One of the hardest parts of starting an ecommerce business is finding a product to actually sell!
This is why we created a list of products that you could potentially start selling online but just a quick disclaimer, we aren’t saying that these are guaranteed to sell, instead, we created this list to get your creative juices flowing to hopefully help you come up with an idea that you can research further.
And at the bottom, we also included a short guide on how to find the right product to sell online.
1. Clothing
If you are a fashionista or someone with an eye for style, then selling clothing could be a great option for you and there are many different ways you can go about this, such as:
- Starting your own fashion brand
- Selling vintage clothing
- Reselling rare or exclusive items
Many businesses find success by finding a specialist niche such as sportswear, eco-friendly clothing or streetwear as it can be easier to define who your target audience is, which makes marketing a lot easier.
2. Shapewear
A niche within the fashion industry that has seen large growth is shapewear, which is clothing designed to enhance the body’s natural shape and provide support, slimming and smoothing to specific areas and is usually warn underneath other clothes so that people feel happier when wearing their favorite outfits
Some of the different types of shapewear includes:
- Bodysuits
- Shorts
- Leggings
- Dresses
And as we live in an image-conscious society, it is likely to be a product that is going to be around for a while.
3. Lingerie
Lingerie is big business, so much so that the industry was worth over $50 billion in 2022 and can be a very profitable product to sell as ladies like to look good and feel sexy.
There are also many different types of lingerie that you can sell, from more mainstream products to very niche ones but we will leave you to do the research on this one!
4. Adult Toys
Following on from lingerie is adult toys and we aren’t talking about adult lego sets here, no we are talking about toys that are generally used in private, where people like to enjoy themselves.
These can be sold alongside lingerie but there are many businesses out there that just specialize in adult toys and if you can find a white-label supplier, you could launch your own range of branded toys.
5. Maternity Wear
The world’s population is growing every year, which means that more people are getting pregnant every year and they need clothes for this time period.
And if you can find or design a range of stylish maternity wear, then you may be on to a winner as many pregnant people still want to look and feel good while they are carrying or you could opt for a range of incredibly comfy maternity wear as comfort is important when carrying a little one.
6. Baby Clothes & Accessories
A growing population means that there are more babies in the world and they not only need clothes but also accessories, such as:
- Bottles
- Strollers
- Car seats
- High chairs
There are many different options and niches within the baby industry but just make sure that the products you are selling pass any safety regulations.
7. Fashion Accessories
Accessories can make an outfit and you can choose to sell a range of fashion accessories or niche down to a single product type, such as:
- Hats
- Belts
- Socks
- Bags
- Wallets/purses
There are many businesses that have become successful by doing this and you can even niche down within these products to help get some initial traction, you could even sell customized fashion accessories by using something like print-on-demand.
8. Jewelry
If bling is more your thing, then you could consider selling jewelry online as more and more people are browsing for everything from fashion to fine jewelry and everything in between, with many niches falling under the jewelry heading.
There are also different options in terms of how the jewelry is made/supplied, such as:
- Handmade Jewelry
- Pre-owned & Vintage Jewelry
- Reselling New Jewelry (bought from a wholesale supplier)
As you can see there are many options and niches that fall under the jewelry heading.
9. Footwear
From sneakers to high heels to work boots, there are many different opportunities when it comes to selling footwear online as basically everybody needs to wear some form of footwear and this has potential for an ecommerce business as you could:
- Your own footwear company (Crocs anyone?)
- Selling vintage or rare footwear
- Personalized or customized footwear, could be branded or unbranded
And as there are people who are very passionate about their footwear, you could tap into this market and build yourself a successful business.
10. Hair & Beauty Products
People like to look good, whether it is doing their hair, wearing make-up or looking after their skin amongst many other things and even though these have been popular for years, the digital age has made a lot more people think about their looks.
And more people are shopping online for their hair and beauty products as it allows them access to a far larger range of products than their local store, which is why it can be a good option for an online store but just make sure any products you sell meet any regulations that apply to these types of products.
11. Men’s Grooming
A niche that has seen huge growth in the last few years is men’s grooming as more men are spending more time and money on their personal grooming and it doesn’t show any sign of slowing down (we like to look good as well!).
There are also quite a few product types that fall under the male grooming category, such as:
- Hair care products
- Products for Beards
- Skin Products
But as with beauty products, make sure they meet any regulations before selling them.
12. Perfume and Cologne
Not only do people like to look good but they like to smell good as well and you could choose to resell existing perfumes or develop your own range of scents as many people like to buy from small artisanal producers, especially if they have a USP that matches with their own values, for example:
- Only using natural ingredients
- All ingredients are ethically sourced
- Vegan friendly
You could also produce sample sizes, so people can try it first before buying a full-size bottle.
13. Eco-Friendly Products
More and more people are becoming eco-aware and want to do their bit to help the planet and one of the ways they are looking to do this is by switching to eco-friendly products and while this is a very broad subject, it can include products that:
- Don’t contain any plastics
- Are produced in an eco-friendly way such as little or no chemicals
- Are made from sustainable materials
There are many suppliers out there for greener products but one of the great things is that if you can come up with a way to make another product more eco-friendly, then you have carved yourself a niche.
14. Health & Wellness Products
One area that is seeing a lot of growth is health and wellness products as we are becoming more conscious of both our physical and mental health and many people are turning to products that can help them lead a healthier and happier life, including:
- Nutritional supplements
- Natural remedies and herbal supplements
- Sleep aids
- Essential oils & accessories
When selling these types of products, be careful about any claims you make as they all need to be backed up by facts and research.
