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 time). Scrumptious drinks and attractive treats flavored with the big, rounded orange-yellow squash, all created to fulfill these pumpkin-loving style buds. 

Nevertheless yummy these meals and drinks may be, up to now, they value you additional bucks. MagnifyMoney, a private finance website owned by LendingTree, performed a examine in 2022 that discovered customers 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 might be paying extra for that pumpkin cake combine or PSL versus one thing with out the addition of pumpkin.

So, how a lot is the typical “pumpkin spice tax”? In response to the examine, clients 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 low merchandise from six retailers. In contrast to a couple years prior, it is a sharp enhance: the typical pumpkin spice tax was 8.8% in 2020 (MagnifyMoney didn’t conduct the examine in 2021). 

It’s possible you’ll surprise, what did the examine discover is the biggest pumpkin spice-related markup? That will be pretzels. For instance, Dealer Joe’s Pumpkin Spiced Teeny Tiny Pretzels value 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 all the baked items, lattes, dips, snacks, and extra merchandise throughout this cozy, foliage-filled time of yr.