With the leaves turning golden and the weather getting colder, people are starting to feel that fall is here. Although in southern California we may not be experiencing the season changing in exactly the same way as the East Coast, there is one factor that can be equally felt across the country: fall-themed products. The excitement of this time of year can cause many people to start spending, but before doing so, it is important to be mindful of why you are buying certain products.

A large reason why companies heavily promote fall-themed products in stories is to maximize profit ranging from food, clothes, and even home decor becomes worth hundreds of millions of dollars when some orange is added with a “limited edition” label. Senior Lucy Mendesh has first-hand experience with this phenomenon as a Target employee.

“I definitely see people buying hundreds of dollars of [fall] stuff, especially within the five-dollar section,” said Lucy Mendesh.

Another popular item that takes the fall season by storm is pumpkin spice. GoBankingRates, a personal finance website, said that in 2019, “Pumpkin-flavored grocery products reaped $511 million, which was 4.7% more than 2018.” 

Specific marketing techniques focus on promoting certain products during different times of the year. 

“Seasonal food is a big portion of what they [Target] are marketing,” said Lucy.

With all of that said, consumer spending is necessary. For some, it may not be the smartest financial decision at the moment, but general spending must occur so that the economy remains stable. If people were to get scared of overspending on pumpkin-flavored purchases and simply stopped spending, less money would be circulating and could cause a recession-like event to occur. The main reason why fall items originally hit markets is because of the long gap between the holiday season and the summer months. 

Every year companies introduce their fall items earlier and earlier in the year. This year, Starbucks pumpkin spice made a comeback in August. 

“The season is starting earlier and earlier, we’re seeing it start coming into the summer. The longer you are exposed to it the more likely you are to buy it. Plus their promotion is really hard, they promote new products but also bring back old products,” said marketing teacher Ms. Karst. 

This strategy is working, as each year people spend more money on themed products. 

For this fall season, it is important to keep in mind the touting done by companies when they come out with seasonal products. 

“Be a mindful but shrewd consumer, 70% of the economy is based on consumption so it is important for a lively job market that can include pumpkin spice which brings you joy,” said economics teacher Mr. Oleson. 

As consumers, we vote with our dollars, so if you like pumpkin spice, you can continue buying those products while staying aware of your spending.