Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 20 this season. As of last year, the coffee chain has sold over 600 million of the seasonal beverage since 2003, according to CNN.

The fall flavor is now available at Starbucks, but some argue that the cozy coffee craze is on its way out. MarketWatch reported, “The pumpkin spice mania might suggest a booming market—and by some measures, it indeed is. Market researcher NielsenIQ says U.S. sales of retail pumpkin-flavored products reached $803 million for the 52-week period ending in late July 2023—a nearly 15% increase from the prior 52-week period.”

“But the NielsenIQ figures also reveal that unit sales—meaning the actual number of pumpkin-flavored products purchased—are down by 1.5% for the 52-week period ending in late July. And it’s the second straight year that unit sales have dropped.”

A reason for the disjointed figures could be rising prices overall. As CNN covered the PSL launch last year, it referenced increases in prices, “ [a] grande-sized hot PSL cost[s] customers between $5.45 to $5.95 depending on location—a roughly 4% increase compared to 2021.”

“In the past, Starbucks has said the pumpkin drinks were the “catalyst” for a record-breaking fourth-quarter performance in 2020,” said CNN.

Despite the fluctuations, AP News reported that just about any food, beverage or scented product comes in a pumpkin flavor. “There are pumpkin spice Oreos, protein drinks, craft beers, cereals and even Spam. A search of “pumpkin spice” on Walmart’s website brings up more than 1,000 products.”

Does your c-store take advantage of the seasonal showcasing? Register today to attend the education session, “Growing Baskets with Seasonal Offerings”, at the NACS Show in Atlanta October 3-6 to identify strategies for seasonal offerings and to learn how to measure its effectiveness.