WMAL Interview - MAURA JUDKIS - 09.06.17

Sep 06, 2017, 04:30 PM

INTERVIEW -- MAURA JUDKIS - (more-ah judd-kiss) - food reporter for The Washington Post

Maura Judkis covers culture, food, and the arts.

TOPIC: Pumpkin Spice Latte season is here - what the haters and lovers say about it

Starbucks News‏ @Starbucksnews 23h23 hours ago: Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte officially returns nationwide http://sbux.co/2eXrUv3 #PSL

(Forbes) - The rumors were true. On Friday, Starbucks brought back its perennially popular Pumpkin Spice Latte, barely waiting for September to start. Word quickly spread on social media that the PSL had made its comeback, although there was no outward sign at many outlets Saturday that PSL was available again. Some baristas grumbled last month that PSL was arriving far too soon. But as they took their first PSL orders from Labor Day weekend customers, there was plenty of pumpkin spice competition, including within Starbucks itself.

MarketWatch reports that the number of pumpkin spice products sold online has grown 49 percent in the past year. But sales are only up by 21 percent, according to 1010Data.