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Are your customers finally over pumpkin spice lattes?
Should you launch pumpkin spice lattes now, later or never? Research about consumers' love affair with the fall treat is conflicting.
August 22, 2019 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com
In these ever changing times, we humans like things we can count on. The sun always rises and sets, our kids will always watch the dumbest crap whether on TV or Youtube, and fall means it's time for pumpkin spice lattes. But guess what? It's not fall — yet — and Starbucks is already using Twitter to pimp the Aug. 27 launch of its pumpkin spice latte, and I'm not the only Starbucks fan to find it annoying.
In fact, 63% of Starbucks customers said that the coffee giant was releasing the PSL too early this year, according to a study by Apester, which polled 5,500 U.S. Starbucks consumers. Dude, it's still summer. My mind is still on squeezing in pool time, iced coffee, margaritas and sangria. Why wish our lives away, as my mother always says. Twitter users, however, were pretty much pumped up. Only a few of the 300 comments to Starbucks' PSL PSA were snarky.
— Amber Rojas (@saiyanVasilisa) August 20, 2019
— Starbucks News (@Starbucksnews) August 20, 2019
I CAN'T WAIT👏 — 𝔾𝕦𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕧𝕠 (@gusreyees) August 20, 2019
The first day of Fall is September 23rd. Let's pump the breaks and let it remain summer. pic.twitter.com/3V48f0PFDI
— Shawn (@shawnriv) August 20, 2019
I couldn't agree more with @THE_LizGarland and @shawnriv, and we aren't alone.
In fact, the Apester study also found that 48% of U.S. consumers were tired of the entire PSL trend and wish it would just go way. I wouldn't go that far. I'm still basic enough to order the drink when it's cold outside — if it comes with sugar-free syrup, which, sadly, Starbucks has totally 86'd and is a topic for another day — but I agreed with another stat from the study. It found that the PSL is no longer a favorite. Nearly 50% said their new go-to fall treat was the Salted Caramel Latte. Same! (I already admitted to being basic.)
Compare that with the 12%, who named PSL as their favorite fall treat, and we must ask the obvious question. "Are we finally moving from pumpkin spice?"
Not so fast, according a recent report from NPD Group, which repeated LTOs — like seasonal offers — tapped into a base of loyal buyers. The study also found that 24% of people who bought a PSL at Starbucks in 2018, had purchased the drink in 2017, and 32% of buyers in 2017 had bought a PSL in 2016.
When a seasonal LTO first debuts, it garners broad consumer interest because it's new and then over time it plateaus to include the loyalist buyers while still attracting some new buyers, David Portalatin, NPD food industry adviser and author of "Eating Patterns in America," said in a press release. Seasonal LTO buyers typically visit more and are more valuable customers to the chain overall.
"Limited-time offers continue to be an integral element of a restaurant chain's and food service manufacturer's marketing mix, he said. "A well-executed LTO can boost sales and serve as a competitive edge for restaurant operators and help food service manufacturers test new products and concepts."
The key word there is "well-executed," so is August too early for the PSL?
Dunkin' obviously doesn't think so. The brand launched its pumpkin menu earlier this week, beating Starbucks by a whole week. And to raise their overall pumpkin-related awareness level, eight U.S. stores rebranded from Dunkin' to Pumpkin' on Aug. 14 and gave out free pumpkin-flavored Munchkins lip balm and pumpkin-flavored coffee.
"We're showing that regardless of how early PSLs are released the loyalists will still buy," NPD's Kim McLynn told FastCasual. "They may not buy on a 100 degree day, but they will buy during the offering and spend more when they do."
Well, it looks like PSLs are here to stay, even if some of us are still holding on to summer.
About Cherryh Cansler
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