Adults Now Drive $13.5 Billion in Halloween Spending, Amazon's New Wearable Turns Conversations Into Shopping Suggestions
2 min read · October 25, 2026 · Covering October 24 · 5 stories from 4 sources
Yesterday in ecommerce: adults pushed Halloween spending past $13.5 billion, Amazon launched a listening wearable that turns chatter into shopping suggestions, and SharkNinja turned its own staff into paid affiliates. 5 stories, about 2 minutes.
01Data
Adults now drive $13.5 billion in Halloween spending
Halloween has outgrown trick-or-treating. The National Retail Federation projects $13.5 billion in Halloween spending this year, up from $8 billion in 2012, and adults are driving most of that growth. Modern Retail reports millennials and Gen Z are fueling a "kidult" wave of elaborate lawn decorations, themed cocktails and nostalgia-driven collectibles, often costing more than kids costumes. Retailers are expanding beyond costumes into home decor, candles and food and drink to capture it.
For your store:Don't stop your Halloween shelf at costumes. Many shoppers now spend more on adult decor and snacks than on kids gear, so stock for grown-up buyers too.
Amazon launches Bee wearables that turn chatter into shopping suggestions
Amazon has released two wearable AI devices, Bee Frontier and Bee Eclipse, that listen to conversations only when turned on and turn mentions into summaries, to-do lists or shopping suggestions tied to Amazon.com. Amazon says no audio is stored, crediting an isolated Bee Private Compute environment. Bee Frontier costs $74.99; Bee Eclipse, which clips to a phone, starts at $99.99.
For your store:Expect shoppers to arrive already primed by an AI assistant suggestion. Make sure your product titles match how people actually talk about what they want.
SharkNinja turns its own employees into paid affiliate sellers
SharkNinja launched two creator programs ahead of the holidays: First Fans for its 4,100-plus employees, and SharkNinja Storytellers, a public affiliate program paying everyday creators 8 to 10 percent commission, professionals up to 12 percent, and invite-only VIPs up to 15 percent. The push follows a video from an oil-rig worker using a SharkNinja facial device that drew over 10 million views.
For your store:A tiered affiliate program turns any happy customer into a seller. Offer a flat commission to shoppers who tag your product in real posts.
Refurbished-tech marketplace refurbed launches in the UK
Austrian refurbished-electronics marketplace refurbed launched in the UK, its 25th European market, selling refurbished phones, laptops, tablets and smartwatches. The company also buys used devices from sellers directly, with free insured shipping and payment within 48 hours. CEO Peter Windischhofer said refurbished is becoming the default for many customers across Europe, betting that trust and convenience, not just price, will pull UK shoppers away from buying new.
For your store:If you sell electronics or accessories, a certified-refurbished line can open a price-sensitive, sustainability-minded customer segment without cannibalizing your new-product margin.
PayPal's new CEO admits the company "wasn't agile enough"
At Money 20/20, PayPal CEO Enrique Lores said the company was slow to decide things under prior leadership, partly from too many management layers, and that he has cut layers and clarified accountability since taking over in March. PayPal is cutting jobs in a broader restructuring and shifting focus toward BNPL, personal banking and Venmo.
For your store:If you accept PayPal at checkout, expect faster product changes soon. Do not bet your own AI-agent checkout plans on next year; big players say that is still years off.
The Daily Checkout is a daily summary written by KonvertiQ. Every story links to its original source, where you will find full reporting and context. Covered today: Glossy, Modern Retail, Payments Dive, Tamebay (ChannelX).