Dive Brief:
- Starbucks and Dunkin’ both saw total visits increase in the third quarter of 2025, with more recent spikes driven by limited-time offers, according to data from Placer.ai.
- Dunkin’s traffic grew across both Q2 and Q3, while Starbucks’ resumed year-over-year growth only in Q3.
- The traffic bumps illustrate the staying brand power of legacy coffee chains despite the aggressive expansion of challenger chains like 7 Brew and Dutch Bros.
Dive Insight:
Starbucks’ Bearista cup drop, combined with the launch of its holiday menu, drove a weekly traffic spike of 11.9% year over year in the first week of November, according to Placer.ai. The chain also saw YOY traffic increases across the following three weeks.
At Dunkin’, the brand’s “Wicked: For Good” collaboration and its holiday launch coincided with two weeks of traffic growth above 3.5%, Placer.ai said.
Placer.ai attributed much of this growth to seasonal beverages and holiday advertising.
“Both brands’ early-season success highlights the growing importance of timing and tradition in driving visit growth,” the report found.
Starbucks in particular has worked to position itself as central to consumers’ lives through its emphasis on coffeehouse vibes, personal connections and ritualistic coffee consumption. That play stands in contrast to the tech-centric, drive-thru business models of some competitors.
Earlier in the season, Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte launch broke records and became the brand’s most successful sales day, surpassed only two months later by the Red Cup launch. The strong performance of its holiday LTOs also spells bad news for Starbucks Workers United, which launched a nationwide strike on Red Cup day.
