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Article

Starbucks’ Red Cup Day Makes a Comeback 

Find out how successful Starbucks' Red Cup Day was this year.

By 
Shira Petrack
November 27, 2024
Starbucks’ Red Cup Day Makes a Comeback 
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Key Takeaways
  • In 2024, Red Cup Day at Starbucks drove a 42.4% spike in daily visits relative to the recent Thursday average and a 9.4% increase in weekly visits compared to the recent weekly average – higher visit boosts than in both 2022 and 2023. 
  • Starbucks received more visits over the week of Red Cup Day than it did during the week of the Pumpkin Spice Latte Launch. 
  • This year’s Red Cup Day performance reveals, once again, Starbucks’ mastery at owning the promotional calendar. 

Visits to Starbucks usually spike on its annual Red Cup Day, as patrons flock to the chain to order a specialty holiday beverage and receive a complimentary reusable red cup. But last year, the chain’s Red Cup Day performance was relatively muted – although foot traffic still got a boost, the jump was not quite as significant as in previous years. Was the promotion more effective in 2024? We dove into the data to find out. 

Red Cup Day Drove a Higher Visit Spike in 2024 relative to 2022 & 2023 

Starbucks’ Red Cup Day came roaring back in 2024, with Thursday, November 14th – the day of the promotion – receiving 42.4% more visits than the recent Thursday daily visit average. And Red Cup Day didn’t just drive visits relative to a regular weekday – the promotion brought a 9.4% lift in overall weekly visits to Starbucks during the week of the event. 

The relative visit bump was significantly higher than on Red Cup Day 2023 – when visits on Thursday, November 16th 2023 were only 25.0% higher than the previous five Thursday averages – and even outshined the already strong performance of Red Cup Day 2022. 

Daily & Weekly Visit Bump Around Red Cup Day, 2022 to 2024

Red Cup Day Lift More Significant Than PSL Launch 

As usual, Red Cup Day at Starbucks drove a larger visit spike than the launch of the chain’s popular Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL): During the week of the PSL launch, visits rose 9.7% compared to the first week of H2 (July 1st-7th 2024), while Red Cup Day drove a 12.9% foot traffic bump relative to that same baseline. 

Nevertheless, the recent data also indicates that the PSL remains a seasonal fan favorite – Starbucks received more weekly visits on the PSL’s arrival week than it did when it launched the holiday menu, when visits increased 6.7% relative to the beginning of H2. 

Change in Weekly Visits to Starbucks Since the First Week of H2 2024 (July 1-7 2024) shows Red Cup Day Drives Larger Visit Spike than PSL Launch

Starbucks’ Wins Consumers Back by Owning the Calendar  

This year’s Red Cup Day followed several weeks of year-over-year (YoY) visit dips at Starbucks, with weekly foot traffic between September 2nd and November 10th 2024 down an average of 4.4% YoY. But the success of the promotion – which drove YoY visit growth for the first time since August – showcases Starbucks’ expertise at driving visits by owning the calendar. 

The chain has succeeded in establishing a yearly buzz around its branded cups that drive visits during what would otherwise be an off-season for the chain. And even this year, when consumers seem to be tightening their purse strings and cutting down on discretionary spending ahead of the holidays, Red Cup Day still managed to drive patrons to Starbucks stores in search of holiday beverages and free swag. 

Red cup day drives weekly visit growth to Starbucks

How will Starbucks perform throughout the end of 2024? 

Visit placer.ai to find out. 

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