56% of PSL drinkers are skipping pumpkin spice this fall
Fall is back. Pumpkin spice is back. But over half of PSL drinkers are looking elsewhere this year.
For years, the pumpkin spice latte has had a pretty reliable job: show up sometime in August and inform America that fall is here (doesn’t matter what the thermometer says).
So, yes, the leaves may still be green. You may still be wearing shorts. No matter. The PSL is back, therefore it is cozy season.
But after years of pumpkin spice everything, from coffee and cookies to cereal and candles, even loyal drinkers might have had enough. Has the PSL gone from the drink of fall to something a little too predictable?
We asked 500 pumpkin spice latte drinkers across the US using OnePulse.
Is pumpkin spice losing its grip on fall?
More than half of PSL drinkers are planning to switch things up.
This year, 56% say they’re skipping pumpkin spice in favor of something different.
Not what you’d expect from the Taylor Swift of fall drinks. Us neither. Pumpkin spice still has its fans, but more people are looking elsewhere.
Sometimes the obvious story isn’t the reality. Cue the shameless plug. This is exactly why the brands we work with use OnePulse to ask real people instead of guessing.
Are PSL drinkers over pumpkin spice?
Pumpkin spice might not spark the same craving anymore.
When we asked PSL drinkers how they feel about pumpkin spice right now, the biggest group, 26%, said it feels overdone.
Another 21% said it has become more tradition than craving, while 19% still like pumpkin spice but are ready for something new. Just 13% said pumpkin spice still owns fall.
That helps explain why people are skipping it. Among those looking elsewhere, 25% prefer other flavors, 23% want something new and 23% find pumpkin spice too sweet. Another 16% are simply bored of it.
Then we asked where pumpkin spice gets a little more complicated: would you order a PSL in front of your coworkers?
Apparently, pumpkin spice now comes with a side of social anxiety. 64% said they’d feel embarrassed because they think they’d be judged. Only 36% would order one proudly.
If not pumpkin spice, what are people drinking instead?
Apple looks ready to give pumpkin some competition.
We gave PSL drinkers a menu of other seasonal drinks and asked what they’d have this cozy season.
For the hot options, apple cider came out on top at 36%, followed closely by pecan crunch latte at 34%. Matcha latte was next at 32%, while chai attracted 29%.
And fall apparently doesn’t have to come steaming in a mug anymore. Caramel apple iced coffee appealed to 35%, putting it almost level with hot apple cider. Considering iced coffee has long since escaped the boundaries of summer, perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising.
There’s interest outside the coffee shop too. 29% would have pumpkin beer, while 26% would go for tequila apple cider.
Apple may be leading the pack, but there’s no clear replacement for the PSL yet. Drinkers are spreading their interest across apple cider, pecan crunch, matcha, iced coffee, and even tequila apple cider.
For brands, that means there’s more than one flavor worth betting on.
All statistics are based on real-time responses collected from 500 US pumpkin spice latte drinkers in the OnePulse community.
The next seasonal favorite is still up for grabs. If you’ve got a contender, OnePulse can help you test it with real consumers. Book a demo and get free credits.
All statistics are based on real-time responses collected from 500 Americans in the OnePulse community.
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