Starbucks’ iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte.
Source: Starbucks
In most parts of the United States, the green foliage and warm temperatures signal the arrival of fall. However, for many restaurants and retailers, autumn has already begun.
In the past, Halloween candy and pumpkin spice lattes would wait until after Labor Day before making their annual appearances. This unofficially marked the start of fall, several weeks before the official beginning of the season. But in recent years, restaurants and retailers have been introducing their seasonal food and beverages even earlier.
According to Technomic, which tracks the top 500 restaurant chains and top 40 convenience stores, the number of limited-time pumpkin launches more than doubled to 86 in August 2022 compared to 2019. While November remains the most popular month for launching limited-time pumpkin items, August is gaining ground.
The extended fall season for restaurants and retailers can be attributed to the increasing popularity of pumpkin-themed food and beverages throughout autumn. In 2019, there were 268 pumpkin-themed seasonal items launched by restaurants and convenience stores. By 2022, that number had more than doubled to 559 items.
Ken Harris, managing partner at Cadent Consulting Group, identified three reasons behind this shift: profitability, appealing taste, and consumer research that supports pushing the boundaries of timing.
“The companies make money from it, the stuff tastes good and they have consumer research that says they have permission to push the boundaries of timing,” he told CNBC.
With schools starting earlier, Labor Day has lost some of its significance as a seasonal indicator. Many families are already preparing for school in August, and fall seems just around the corner. Buying Halloween candy during back-to-school shopping also allows parents to multitask.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August
Starbucks is credited with popularizing pumpkin-themed drinks and food with the introduction of its pumpkin spice latte 20 years ago.
“Go back 20 years ago, nothing pumpkin existed in the marketplace. The only thing you could find in the grocery aisle was a pumpkin puree,” said Peter Dukes, one of the original creators of Starbucks’ pumpkin spice latte.
Starbucks has also faced criticism from consumers who dislike the early introduction of fall menus. Since 2018, Starbucks has been releasing the pumpkin spice latte in August. This year, it launched on August 24, tying with 2021 as the earliest rollout yet.
“It does tend to be at the end of August, which is that time that our customers are returning to their routines,” said Starbucks spokesperson Erin Stan.
As Starbucks has shifted the start of the fall season earlier, it has also adjusted its menu. In 2019, it introduced the pumpkin cream cold brew, its second-ever pumpkin drink. This year, Starbucks added the iced pumpkin cream chai latte to its menu.
These new drinks cater to the rising popularity of cold beverages, which account for over three-quarters of all Starbucks orders, regardless of the season. They also offer a more temperature-appropriate option for late August when customers are still dealing with heat and seeking air conditioning.
However, not everyone is ready to embrace pumpkin spice lattes in August. Eleni Demestihas, a 28-year-old lawyer from Denver, prefers iced pumpkin spice lattes but waits until she can wear a sweatshirt all day, usually around mid-October.
In the meantime, she enjoys PSL-themed memes.
Dunkin’ Beats Starbucks to the Pumpkin Punch
While Starbucks receives criticism for its early fall menu, some of its competitors entered the market even earlier. Dunkin’, owned by Inspire Brands, released its autumn menu on August 16, eight days before Starbucks. Krispy Kreme introduced its pumpkin spice doughnut lineup on August 7.
IHOP launched its fall menu, including pumpkin spice pancakes and pumpkin spice cold foam cold brew, on August 28, six days later than in the previous year.
“For us, the timing of anything like this is really based on consumer insights,” said Kieran Donahue, Chief Marketing Officer of IHOP.
Despite the early introductions of fall menus, companies have not pulled these items sooner, according to Lizzy Freier, director of menu research and insights at Technomic.
And fear not, many companies are still adhering to the traditional seasonal boundaries. Reynolds’ Hefty, for example, will release its cinnamon pumpkin spice-scented trash bags in September.
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