Food & Drink
Pumpkin Spice is Back, Earlier Than Ever
Starbucks looks to boost sagging sales
By Rob Smith August 21, 2024
Summer doesn’t end for a month, but Starbucks is launching its fall menu and highly anticipated Pumpkin Spice Latte earlier than ever.
Starting Aug. 22, the company will unveil the popular drink as well as other seasonal menu items. It’s the earliest the coffee giant has launched its fall menu.
The company says roughly 10% of its sales come from its seasonal menus.
Starbucks is clearly anticipating a much-needed boost in sales from the early launch. The company reported a 3% drop in overall sales and a 6% drop in foot traffic in its recent quarterly earnings report. It recently ousted former CEO Laxman Narasimhan and replaced him with Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol.
Starbucks says it has sold “hundreds of millions” of Pumpkin Spice Lattes since the drink made its debut 21 years ago.
Follow Us
‘Transformative’ Overlook Walk Opens Along Seattle’s Waterfront
The elevated walk is another sign that the massive renovation is almost complete
Seattle’s multi-billion-dollar waterfront renovation was always about connecting Pike Place Market and downtown Seattle to Puget Sound and the new 20-acre Waterfront Park. With the Oct. 4 opening of the elevated Overlook Walk, that dream has been realized...
Costco’s Gold Rush Continues
Sales of gold bullion rise again
In one of the many iconic Seinfeld episodes, comedian Kenny Bania describes a popular bit from his comedy act: “That’s gold, Jerry! Gold.” He may as well have been referring to Costco’s ever-increasing sales of gold bars. The Issaquah-based warehouse chain said in its earnings call yesterday that sales of gold bars rose “double digits”…