- Dunkin ‘launches its drop menu – including its Pumpkin Spice Latte – on August 19, sooner than ever before.
- Starbucks internal documents indicate that the chain plans to launch its Pumpkin Spice Latte on August 25, significantly earlier than last year.
- Dunkin’s head of marketing said the chain will return the Pumpkin Spice Latte early, as it is one thing customers can expect with “so much uncertainty” by 2020.
- Visit the Business Insider website for more stories.
Pumpkin Spice season begins sooner than ever in 2020.
Pumpkin Spice Cheerios and Chobani yogurt hit farms in early August. Sam Adams launched her fall beers – Jack-O Pumpkin Ale, OctoberFest and the Sweater Weather Variety Pack – on August 10th. Dunkin ‘announced on Wednesday that it will make its debut on its fall menu on August 19, sooner than ever before.
Starbucks also gives in to heart failure. The brand’s Pumpkin Spice products such as creamers and K-cups hit the shelves in the first week of August. The Pumpkin Spice Latte seems guaranteed to hit the Starbucks menus in stores before August is over.
While one California store posted on Instagram that it launched the PSL on August 28, an internal memo shared with Business Insider indicates that the drink will return to menus on August 25 – the earliest recorded launch of the drink.
Shayanne Gal / Business Insider
Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice season often feels like it starts every year earlier. In fact, at Starbucks, the drink launches just around Labor Day. Growing hype and warmer summers due to climate change make the start date feel earlier for the average Starbucks customer.
Prior to 2018, the Pumpkin Spice Latte officially launched on the Tuesday after Labor Day each year, while offering an early launch for PSL super-fans. In 2018 and 2019, the chain launched the PSL on Tuesday before Labor Day.
However, if the official PSL launch ends on August 25, that would mean Starbucks launches the drink on a Tuesday two weeks before a Labor Day, which falls on September 8. With Dunkin ‘, they’re also launching Pumpkin Spice products sooner than ever, both chains deviating from their seasonal routines.
Starbucks did not respond to a request from Business Insider for comment on its 2020 launch date. Dunkin’s vice president of marketing strategy, Jill Nelson, responded that the previous launch was a deliberate strategy in a challenging year.
“While there is so much uncertainty in the fall, one thing our fans can count on is the return of pumpkin at Dunkin ‘,” Nelson said in a statement to USA TODAY. “We are excited to bring them one of the most anticipated flavors ever.”
The desire for something soothing during a global pandemic is creating shopping trends as people gravitate toward familiar, nostalgic fast food chains and comfortable clothing. Some people have been asking in recent weeks for an early return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte as a potential balm for a very stressful year.
—Janna Reeves (@JReevesMSN) August 2, 2020
—Cella Paz (@cellapaz) August 13, 2020
—Jenna Kausner (@Jennananana) August 5, 2020
—ThatViolinChick ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽 🏳️🌈 (@TVCTwitch) August 5, 2020
Dunkin ‘and Starbucks seem happy to give these eternal customers what they want – a single, positive thing to look forward to amid a pandemic and global recession.
