Will Pumpkin Spice Merchandise Price Us Extra in 2023?

Fall is right here, and this marks the unofficial starting of pumpkin spice season (though these beloved autumn-themed merchandise hit retailers on the finish of summer season). Scrumptious drinks and engaging treats flavored with the massive, rounded orange-yellow squash, all created to fulfill these pumpkin-loving style buds.

Nevertheless yummy these meals and drinks may be, previously, they price you additional bucks. MagnifyMoney, a private finance web site owned by LendingTree, performed a research in 2022 that discovered shoppers are paying extra within the type of a “pumpkin spice tax.” They clarify that “pumpkin spice tax” is a “demand-based pricing technique the place retailers mark up the worth for a pumpkin-flavored merchandise.” That’s proper, you’re paying extra for that pumpkin cake combine or PSL versus one thing with out the addition of pumpkin.

So, how a lot is the common “pumpkin spice tax”? In line with the research, prospects paid a median of 14.1% extra for the pumpkin spice-flavored model of an merchandise in 2022; this determine is throughout 80 analyzed grocery and occasional merchandise from six retailers. In contrast to a couple years prior, it is a sharp improve: the common pumpkin spice tax was 8.8% in 2020 (MagnifyMoney didn’t conduct the research in 2021).

It’s possible you’ll marvel, what did the research discover is the most important pumpkin spice-related markup? That might be pretzels. For instance, Dealer Joe’s Pumpkin Spiced Teeny Tiny Pretzels price 161.1% greater than its Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks — 50 cents an oz. versus 19 cents an oz., respectively.

Will the “pumpkin spice tax” rise or fall in 2023? We don’t know but, however we hope you take pleasure in the entire baked items, lattes, dips, snacks, and extra merchandise throughout this cozy, foliage-filled time of 12 months.