Believe it or not, kids, there once was a time when fall wasn't defined by thousands of items in pumpkin spice flavors, scents and textures.

Not so long ago, the only pumpkin spice we got was at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner -- Grandma's homemade pumpkin pie.

Oh, how things have changed.

Blame Starbucks.

Most pumpkin spice historians will tell you that we can trace all this madness back to the advent of Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte back in 2003. (Pumpkin spice historians, you scoff? Well, they make pumpkin spice everything else. Is historians that much of a stretch?)

According to CNBC.com, more than 400 million pumpkin spice lattes have been sold by Starbucks in the past two decades. That kind of success first spurred copycats in the coffee world, then it spread to dozens, then hundreds, now thousands of pumpkin spice items ranging from foods and drinks meant for people, to foods and drinks meant for pets, to air fresheners, body care products and so much more.

We pulled up all the pumpkin spice items we could find at Kroger.com, and determined the 14 most unnecessary pumpkin spice items you'll find there. You can either be a pumpkin spice loving fiend and use this list as a jumping-off point for your next shopping trip, or shake your head along with the rest of us at the sheer opportunism at work as we marvel at the lengths to which some companies will go to get their slice of that figurative pumpkin spice pie.

The 14 Most Unnecessary Pumpkin Spice Items You'll Find at Kroger

Pumpkin spice. Either you love it or hate it. For purposes of this gallery, we're gonna hate on it. These are the 14 most unnecessary pumpkin spice items you'll find at Kroger.

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