Return of pumpkin beverages boosts foot traffic to Starbucks
Justin Sullivan

According to a new report from placer.ai, visits to Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) and Dunkinâ Donuts have spiked amidst the return of fall favorite beverages.
Headlining returns to the menu at Starbucks (SBUX) as of the start of September were Pumpkin Spice Lattes, the Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato, the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin, and the Pumpkin Scone. Per placer.ai, the impact of fall menu additions âstood outâ enough to be differentiated from typical back to school trends, suggesting the menu reconfiguration is a key sales growth driver.
âVisits to Starbucks were up 25.7% this year during the seven days after the chain launched its fall menu, compared to the average weekly visit numbers for the previous five weeks,â the report read. âDuring that same stretch, visits were up 7.5% compared to 2019âs numbers, too.â
Meanwhile, the Inspire Brands-owned Dunkin saw a similar, albeit more modest impact. Its Pumpkin Cold Brew, Pumpkin Munchkins, and Maple Sugar Bacon Breakfast Sandwich aided a 9.5% jump in visits over the same periods cited for Starbucks. Versus 2019, visits rose 5.8%.
Read more on Starbucksâ recent strategy update during its investor day.