Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte officially returned to nationwide menus on August 24 — and is already leading to a big boost in foot traffic before the official arrival of fall.
According to analytics platform Placer.ai, visits increased 3.5% during the week of August 23 compared to the same week in a particularly strong 2019 summer season. And foot traffic expanded 12.3% on a week-over-week basis.
Traffic continued to climb in the days that followed with an average increase of 14.9% over the six days following the drink's 2021 launch. This culminated with a weekend surge that saw visits spike 20.8% on Saturday and 19.3% on Sunday, compared to the four prior weekends.
But it's not just Starbucks (SBUX) reaping the benefits of consumers' pumpkin coffee craze.
Dunkin' also saw visits increase during the week of its own Pumpkin Spice drink debut on August 16, climbing 8.4% compared to the same week in 2019. That momentum continued into the following week — with Dunkin' foot traffic up 3% on the day of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte release.
Brands lean into pumpkin spice for fall
For Starbucks, the pumpkin spice latte has consistently been a strong driver for growth. The signature drink debuted in 2003, with more than 500 million have been sold to date.
Other brands embracing pumpkin-flavored products this season include Pepperidge Farm (CPB), Dairy Queen (BRK-B), Tim Hortons (QSR) and Samuel Adams (SAM).
Alexandra is a producer & entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193
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