Starbucks fall menu more popular than ever

CORRESPONDENT: Bradley Blackburn
PRODUCER: Chris Stein

(CBS) - Secretly sipping that Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte? The numbers show you're not alone

The weather outside says summer, but for many the first sign of fall just arrived. On Thursday, Starbucks put Pumpkin Spice Lattes back on the menu, and data shows pumpkin is more popular than ever.

20 years ago, Starbucks first mixed espresso and steamed milk with the spices of pumpkin pie to create a flavor that customers crave. What started with one seasonal drink is now a full fall menu that's released before the summer even ends.

This year, Starbucks is offering the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Latte and the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, but two decades of evidence prove the original Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL for short, has staying power. Experts say a key factor is that the flavor is only available for a limited time.

"There's something about this kind of limited time period aspect of pumpkin spice, right? So it's kind of like a signaling that fall is here and it's a transition into a new season," said Sherry Frey with NeilsenIQ, which tracks marketing trends.

Other companies have piggybacked on the PSL's success, and pumpkin spice is now found in everything from coffee creamers to pumpkin-flavored salsa. Pumpkin Spice SPAM sold out within hours when it was first introduced, and even pumpkin caviar has been marketed.

"We've just seen it explode across categories in the store," said Frey.

The flavor's ubiquity means PSL has also become a punchline, the subject of memes and jokes on late-night TV. But the numbers show that customers are still enamored with the products, even if some are less-likely to admit it.

According to NeilsenIQ, in the past year, US sales of pumpkin-flavored products have reached more than $800 million, a 42% increase from 2019.

"You think about consumer research and you think about what consumers want. Well, oftentimes we don't know until it's introduced to us," said Frey. "And we think, 'Oh, you know, I actually really love that combination of flavors together."

It's a taste that lasts only through the fall but comes back stronger year after year.