Pumpkin Spice Craze: Has It Gone Too Far?

Pumpkin carving and pumpkin pie have been Fall staples since I can remember. But then pumpkin spice changed everything and shoppers’ love for it has only grown over time. To the extent that Fall now seems to be the season of pumpkin spice. A time when you can get anything and everything infused with this unofficial taste of Fall.

There are the classics like the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, pumpkin spice scented candles and air fresheners and of course the ever classic pumpkin spice cake. But many other products are adopting this flavor and retailers are embracing this trend in store. Has it gone too far?

We want to hear from you, the readers! Click here to weigh in on the pumpkin spice craze.

To fuel your thinking, here are some recent happenings on the pumpkin spice front.

  • According to Nielsen, sales of pumpkin-flavored items continue to soar, rising 11.6 percent to $361 million for the year ended July 25.
  • Just 8 percent of pumpkin spice latte customers buy the drink three or more times during the offer time. While 72 percent buy the drink just once.
  • Last year, about37 percentof consumers purchased a pumpkin-flavored item.
  • PopSugar has ranked 106 pumpkin spice offerings from best to worse. Some of the more interesting pumpkin spice products out there include:
    • Sprouts Organic Pumpkin Spice Kale Chips
    • Boulder Canyon Pumpkin Pie Kettle Cooked Potato Chips
    • Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Butter
    • Planters Pumpkin Spice Almonds
    • Boom Chicka Pop Pumpkin Spice