Not all products you sell will be profitable — there are still many other elements outside of your niche to consider. Starting a dropshipping business is an investment, and those fail all the time.
While there are many enticing options for what to sell out there, sellers need to make a choice and double down in a specific niche. It doesn’t matter if baby clothes are all the rage right now — you sell dog-related items. Amazon has the infrastructure and dollars to sell both baby clothes and dog toys — you most likely do not
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Plants and gardening
When you’re stuck inside, adding some greenery brings that feeling of nature indoors. While faux plants might work for some, there’s also demand for the real thing. According to the National Gardening Association, houseplant sales in the U.S. have grown to $1.7 billion over a three-year period — an increase of almost 50%.
Even better, a ScienceDaily study has shown that indoor plants improve concentration and productivity by up to 15%. The plants and gardening industry is growing now more than ever as people look for new creative, calming, non-digital outlets both indoors and out.
To serve the growing consumer interest in houseplants, dropshippers can stock the items needed to maintain plants — watering cans, misters, and gardening tools like trowels and spades are great starting points.
However, since tools tend to be one-time purchases, sellers should look to products that lead to recurring purchases in order to sell more frequently. Items that add to the plant owner’s aesthetic, like plant pots, hangers, and plant-themed décor, fall under this category as they are more likely to be replaced often.
Yoga and wellness
People working from home are looking for ways to exercise and decompress — yoga is increasingly their answer to that. Yoga practitioners spend $90 per month on yoga, and Statista found that over 55 million people practice yoga in the U.S.
Fashion, comfort, and quality are important factors when choosing the products you’ll be selling. Consumers may change their workout gear frequently for aesthetic purposes, but there’s no point in repurchasing from a seller if the items feel cheap and uncomfortable.
Sixty-two percent of consumers want their workout wear to align with fashion trends — something for sellers in this category to keep an eye on. Yoga mats and balancing boards are necessary equipment for yoga practitioners, so sellers should consider adding those to their inventory as well.
Cooking and baking
Interest in home cooking and baking is higher than ever, with 54% of people cooking more and 46% of people baking more. And combined with the increase in cooking-themed videos on social media, the cooking and baking category is a good place for dropshippers looking for the right niche.
Products to consider in this category include utensils, storage containers, cutting boards — anything that makes the process of cooking and organizing the kitchen afterward a bit easier. These items may not be recurring purchases, so sellers should also add napkins, aprons, and placemats to their inventory to mix things up and create recurring revenue for themselves.
Pet supplies
Pet supplies are a stable category that dropshippers should consider when deciding what niche to sell in. Owners spend up to $500 on their pets every year, and a chunk of that goes to supplies. The pet supply category saw a boom in 2020 that is likely connected to the increase in pet adoption in 2020, due to the pandemic. Pet supplies are a leading industry category in the United States, with sales of approximately $22.1 billion in 2020. Feeding bowls, beds, and toys are always good products to start with.
Home and office
The line between the home and office has been blurred in consumers’ homes — making for an interesting combination of categories and consumer trends.
With most people still working from home, video calls have become the default communications channel — and workers are paying more attention to their workspaces than ever. This CraftJack study found that 90% of respondents have spent money on their workspace in the past year.
Dropshippers can tap into all the money being invested by remote workers with items that enhance workspaces and overall productivity. Although chairs and desks may be too heavy to start with, there are other items that improve the function of a workspace — including laptop stands, webcams, ring lights, tripods, and desk lamps.
Sixty-eight percent of people prioritize the appearance of their background — with 41% displaying art, pictures, or décor, 29% displaying books, and 27% displaying plants. Sellers can add decorative items like art prints, mouse pads, and artificial plants — all of which elevate the beauty of workspaces.
Eco-friendly products
Consumers are more eco-conscious than ever, and their sentiments are reflected in their shopping habits. A study by GreenPrint found that if a product is clearly labeled as environmentally friendly, 78% of people are more likely to purchase the product.
Searches for eco-friendly items are on the rise as consumers become more environmentally conscious. A PwC survey found that 50% of consumers globally consider themselves more eco-friendly now — and 53% are buying more sustainable products.
Reusable bags are a major part of the consumer shift towards being eco-friendly, especially as countries push toward being less reliant on single-use plastics. Searches for ‘tote bag’ ( a popular eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags) have risen gradually over time.
Other products that you can add to your eco-conscious store include bamboo products and reusable water bottles. Bamboo is gaining popularity among consumers as it is biodegradable, and with water bottles, the less plastic used, the better it is for the environment.
Durability and quality are key when it comes to eco-friendly items — they have to be able to last for a long time. Consumers also appreciate stylish products that can blend seamlessly into their typical aesthetic. Consider selling more neutral-toned products as they can go with anything.
Next Steps:
When you go to an online store and see 15 different product categories, your fight-or-flight instinct will kick in. It’s overwhelming to be bombarded with a ton of different options — and it doesn’t help if you’re unfamiliar with the company selling it to you.
In order to avoid dissonance on the part of customers and overextending a business before it even takes off, we’ve identified some of the best dropshipping product categories for consideration as you determine what to sell.
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