Nielsen study examines seasonal popularity of pumpkin flavor
Data reflects on 2012 sales, projects successful 2013
According to New York-based Nielsen, pumpkin-flavored seasonal foods and beverages are appearing on store shelves and menus earlier this fall than in previous years. This early arrival might set the seasonal flavor up for another successful season, it suggests.
Pumpkin-flavored beer and cider earned popularity last year as the fifth and 12th most popular pumpkin-flavored food and beverage items, respectively. In general, pumpkin beer appears most often in fall months, with 92 percent of last year’s sales taking place between August and October. This year, pumpkin beer sales have already seen an uptick from 2012, and they hit the shelves earlier than in 2011. Sales of one of the top pumpkin beer offerings from 2012 were up 366 percent for the four weeks ending Aug. 17, 2013, compared with the same time period in 2012, Nielsen reports.