Limited Time Offers at Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts Spark Traffic Surge
Limited-time offers at Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts have triggered a surge in traffic to the popular U.S. brands, according to industry data.
Why It Matters
The 2025 holiday season has seen both Starbucks and Dunkin' experience a marked increase in U.S. customer traffic, overturning prior concerns of sluggish consumer engagement earlier in the year.
This surge reflects how limited-time offers (LTOs), innovative seasonal menus, and timely marketing remain effective at driving foot traffic in a competitive quick-service coffee market.
With brands contending for a share of shifting consumer routines and spending, these strategies play a critical role in both short-term sales performance and long-term brand loyalty.
What To Know
According to multiple analyses of mobile device data by Placer.ai, Starbucks and Dunkin' significantly outperformed their 2024 traffic levels in the third quarter of 2025.
Using location analytics data from tens of millions of mobile devices, Placer.ai applies machine learning to estimate visits to locations across the United States.
Its analytics are relied upon by thousands of industry professionals for insights into foot traffic patterns, demographic profiles, retail performance forecasting, migration behavior, site selection, and more.
According to Placer.ai data, Starbucks recorded a 0.7 percent year-over-year increase in visits in Q3 2025, rebounding from small declines earlier in the year (-1.0 percent in Q1, -0.2 percent in Q2).
Dunkin' followed a similar recovery path, switching from a 1.8 percent decline in Q1 to gains of 1.7 percent in both Q2 and Q3 2025.
These gains set the stage for intensified holiday consumer engagement driven by limited-edition menu items and well-timed seasonal campaigns, as shown by Placer.ai’s data.
The impact of LTOs was particularly pronounced during product launches.
Starbucks' Bearista glass-a $29.95 collectible cup introduced alongside its holiday menu-triggered an 11.9 percent year-over-year spike in daily visits during the week of its launch, according to Placer.ai.
This surge was closely followed by the traffic generated from the chain’s widely recognized “Red Cup Day,” which produced as much as a 6.2 percent YoY increase, according to Placer.ai.
Such events contribute both immediate and sustained increases in consumer visits, as demand remains high in the days following a launch.
Dunkin's 2025 holiday menu, bolstered by the ‘Wicked’ collaboration, yielded a 3.5 to 3.6 percent year-over-year rise in traffic during the two weeks after launch, illustrating a similar effect of well-executed seasonal campaigns.
What People Are Saying
Shira Petrack, Head of Content at Placer.ai, said: “As the 2025 holiday season kicks off, Starbucks and Dunkin' continue to see strong consumer engagement, with both brands outperforming their 2024 traffic levels and capitalizing on early seasonal launches.
“As competition in the coffee category intensifies, both brands' early-season success highlights the growing importance of timing and tradition in driving visit growth.”
What Happens Next
Competition in the quick-service coffee sector is intensifying, with regional chains and new entrants leveraging technology to compete on convenience and quality.
Newsweek
This story was originally published December 13, 2025 at 7:18 AM.