savvy marketing and the power of the internet, Stanley’s “Quencher” water tumblers are now all the rage, with limited edition launches selling out in minutes and causing frenzies in supermarkets.
But it seems that one California woman who wanted to partake in the trend wasn’t interested in paying up to $60 for a water bottle.
Police in Roseville, Calif., just outside Sacramento, say they pulled over and arrested a 23-year-old woman with 65 stolen Stanley products valued at nearly US$2,500 (about $3,300).
Authorities learned of the alleged theft after staff at a nearby store say they “saw a woman take a shopping cart full of Stanley water bottles without paying for them.”
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“The suspect refused to stop for staff and stuffed her car with the stolen merchandise,” police wrote in a press release.
Dozens of Stanley water bottles crammed into the trunk of a car.
City of Roseville, California Police Department/Facebook
An officer spotted the suspect’s vehicle on Highway 65 and pulled her over. The 23-year-old woman, who was not named, was arrested for grand theft.
“While Stanley Quenchers are all the rage, we strongly advise against turning to crime to fulfill your hydration habits,” police note.
Stanley Quenchers are far from the first water bottle trend to take hold of Gen Z and younger millennials. In 2015, S’well water bottles were everywhere, followed shortly after by Hydro Flasks in 2019.
What makes Stanley different is that it’s an established brand that had a consumer base of campers and blue-collar workers before it shifted its marketing strategy to appeal to younger women. By partnering with blogs, leaning into influencer marketing and offering the Stanley Quencher in a wide array of fun colours, the company has seen its annual revenue accelerate.
In 2020, Stanley pulled in just US$94 million, according to CNBC. In 2021, revenue doubled to US$194 million. A year later, that figured doubled again to US$402 million.
Stanley has now sold more than 10 million Quenchers and it doesn’t appear that sales will slow anytime soon.
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