The Weekender: Pumpkin Spice Has Gone Off the Rails (Again)

The first cold front grazes the map, and suddenly the economy smells like a bakery.

Baristas are pulling double shifts. Marketers are testing 1,000 shades of orange. And somewhere in a product lab, a person with a budget labeled “seasonal experimentation” just asked, “But what if we made it pumpkin spice?”

We at The Weekender are pro-autumn and anti-monotony, and this year’s pumpkin-palooza has gone gloriously weird. So, we hunted down the off-the-radar PSL-adjacent buys you can actually snag this weekend, from trash bags to multitools, plus where to click “add to cart.”

Why This Flavor Still Owns Fall Commerce

Two decades after Starbucks turned barista shorthand into a seasonal juggernaut, the Pumpkin Spice Latte returned nationwide Aug. 26 with a new pecan cortado riding shotgun because even Goliaths refresh their SKUs.

Meanwhile, the pumpkin portfolio continues to expand. Dunkin’ and Goldfish revived their limited-edition Pumpkin Spice Grahams for 2025, proof that licensing and nostalgia can still mint retail moments.

Grocery aisles are following suit. Chobani’s pumpkin spice creamer is back, and Instacart said pumpkin spice creamer orders spike 1,459% in the fall. That’s not a trend; that’s a calendarized demand curve.

Even hard goods are getting in on the act (wait until you see the multitool below). In other words, pumpkin spice has moved from flavor to full-blown merchandising strategy.

10 Pumpkin-Spice Curios Available Now

Your garbage can smell like a latte. Hefty’s Cinnamon Pumpkin Spice 13-gallon kitchen bags pair patented odor control with PSL energy. Get them at Amazon, Walmart and other select retailers.

There’s a PSL for your bathroom routine. DUDE Wipes’ limited-edition Dumpkin Spice flushable wipes (yes, really) blend clove and nutmeg for a “cozy” clean. Get them at Target, Amazon and from quick-delivery apps.

Hand sanitizer, but make it café-core. Touchland’s Spiced Pumpkin-Tini Power Mist Hand Sanitizer reads like a barista’s order with pumpkin purée, cinnamon sugar and espresso. Get it at Touchland or Ulta.

Detail your car in pumpkin spice. Adam’s Polishes ships a limited Pumpkin Spice Car Care Box Kit, with detail spray, interior cleaner and a collector’s coin, because your cabin deserves fall, too. Get it at Adam’s Polishes. (Ethos Car Care has a rival Pumpkin Spice Detail Spray if you’re cross-shopping.)

The collab you didn’t see coming. Leatherman dropped a Pumpkin Spice Micra, a keychain multitool in a pumpkin spice hue, with scissors, knife, screwdrivers and a 25-year warranty. Get it at Leatherman.

Gum that tastes like October. Simply Gum’s Pumpkin Spice is plastic-free and flavored with pumpkin, nutmeg and clove, so you can have seasonal breath. Get it at Simply Gum and Amazon.

Cup Noodles, meet pumpkin pie. Nissin’s pumpkin spice ramen returns sporadically; third-party sellers have inventory if you missed the drop. Pro tip: Treat it like dessert ramen. Get it at eBay; Nissin confirms the flavor exists in its seasonal lineup.

A dog-safe PSL. The Honest Kitchen’s Pumpkin Spice Latte for dogs (and cats) is a goat-milk blend you whisk into warm water. Zero caffeine, all cozy. Get it at The Honest Kitchen and PetSmart.

Before-you-go bathroom insurance, PSL edition. Poo-Pourri’s pumpkin spice toilet spray traps odors with a seasonal flourish. Get it at Amazon and big-box chains.

Toothpaste that tastes like a coffee shop. Dental Desires sells pumpkin spice-flavored toothpaste, with cinnamon, nutmeg and a whitening kick, for the truly committed. But too late; it’s sold out.

Bottom Line for Brand Nerds

Pumpkin spice isn’t just a flavor, it’s a permission slip for limited drops, collabs and margin-friendly seasonals across categories. It’s predictable enough to plan inventory and wild enough to break the internet. (Some of these are already sold out.)

The result is a fall mini-economy where scent, shade and schtick become SKUs, and consumers keep showing up with carts at the ready.