Starbucks SG saddles up for a pony-themed Lunar New Year

Starbucks Singapore has rolled out its Lunar New Year 2026 lineup, unveiling a festive range of limited-edition merchandise and member-exclusive rewards ahead of the Year of the Horse, as it looks to extend celebrations beyond the coffeehouse and into customers’ homes.

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Ruth Yam, head of commercial at Starbucks Singapore said this year’s Lunar New Year lineup is centred on creating warm and meaningful moments, whether customers are gathering with loved ones or picking up gifts for the season. She added that Lunar New Year remains a key occasion to introduce locally relevant offerings that spark shared experiences and joy among Singapore consumers.

The 2026 Lunar New Year collection draws inspiration from a whimsical farmyard narrative, featuring vibrant red and gold tones alongside pony motifs symbolising prosperity, resilience and fresh beginnings. The collection includes mugs adorned with cheerful pony and auspicious tangerine designs, as well as a new stainless steel tumbler format fitted with a practical slider lid.

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Completing the range is the Lunar New Year edition Bearista, dressed in festive pony attire, positioned as a collectible gifting option for the season. Shoppers can also pair the merchandise with a Starbucks Year of the Horse card with a minimum reload of SG$10.

Yam said Starbucks' approach to localisation during festive periods is shaped by how customers interact with the brand’s merchandise and experiences, both in-store and online. These shared moments, it added, inform how collectibles and collaborations are designed to connect different generations of Starbucks fans and strengthen a sense of community.

That thinking also underpins the role of collectibles such as plush toys and red packets in the brand’s Lunar New Year strategy. Yam views merchandise as an extension of the Starbucks experience, designed to let customers take a piece of the festive atmosphere with them. She noted that it has seen customers return year after year to collect full sets, visit multiple stores to complete their collections, and share those moments with baristas or online.

This year, Starbucks has also expanded its "Lion and dragon dance" collection this year, introducing sculpted mugs shaped after traditional lion and dragon dance figures. The Singapore-exclusive lion dance plush and plush keychain, previously available only at the Starbucks store at 37 Smith Street, have now been extended to selected stores.

The Lunar New Year collections are available in-store, on the Starbucks Online Store, LazMall and ShopeeMall, while stocks last.

Rounding out the festive offerings are Starbucks’ assorted egg rolls, a seasonal item the brand said has long been a fan favourite during Lunar New Year. Priced at SG$29.90 per box, each set includes two packs of original egg rolls, alongside new strawberry and chocolate flavours introduced this year to refresh the tradition.

The egg rolls are available in-store and via the Starbucks app through mobile order and pay. Starbucks Gold Rewards members will also receive a complimentary Year of the Horse red packet set with a minimum spend of SG$28 nett in-store or on the Starbucks online store.

Yam added that loyalty members play a key role in the success of festive campaigns, as they are often among the first to engage with new launches and help build momentum within the community.

She said: 

Ultimately, the best campaigns are the ones that create genuine connection, spark joy, and deepen that sense of belonging that sits at the heart of the Starbucks experience.

The Lunar New Year push follows Starbucks Singapore’s broader strategy of anchoring seasonal campaigns in local culture and emotional resonance.

Last year, the brand tapped into national pride and nostalgia with a multi-layered SG60 campaign celebrating Singapore’s 60th birthday. Titled “Shiok together,” the initiative brought together local flavours, childhood memories and creative partnerships with homegrown brands, reinforcing Starbucks’ positioning as a culturally attuned lifestyle brand.

Central to the campaign was a limited-edition collaboration with local lifestyle label Inwarmregard, whose illustrations reimagined Starbucks as it might have appeared 60 years ago. The visuals depicted the brand housed in a traditional two-storey shophouse, complete with green metal grilles, vintage signboards and multigenerational “bearistas” going about their daily rituals.

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