Starbucks' fall pumpkin spice latte is launching earlier than ever in 2024
It's still the height of summer, but Starbucks seems to want it to be fall already. Its 2024 fall menu, including its pumpkin spice latte, will debut earlier than ever this year.
This year's early pumpkin spice latte launch comes as some Americans appear to be losing their taste for the Starbucks brand, with the company suffering from a slowdown in store traffic and dip in sales. Starbucks earlier this month tapped former Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to replace ousted Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan, amid a growing list of challenges facing the coffee giant.
The early fall menu launch could be an effort to capture additional sales and get a head start on regaining consumers' interest in the brand.
When is the pumpkin spice latte coming back to Starbucks?
Starbucks' fall menu will debut on Thursday, Aug. 22, two days earlier than it debuted last year, which marked the drink's 20th season.
On Wednesday, Starbucks said its fall lineup marks the "unofficial start of the season," despite fall not officially commencing for another full month, on Sept. 22.
The earlier rollout is also part of a polarizing trend among some retailers to roll out seasonal goods at ever-earlier dates as they seek to pocket consumers' dollars. For instance, stores that stock Halloween-themed goods during the summer months, some as early as June, has been dubbed "summerween" on social media platforms like TikTok.
While some consumers are put off by what they see as retailers' overeagerness to introduce holiday merchandise, others like getting a head start on their holiday shopping.
And Starbucks is hardly the only company to introduce fall merchandise over the summer. Halloween decor will hit Target store shelves in August, the discount retailer said, adding that spikes in searches for Halloween-themed goods start spiking as early as July.
What's on Starbucks' 2024 fall menu?
The pumpkin spice latte will return to Starbucks locations along with other menu offerings, including a new iced apple crisp nondairy cream chai beverage, the coffee chain said.
The pumpkin spice latte, which Starbucks debuted in 2003, remains its most popular seasonal beverage, Starbucks said in announcing its 2024 return. It is made with real pumpkin, espresso, steamed milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. The best-selling beverage comes in a few varieties: Hot, iced or blended.
Starbucks' fall menu will also include:
- Its pumpkin cream cold brew
- An iced pumpkin cream chai
- An apple crisp oatmilk macchiato
- An iced apple crisp oatmilk shaken espresso
- A raccoon cake pop
- A pumpkin cream cheese muffin
In addition, Starbucks Reserve locations in Chicago, New York City and Seattle will debut their fall menu, which includes seasonal cocktails.