Yahoo Finance Chick-fil-A's Peach Milkshake arrives to compete with Wendy's Strawberry Frosty
Wendy's (WEN) new strawberry frosty has some fruity competition — the return of Chick-fil-A’s Peach Milkshake.
The hand-spun summer milkshake officially returned to Chick-fil-A locations on June 13th, one week after Wendy's unveiled its first official fruity addition to its widely popular frosty lineup for a limited time.
The Peach Milkshake, which debuted in 2009, quickly became "a standout seasonal offering for the restaurant company," according to the release, and was originally inspired by Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy’s Icedream.
“Our team members are consistently asked by guests when their favorite seasonal milkshake, like the Peach Milkshake, will be back on the menu, so we want to continue to make this a yearly tradition for them,” the press release stated.
Chick-fil-A found that the following cities indulged in the limited-time offering the most: Greenville, South Carolina; Klamath Falls, Oregon; Spokane, Washington; and Lafayette, Indiana.
That success could spread further: According to Tastewise, an AI-powered platform that helps food brands guide decisions, milkshake pairings with fried food are up 30% compared to a year ago "as consumers go for indulgent warm-weather treats."
Limited-time offerings impact on foot traffic
Chick-fil-A and Wendy's are not the only two fast food chains invested in the milkshake market.
Shake Shack (SHAK), known for its custom foods like burgers and hand-spun shakes, has three new offerings in honor of Pride Month to benefit The Trevor Project: Chocolate Churro Shake, OREO Funnel Cake Shake, and Sprinkle Cookie Shake.
McDonald's (MCD) offers strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla milkshakes all year long in addition to seasonal flavored milkshakes. And according to data intelligence platform Placer.ai, the return of McDonald's Shamrock Shake in February caused foot traffic to pop at the Golden Arches. Following the return of the fan favorite on February 20, 2022, foot traffic popped 20% compared to a week prior, followed by another increase of 21.4% during the week of February 28, 2022.
"Historically, limited-time offers (LTOs) have resulted in a mid- to high-single-digit lift in visitation trends compared to the weeks leading up the promotion," Placer.ai Head of Analytical Research R.J. Hottovy told Yahoo Finance. "We’ve seen many LTO launches in recent months that exceed historical averages as consumers look for new menu innovations."
Brooke DiPalma is a producer and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com.
Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android
Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube
