Let’s take a minute to think about the Frappuccino. It’s the signature drink of Starbucks, and one of the reasons why the brand exploded. Introduced back in 1995, customers have enjoyed many different varieties of the iced drink — from plain old Mocha to Horchata Almondmilk Crème. But, is the reign of the Frapp over? Sales are reportedly down, but Starbucks isn’t too worried just yet.
According to Food & Wine, Frappuccino sales have plummeted by 3% — and while nobody knows why exactly, the culprit could be sugar.
It’s not so fun to look into the nutritional facts behind your favorite beverage, but the standard Mocha has a reported 61 grams of sugar and 410 calories. Maybe in an effort to stay healthy, more customers are researching other options at Starbucks for a new drink to fall in love with, guilt-free. Or, they’re cutting their Starbucks trip out entirely.
This summer, the company is trying hard to get customers to fall back in love with the Frapp. For example, on June 21st, Starbucks let select customers have 50% off their Frappuccino purchase in hopes of enticing their fanbase. Frappuccino Happy Hour will also be back this year to help celebrate the warm weather, and it will last a lot longer than the 10 days the promotion ran in 2017.
The news is a little bittersweet. If customers are trying to watch their health, more power to ’em. But on the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with an occasional Frappuccino — especially since they’re so refreshing during the summer months.
Starbucks should know by now that they’ve got a ton of lifelong fans by their side. Even if customers ditch the Frappuccino, it’s probably because there’s a new seasonal drink on the menu that sounds too delicious to pass up.
Did you know that Starbucks has a rewards program? By joining Starbucks Rewards, you can get free food and drinks (and even free refills!). You can even order and pay for your favorites on your phone. Cheers!
