UGC trends October 2026: what brands are casting for

The short version

This is the latest monthly edition, and it doesn’t change. The Trends page shows the latest edition.

October was the start of holiday shopping, with the fall Prime event pulling gift buying forward and shoppers saying social video shapes what they buy. Audio and wearables, toys and demonstrable home appliances stood out, while cozy home textiles and Halloween costumes rode the season.

The top 3 trends are Holiday gift guide content (lifestyle), Headphones, smartwatches and wearables (technology) and Holiday toys and collectibles (parenting). UGCStars lists 1,175 lifestyle creators, 703 technology creators and 265 parenting creators.

Trends in October

Ranked by the strength of the evidence. Each trend links to its report when there is one, and the niche links to the UGCStars creators for it. Why each one is rising, with its sources, comes after the table.

Why each trend is rising

Holiday gift guide content

Holiday shopping has started early and shoppers say social video drives what they buy, so brands want gift guides and unboxings that show who a product suits.

• 57% of consumers say they are likely to purchase a product after seeing it on social media, rising to 82% among Gen Z, per Circana's holiday study. (Circana, 8 October 2026)
• Adobe expects affiliates and partners, including social influencers, and social media to see the biggest gains in share of holiday revenue, up 12% and 17%, respectively. (Adobe, 28 September 2026)
• One in five Prime Big Deal Days participants (20%) said they used the sale to purchase holiday gifts. (Numerator, 8 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, product reviews, photography, vlogs. Read the full report

Headphones, smartwatches and wearables

Audio and wearables jumped during the October sales event and lead holiday hot-seller lists, so tech brands need real-routine reviews to stand out among deals.

• During Prime Big Deal Days, sales of headphones and speakers were up 300% from September and smartwatch sales were up 255%, according to Adobe. (Digital Commerce 360 (Adobe data), 8 October 2026)
• Amazon headphone deals nearly doubled from 111 to 219 during the October event, with average discount depth up 5ppt to 39% off. (OpenBrand, 14 October 2026)
• Adobe forecasts holiday online electronics sales of $63.3 billion, up 5.9% YoY, and lists AirPods Pro 3, Meta AI Glasses, Oura Ring 5 and WHOOP 5.0 among hot sellers. (Adobe, 28 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: product reviews, unboxing, tutorials, voiceovers. Read the full report

Holiday toys and collectibles

Retailers have published holiday toy lists and toy sales jumped in October, so toy brands want parent creators to film real play, unboxings and honest reviews.

• Target released Bullseye's Top Toys List of 50 toys starting at $4.99, and its digital Holiday Kids Catalog features nearly 500 items with video reviews and toy demonstrations. (Target, 5 October 2026)
• Toy sales increased by 158% during Prime Big Deal Days, according to Adobe data on US online spending. (Digital Commerce 360 (Adobe data), 8 October 2026)
• Adobe forecasts online holiday toy sales of $9.6 billion, up 9.6% YoY. (Adobe, 28 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, product reviews, vlogs, product demos. Read the full report

Vacuums and kitchen appliances

Higher-priced vacuums and kitchen gadgets broke into the social shop top ten on the back of simple demos, so home brands want before-and-after videos from real homes.

• BISSELL's $337.99 PowerClean FurFinder vacuum entered the US TikTok Shop top 10 at #3 with $431K GMV from 118 creators in the week ending 11 October. (Z Media, 12 October 2026)
• The Ninja Belgian Waffle Maker PRO entered the US TikTok Shop top 10 at #7 with $330K, and Shark Home grew 4.2% at brand level. (Z Media, 12 October 2026)
• Adobe expects online sales of household cleaning items to rise 49% during Cyber Week compared with average sales levels in September 2026. (Adobe, 28 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: product demos, product reviews, unboxing, tutorials. Read the full report

Video games and consoles

Video game sales jumped during the October sales event ahead of a heavy release season, giving game and accessory brands a reason to fund gameplay and setup videos.

• Video game sales were up 90% during Prime Big Deal Days, according to Adobe data on US online spending. (Digital Commerce 360 (Adobe data), 8 October 2026)
• Adobe expects top holiday consoles to include Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5/Pro and Xbox Series X, with games such as Grand Theft Auto VI and Pokémon Pokopia. (Adobe, 28 September 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, product reviews, vlogs.

Cozy blankets and bedding

Oversized blankets and comforters are leading social shop brand charts as the weather cools, and brands want unboxing and first-night reviews from real homes.

• Comfrt overtook medicube as the #1 US TikTok Shop brand with $3,187K GMV, while its Dreamer Blanket rose 8% to $731K in the week ending 11 October. (Z Media, 12 October 2026)
• The Mellow Sleep MarshMellow Comforter was the #4 US TikTok Shop product with $355K GMV, up 3.5% week on week. (Z Media, 12 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, product reviews, photography.

Pet Halloween costumes

Costume buying accelerated in October and more owners plan to dress their pets, so pet brands still want quick try-on and comfort videos before the holiday.

• Nearly one-quarter (23%) of consumers plan to dress their pets in costumes, up from 17% in pre-pandemic 2019, with ghosts, bats and spiders moving up the rankings. (National Retail Federation, 14 October 2026)
• Ahead of Halloween, costume sales increased by 610% during Prime Big Deal Days, Adobe reported. (Digital Commerce 360 (Adobe data), 8 October 2026)

Content brands ask for: unboxing, photography, product reviews.

Campaign ideas

Concepts a brand could brief this month, each with the creators who fit it.

Gifts for one person on your list

Lifestyle · Three short gift guide videos, under a minute each, one recipient per video. Hook: “Still stuck on what to get your sister? Here are three gifts she will actually use.” Shoppers say social video shapes what they buy, and many are still unsure what they want, so a guide built around one recipient helps them decide early. Find lifestyle creators

A week with my new earbuds

Technology · One unboxing and setup video plus one day-in-the-life review, short cuts. Hook: “I wore these on my commute, at the gym and on calls all week. Here is the honest verdict.” Headphone and smartwatch sales jumped in the October sales event and deals are crowded, so a real-routine review helps a brand stand out from discount noise. Find technology creators

Real play test: did the kids keep playing?

Parenting · Unboxing with first reaction plus a play session cut, with parent voiceover. Hook: “We opened this on Saturday. Here is whether my kids were still playing with it by Sunday night.” Retailers have published holiday toy lists and toy sales jumped in October, and parents want proof a toy holds attention before they buy it as a gift. Find parenting creators

Pet hair before and after in one take

Lifestyle · Two short demo videos, one continuous take each, filmed in a real pet home. Hook: “This is my couch after one week with two dogs. Watch what one pass does.” Higher-priced vacuums broke into the social shop top ten on the back of simple demos aimed at pet owners, so a clear before and after can justify the price. Find lifestyle creators

On UGCStars

Brand activity on UGCStars in the 30 days before this edition, 20 September – 19 October 2026: searches on Find creators, casting calls posted and creator contacts, by niche.

How this edition is made

• The trends were researched on 20 October 2026 from public sources: search interest, industry reports, retailer and platform announcements, and news. Every trend links to its sources, and figures appear only as a source states them.
• Each source link was checked automatically when the edition was published on 19 October 2026. Trends without a working source were left out.
• Niches are the ones creators list on their UGCStars profiles. Creator counts come from UGCStars on the day of publishing.
• UGCStars doesn’t track hashtags, so editions don’t rank them.
• This edition doesn’t change after it’s published. Report a mistake.

Citing this edition

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