Starbucks Voluntarily Recalls Summer Carry Bag... Until October 11

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] Starbucks Korea announced on the 11th that it will conduct a voluntary recall of the summer carry bag, which was a giveaway item in the 2022 summer e-frequency event. The voluntary recall process will be carried out for two months from today until October 11.

The recall targets a total of 1,079,110 items, including 1,062,910 units provided as promotional gifts and 16,200 units sold through affiliated companies' online channels.

Since the 23rd of last month, 380,000 units have been exchanged, accounting for about 36% of the total quantity. Through this voluntary recall action, Starbucks will share the recall performance with relevant government agencies and regularly monitor the recall status.

Starbucks will also accept compensation applications from customers who exchanged the carry bag after accumulating 17 e-stickers by the 22nd. These customers can choose between a desk module or a Starbucks Rewards card worth 30,000 KRW. The 30,000 KRW Rewards card can be received within three days after application, and the compensation gifts will be distributed sequentially from October to December after production is completed.

The exchange schedule, which provides three free drink coupons when visiting stores with the carry bag, will be extended from the original deadline of this month’s 31st to the recall end date of October 11.

To enhance customer convenience for returns, free returns via courier service will also be conducted simultaneously. If visiting a store is difficult, customers can request courier pickup through the Starbucks mobile app without visiting the store, and a courier will visit the registered address to collect the item. This system is planned to be implemented soon.

Starbucks stated, “We decided to formalize the recall measures that have been underway since the 23rd of last month to alleviate customer concerns and proceed with swift additional actions, and we are conducting a voluntary recall campaign in consultation with the National Institute of Technology and Standards. We sincerely apologize for the concern caused by this incident and will do our best to ensure safe recall through transparent and prompt follow-up procedures such as introducing free courier service. We also plan to focus company-wide capabilities on quality-related areas by expanding the quality management organization, hiring specialized personnel, and strengthening verification processes.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.