The Origins of Pumpkin Spice
Pumpkin spice was not always the hugely popular flavor it is today. The spice blend originated as a seasoning for pumpkin pie around the 1700s in North America. It traditionally contains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and allspice. However, it was not until the 1990s that pumpkin spice started gaining mainstream popularity beyond its traditional usage in pumpkin pie fillings and baked goods during the fall season.
Early Adopters in Food and Beverage Industries
Some of the earliest companies to embrace Pumpkin Spice flavors beyond the holidays included specialty coffee shops and bakeries in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Starbucks was an early pioneer, releasing its first Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003. The seasonal beverage was an instant success, helping drive awareness of pumpkin spice flavors to new audiences. Other food brands soon followed suit with pumpkin spice flavored snacks, yogurt, soda and more.
Explosive Growth of the Pumpkin Spice Latte
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte became enormously popular, sparking nationwide excitement and buzz each fall. Sales grew exponentially over the years, hitting $800 million in pumpkin spice latte sales alone by 2017. Now imitated by nearly every major coffee chain, pumpkin spice lattes have become synonymous with the changing of seasons. The excessive hype and familiarity of the beverage has also spawned jokes and memes about “basic” pumpkin spice lovers on social media. Nonetheless, consumers continue flocking to pumpkin spice flavored menu items en masse come early September.
Beyond Coffee: Pumpkin Spice in New Categories
Emboldened by the popularity of pumpkin spice outside of typical baked goods and pies, CPG companies have introduced the flavor profile into a stunning array of new categories in recent years. This includes pumpkin spice scented candles, air fresheners, lip balms and hand soaps that allow consumers to “eat” the flavor with other senses. Food and beverage brands released pumpkin spice bagels, tortilla chips, popcorn, cereal, yogurt, cream cheese, sparkling water and hard seltzers. New age products like CBD oils and bath bombs also came in pumpkin spice varieties. Such innovations have kept interest and demand for pumpkin spice Skye high throughout the year.
The Billion Dollar Empire of Pumpkin Spice
Thanks to its overwhelming popularity stretching across multiple consumer product industries, pumpkin spice has catapulted into a billion dollar business empire. According to market research firm IRI, pumpkin flavored foods and beverages saw over $1.3 billion in sales in 2018 alone. The overall pumpkin spice food & beverage market is estimated to reach $2 billion by 2023 as producers continue stretching the flavor beyond its comfort zone into bold new areas. Its unusual ability to drive excitement, sales and brand loyalty during a usually slow quarter for businesses has cemented pumpkin spice as one of the greatest business success stories of the modern era.
Sustaining Pumpkin Spice Mania Year-Round
With pumpkin spice products now available well before the fall season, companies face the challenge of sustaining consumer demand for the flavor beyond a few months each year. Some strategies adopted include limited edition seasonal collections released throughout the year versus a single fall lineup. “Twists” on pumpkin spice like cinnamon bun or salted caramel pumpkin also diversify offerings. Partnerships with pop culture icons or nostalgic brands provide new excitement to the formula. Online communities dedicated to the flavor further cultivate its fandom. If properly stewarded, pumpkin spice still has runaway potential to remain America’s most beloved business buzzwords for many years to come.
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