August is upon us, which in the retail world means it’s time to sell fall decorations, Halloween candy, and all things pumpkin spice. That’s right, y’all! PSL Season is imminent. This year, Starbucks is reportedly rolling out the Fall Harvest Latte Pumpkin Spice Latte on Tuesday, August 25. Here’s an early “Happy PSL Day!” to all who celebrate.
The PSL is so popular that in 2024, the company sold approximately 20 million worldwide. U.S. Starbucks saw an average 24% rise in foot traffic on its release day and had record sales during its first week. Over the years, it’s also inspired copycat drinks and turned the flavor into such a cultural juggernaut that Merriam-Webster added “pumpkin spice” to the dictionary. Given its success, you’d think Starbucks would want to add it to their year-round menu. So why does the PSL remain a seasonal offering? According to Starbucks chair and CEO Brian Niccol, its popularity is directly tied to its scarcity. From Yahoo! Finance:
Despite its sales-boosting popularity, the Starbucks (SBUX) fall-favorite pumpkin spice latte, aka the PSL, will be staying just that — a fall favorite.
“We’ve talked about this a couple times, and we come back to the conclusion that it’s really the defining drink of a season,” Starbucks chair and CEO Brian Niccol said on Yahoo Finance’s Opening Bid (video above). “And it really kind of starts people into that, you know, kind of fall to holiday run. And as of right now, we’ve got no plans to put it on permanently. But we will make the most out of people wanting to experience a great pumpkin spice latte season. And it’s not too far away.”
Starbucks first introduced the pumpkin spice latte in 2003, testing it in about 100 stores before rolling it out nationwide the following year. It has become the company’s signature seasonal beverage.
Since its debut, it’s estimated that Starbucks has sold hundreds of millions of pumpkin spice lattes globally. The PSL typically returns to US menus in late August, well before the official start of fall, a strategy designed to generate excitement and kick off Starbucks’ important autumn selling season.
[From Yahoo! Finance]
I agree with Starbucks. They’re showing remarkable restraint during an era in which anything even remotely successful gets overexploited in the name of profit. The PSL works because it invokes a specific seasonal reaction, and the limited availability creates more demand. That said, if pumpkin spice is your jam and you want to drink it year round, there’s no judgment here. My favorite Starbucks drink is an iced White Chocolate Mocha. I do oat milk, two pumps of the WCM, and two pumps of peppermint (no whipped cream because that sh-t only belongs on pumpkin pie). I got hooked on it after experimenting with the Peppermint Mocha one winter.
I’m a savory person, so I’m not a huge fan of the sweet PSL. I usually get an iced one once a year, at the end of September. Spooky Season is my favorite season, and it always hypes me up to start my yearly Halloween decorating. I also love the smell and make a point to get a pumpkin spice-scented candle every year. It’s the perfect scent to transition into holiday season.
Photos credit: Mikita Yo and Khysrow Akbari on Unsplash and Olena Bohovyk and Sergei Bezborodov on Pexels
My favourite “fall drink” syrup was the apple/caramel apple. I’d get an oat milk flat white with two shots of the apple syrup and it’s absolute best. Kind of like a coffee flavoured apple oatmeal drink. Starbucks discontinued it last year when everything became pistachio apparently. So I tracked down a very good caramel apple syrup (one that’s not too sweet) on line and now for a treat bring the syrup with me in a small squeeze jar and order a plain oat milk flat white & dump it in. I will not be denied! 😉
I’m in the one a year crowd too. I don’t do Starbucks anymore if there are other options. But I do allow myself one pumpkin spice latte a year. Realizing I didn’t have one last year. I find boycotts easier if I turn it into once a year.
Confession: I have never had a pumpkin spice latte.
I think they’re smart to do this. I like a Pumpkin Spice Latter in the fall (or what passes for fall where I live, which is when it dips below 85). I love Halloween and Thanksgiving. But I prefer it to stay a seasonal drink.
I’m ok with it only being a limited time item, it makes it more special. I don’t have too many PSL’s from Starbucks any more, most of our local coffee shops do the same thing, they roll out PSL’s and other fall flavors in the beginning of September. But I still get one on occasion.
Starbucks is saving people from themselves, because pumpkin spice latte is terrible! (I tried it once and had to pour it down the drain … it was just too sweet — and I love sweet things!)