Target reportedly sacked seven employees who bought a special Stanley Quencher cup.
Business Insider reported the fired Target employees said they purchased a Starbucks X Stanley cup that the companies launched to much fanfare earlier this month and received their dismissals not long afterwards.
The limited edition cups, which have a $49.95 price tag, debuted Jan. 3.
According to the former employees, higher-ups at their Target locations pointed to a rule about workers not being allowed to capitalize on their position as Target employees to “gain an unfair advantage over guests” to get products as factoring into the firings, the outlet reported.
FOX Business reached out to Target for comment.
Fired employees had no prior knowledge of the policy, they told Business Insider. In some cases, they also reportedly didn’t know getting the cup would breach it.
Store higher-ups turned down several of the employees volunteering to return the cups, according to the outlet.
The seven workers that talked to Business Insider reportedly weren’t alone in losing their jobs in connection to the cups. They said the same fate befell some colleagues, too, per the outlet.
The Starbucks X Stanley cups saw significant demand when Target released them, with consumers waiting in lines and rushing in stores to get them.
Stanley, which is based in Seattle, has been making various types of insulated drink bottles since 1913. Its products have recently seen a popularity boost from attention on social media platforms.
