The Only Fall Flavor That Could Outsell Pumpkin Spice

In the past few years, one fall flavor has undeniably reigned supreme – pumpkin spice.

Like clockwork every September, you’ll see new fall-themed pumpkin products flying off the shelves at your local supermarket. Perhaps you’re one of the many who can’t resist ushering in cooler temps and shorter days with a pumpkin-spiced treat, or maybe you’re wondering when exactly the pumpkin spice mania will end.

If you fall into the latter camp, you’ll be excited for this news. Stock market authority Market Watch recently released their fall trend forecast – and they predict the next seasonal flavor will be maple.

According to Market Watch, sales and profits generated from pumpkin spice products have come to a steady crawl after years of rapid growth. While the number of pumpkin-spiced foods sold online increased 49 percent year over year, the overall sales of pumpkin spice foods have only grown 21 percent in the same time period.

Considering there are new mass-produced items like Pumpkin Spice Cheerios or Pepperidge Farm’s Pumpkin Spice Milanos on shelves this year, that’s a problem for legacy food companies. This issue is real for chains, too – Krispy Kreme recently pumped out pumpkin spice coffee and doughnuts.

Products – like KIND’s new pumpkin spice bar, Lindor’s pumpkin spice truffles, and California Fruit Wine Company’s pumpkin spice wine – are flooding the market without the necessary sales to keep up growth.

On the other hand, maple has seen much more potential in the market: Market Watch reports that the sales of maple-flavored beverages are up nearly 85 percent since 2016 and have seen more than 14 percent growth in profits as an alcoholic beverage as well.

If you’ve suddenly noticed an increase in maple offerings in your market, you’re not alone. Maple water has seen so much growth that Business Insider is calling it the “next coconut water” and says it could triple it’s value in the market by 2020. Crown Royal, Jim Beam and Knob Creek also produce maple-infused whiskeys.

With Dunkin Donuts being one of the first national chains to start promoting their new maple-pecan flavor as part of their seasonal rotation, we’re betting that the maple trend will soon follow at other retailers.

Maple doesn’t always mean sugar-laden syrup or flavoring, either – maple has an astounding nutritional power and there are more than 40 antioxidants and minerals found in organic maple syrups. Compared to other sweeteners, it’s also lower in calories.

With maple mania just around the corner for coffees, sweets, and other seasonal eats, big companies are thinking that this is one trend you can really get behind.