Hello hello!
If it seems like pumpkin spice season gets earlier every year... just imagine what’s happening to Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping. ~80% of shoppers start BFCM shopping before Thanksgiving week. So if you’re not building your BFCM plan yet, you’re missing out on a LOT of potential business.
Tapcart’s FREE 2026 BFCM report surveyed 1,200+ shoppers to tell you how shoppers are actually behaving this year, answering the most critical questions like:
How are shoppers using AI to determine purchases?
Which cohorts plan to spend more (and which ones aren’t worth discounting for)?
What’s the biggest reason ready-to-buy shoppers abandon their carts at the last second?
Every answer includes a specific plan you can implement to make this your best BFCM yet, featuring in-depth insights from the top ecommerce experts. It’s so chock full of fantastic insights, we actually cannot believe it’s free.
Now, let’s get into our picks of the week →
Nate’s Pickup:
All my travel essentials!
As some of you know, I recently spent a week in Lisbon. We ate well, drank well, and took so many photos. Lisbon was such a fun and interesting city! Literally some of the best meals and wine I’ve ever had. If anyone wants recommendations, I have so so many!!
But, what I really want to talk about is what products I brought with me! That’s why were here, to talk about all the fun CPG products. And guess what, I brought so many things! Guess what though, they’re all amazing and most of the products I literally use multiple times a day. So let’s freaking go!
4AM wipes - these are magical
Flaus flosser - I’m a terrible flosser and this literally saved me
Neuro energy mints/gum - good breath and energy?! hell yes.
goodwipes - because i need a clean tushy and these are truly flushable
swishables - also for good breath
SURI toothbrush - best toothbrush since sliced bread! (granted I haven’t tried the new Dyson one lol)
WashWise reset spray - this is literally a life shave!! It’s essentially dry shampoo for your clothing
HAESKN - great skincare-Infused suncare
DUNE SUNCARE mug guard - literally the best face sunscreen! I use it daily. WEAR YOUR SUNSCREEN
Vacation Inc. sunscreen - for the body
gemi beauty hand sanni - because the plane surfaces is kinda dirty
Ranger Station Smooth Operator parfume - both the scent and the parfume brand I get THE MOST compliments on. I even convinced my doorman to buy it because I walked by so many times and he asked why I smelled so good
Experiment super saturated - I use this 2x a day and it has saved my skin!
Prequel face moisturizer and face wash - also use this stuff 2x a day and it’s perfection.
Leaf Shave twig razor - my favorite razor, been using it for years!!
EDJY clipper - I was shocked how good this nail clipper is!
Carpe deodorant - keeps me smelling good and dry as a towel (or whatever the phrase is)
KRISTIN ESS loose styling powder - I’ve been using styling powder for a while now and been loving this!
Medicube eye patches - the plane is drying and I don’t want under eye bags!
Where to buy: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/7234315
Jenna’s Pickup:
Algae Cooking Club - Smoked Tomato Oil
There’s been a whooooole lot of oil noise lately. Whether it’s criminalizing seed oils, exposing avocado oil fraud (what a hilarious string of words), or finding another olive oil to accuse of stealing Graza’s shtick, there’s always some kind of oil scandal happening (and this just the small-potatoes, consumable oil stuff… lest we get into the fuel and global crisis of it all 🙃).
While everyone else is pulling their hair out over which oil is the best for their health, clout, and/or roasted veg, I’m sitting pretty. Because this year, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Algae Cooking Club—and most recently its Smoked Tomato variety—and I no longer fret over the olive/avocado/seed varieties. If you’ve never tried algae oil, I’m about to change your life (in the least dramatic, most practical way).
Quick Facts: Algae oil (made by fermenting microalgae in steel tanks, like how beer is made), with a gorgeous smoked tomato flavor, perfected by Chef Musashi Osaki.
Reasons to love:
Ridiculously good flavor. When I was presented with the idea of “smoked tomato oil,” I can’t say I had much of an understanding of how that would translate to the palate. What I can now tell you is that it is *delightful—*and unlike anything I’ve had before. It’s a true grilled tomato flavor: deeply savory, with the brightness of basil and umami hit of smoke. I loved the way this utterly transforms my veggie-based dishes, offering incredible depth of flavor and savoriness I usually associate with meat. And because the algae oil base is neutral in flavor, there are no competing flavors happening (something I find in something like a flavored olive oil, for instance).
Algae oil is a dream to cook with. It has a naturally high smoke point of 535°F, 125°F higher than EVOO! This means you can sear/fry/grill the heck out of your produce with this oil without fear of burning or bitterness. This particular SKU is also lovely for a finishing oil, for all of the aforementioned flavor accolades.
The best oil choice for your health and the planet. Algae oil is naturally rich in heart- and gut-friendly Omega-9s and over 75% lower in saturated fat than olive or avocado oil. For those who care, this isn’t a seed oil, and for those who don’t care (sorry… 🙋♀️), here’s something easier to get behind: algae oil has roughly half the carbon emissions of avocado, canola, or olive oil because it uses a fraction of the land and water required by these oil-producing crops.
It’s stunning on the counter. In 2026, there is no kitchen accessory that subtly flexes elevated taste quite like the oil bottle du moment left out on your counter. For a while, that was Graza (now, it feels like Graza is a demonstration of baseline income, not “taste” per se). If you’re really looking to showcase your culinary trend awareness (while also nodding to your environmental benevolence) this is your bottle. The packaging is whimsical yet elegant, and the bottle is a stark contrast to the dark greens and ambers cluttering the oil aisle.
It would also make for a fantastic gift… expect to see this in our gift guides!
Where to buy: Online (and it’s apparently limited-edition, so get it while you can!)
In case you missed it… 🎧
Last week, we sat sitting down with Arthur Leopold, CEO and co-founder of Agentio, the buying platform for creator media. We dove into how creator marketing has evolved beyond the old influencer model and why most digital attention now lives with creator content (yet there’s still a spend gap).
We also get into the non-obvious creator matches that drive real results—like how a lobster fisherman became a top performer for Grüns—and why the best brands treat creators as a channel, not a one-off campaign. Book a demo with Agentio here!