When one thinks of a teenage girl in the fall, I’m sure the same image comes to most minds. Rory Gilmore: sweaters, headbands, leg warmers, layers, and what’s that in her hand – a pumpkin spice latte? Steaming or freezing, it’s a staple for the autumnal season. So much so, that it seems that brands are pushing these seasonal drinks out earlier and earlier every year just to meet the demands of the people. 

In the year 2024 alone, Starbucks released their rendition of the caffeinated beverages as of August 22nd. To the untrained eye, this may seem reasonable, until the realization dawns itself upon you. The technical fall season doesn’t begin until well into September. Exactly a month after Starbucks’ release date is when the first day of fall finally arrives, with the autumnal equinox. 

This year, however, has been different than all of the others, at least when it comes to one of the most popular coffee chains in the world, Starbucks. Due to some recent controversy with the brand, there has been a significant dip in sales, which could also be a determining factor for when the drinks of the new season (even though said season has not yet started) were to be released. 

Beside this fact however, Starbucks has a prior history of releasing the drinks earlier each year. According to CBS News, here are the seasonal menu release dates of the past six years: Thursday August, 24th, 2023; Tuesday August, 30th, 2022; Tuesday August 24th, 2021; Tuesday August 25th, 2020; Tuesday August 27th, 2019; Tuesday August 28th, 2018. While in 2022, the release date was later than all the rest, it is clear that the number of days the consumer has to wait are getting shorter. Comparing the first year mentioned (2018), and the most recent year (2024), the difference is six days.

Taking the focus away from just Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts is now releasing pumpkin spice later than they have every other year. Dunkin’ seems to be more on the gun, so to speak, than Starbucks, releasing the spice 20 days earlier than the latter in 2022. Even though the days of Dunkin’s release are getting later by the year, the beverage is still coming out far earlier than the fall season starts. As early as August 10th in 2022, which is before many schools in America began for another school year. The latest that Dunkin’ has ever come out with their menu is this year, 2024. Yet even then, it was released as of August 28th, which is nearly a full month before the official beginning of fall.

These two major chains are putting out a fall staple before the fall season begins. Before some schools are even back in session, which (in America) has usually been in the summer, with the exception of some states that return in early September. Even those states that start later, though, start before autumn, and the fall menu is still being released before they begin. They’re not the only ones, either. Dutch Bros (even as a smaller coffee chain) released their fall menu on August 23, 2024, Krispie Kreme as early as August 7th, 2024, and Scooter’s Coffee on August 19th, 2024. 

To put it simply, a change has to be made. Either pumpkin spice switches from a staple of the fall to one of the summer, following the lead of all these companies releasing it way earlier than it’s intended to be consumed, or these businesses can wait just a few more weeks, another month maximum, to release the drink. 

Now, this may beg the question, why are companies trying to beat each other to the punch of releasing the seasonal menu? The answer is, in the simplest way, the law of supply and demand. Pumpkin spice is notoriously known for being enjoyed and obsessed over by Gen Z and Millennial women and girls, generally. This specific demographic (as well as others), wait half a year for the drink to be something they can buy at their regular coffee shop or chain. Some may even refer to the craving as an obsession, though that may be an extreme. 

Psychology today says that there are a few reasons for the obsession with the drink, and they go as follows: scarcity, nostalgia, flavor, and “the influence of the season.” The article states that the main ingredients that go into pumpkin spice can have a major impact on the desirability of the drink. They state that cinnamon can be used as a muscle-relaxer, and nutmeg can have an “antidepressant-like effect.” On top of these facts, the human brain is known to desire something when given an expiration date, such as marketing with the phrases “for a limited time,” “limited supply,” and “seasonal.” Phrases such as these can then create the bandwagon effect, and the article states “It’s human nature to want to be a part of something.” For the last and final reason, people crave the comfort of the fall, not only in the physical sense, but also when it comes to scheduling. The article references fall as a time where when the summer comes to an end, routines begin to be formed again, and give people’s lives the structure they’ve craved. 

Skowron, Claudia. “The Psychology behind the Pumpkin Spice Craze | Psychology Today.” www.psychologytoday.com, Psychology Today, 5 Sept. 2023.

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/a-different-kind-of-therapy/202309/the-pumpkin-spice-phenomenon#:~:text=Scarcity%2C%20flavor%2C%20and%20nostalgia%20equal%20obsession.&text=The%20taste%20of%20pumpkin%20spice. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.