15. Home Exercise Equipment
The pandemic changed how many people work out and many people now prefer to work out at home, rather than going to the gym, many beginners also prefer to get started at home and this is why home exercise equipment could be a great idea to start selling online and there are many different types of equipment you could sell, including:
- Basic weightlifting equipment such as dumbells, pull-up bars etc
- Cardio equipment such as exercise bikes, treadmills etc
- Yoga and Pilates equipment
One consideration for selling exercise equipment is the storage and shipping of the products as some can be very large and also heavy.
16. Sports Equipment
People love sports and many people like taking part in their favorite sports, which is why selling sports equipment can be a good potential business idea and in many cases, it can be best to focus on a single sport, such as:
- Golf
- Tennis
- Running
As it can be easier to build a business around a single niche, in terms of finding your target audience and marketing than trying to just become a general sports equipment store.
17. Sportswear
We could have included this under clothing but sportswear is an industry in its own right and when done right can be incredibly profitable (just look at Gymshark!) but as with sports equipment, there are many different sports out there that require their own unique type of clothing, for example:
- Gym/workout
- Swimwear
- Cycling
- Team sports such as Football or Basketball
As with the clothing, you can choose to resell existing brands or create your own and if you can create a product that solves a common problem or does something better than the competition, then you could be on to a winner.
18. Outdoor Gear
A common hobby for many people is exploring the great outdoors and getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, especially if you live in a big city and this can range from taking a gentle walk in the countryside to a week away in the wilderness and so much more.
But in order to be able to do this safely and also in relative comfort, people are going to need some outdoor gear, which can include:
- Hiking equipment
- Outdoor clothing & footwear
- Tents & sleeping bags
- Portable cookware
- Water bottles
If you are going to think about selling outdoor gear, then make sure it is good quality and does what it is supposed to as people are going to be relying on it!
19. Travel Accessories
Whether it is jetting off to an exotic destination, going on a city break or a relaxing vacation by the beach, people love to travel but in order to do so, they need some things to help them, such as:
- Suitcases and travel bags
- Travel adaptors and converters
- Travel-sized toiletry & beauty product containers
- Locks and tags for luggage
Basically, stuff that makes it easier for them and their belongings to move from one place to another. There are many options here for an ecommerce business as you could sell generic, branded or personalized travel accessories.
20. Smartphone Accessories
Pretty much everyone has a smartphone (you may even be reading this on one) and as they are an essential part of life, people like to buy accessories to either protect them or make them more usable in their day-to-day life and this can include products such as:
- Chargers, power packs & cables
- Protective covers or cases
- Speakers
- Headphones or earphones
Why these can be a good business idea is that you can piggy-back off the main product as people will be looking for a cheaper but good-quality alternative to the accessories available directly from the manufacturer and you can choose to sell generic non-branded products or go down the white label route to create your own brand.
21. Camera Accessories & Drones
Even though many people thought that smartphones would kill the camera, it turns out that more people are using ‘proper’ cameras for photography and videography and as a lot of social media is now about sharing videos, cameras, drones and accessories are still big business.
And there are many different products that fall under this category, including:
- Drones & accessories such as cameras and controllers
- Lenses
- Lighting
- Tripods and Gimbels
- Carry cases
It doesn’t look like video is going away soon and there are plenty of amateur and professional photographers out there who are always looking for gear that is going to make their life easier and help them get better shots.
22. Music
This may seem like a dying media but there are still a lot of music enthusiasts that want to have a physical copy of their favorite artist’s albums.
This is why vinyl records have seen a resurgence in recent times for both vintage and modern records as many artists are also releasing a vinyl version of their latest album along with the digital version.
Could this happen to CDs? Who knows but there are still opportunities out there to make money from physical albums and singles.
23. Vintage Games
Similar to music, many games now are only available in digital format but there has and will continue to be an interest in retro gaming and while this was originally focused around games from the ’80s and early ’90s, there is now a growing interest in later gaming tech, such as:
- Playstation 1 & 2
- Nintendo 64
- Original Xbox
- Gameboy
And there are opportunities here as the consoles, accessories and games are becoming rarer due to them being thrown away when they weren’t worth anything. So there is a chance you can make money and get to play vintage games, which is a dream for most gamers.
24. Gaming Accessories
Gaming is a HUGE industry and gamers generally want to have an awesome setup, whether they are playing on consoles or PC and in order to do achieve this, they need to buy gaming accessories such as:
- Controllers
- Gaming mouse
- Keyboards
- Monitors
- Headsets
You may be able to find white-label gaming products, meaning that you can create your own gaming accessory brand, which may give you an edge over the competition and if you wanted to go one further, you could always private-label products to have your own unique products.
25. Books
People love to read and many prefer to read a ‘proper’ book than use something like a kindle, which is why there are thousands of new books being published and printed every month.
There are also many different types of books out there such as:
- Factual books such as biographies, history and cookbooks
- Fiction
- Educational books such as textbooks, study guides and encyclopedias
Some older books can be very rare and valuable either because they have been lost over time or they had a short print run.
26. Children’s Toys
It doesn’t matter how many digital gizmos a kid has, they still love playing with real toys that they can interact with and this is why toys are still such a large market with plenty of opportunities, such as:
- Branded toys such as Lego
- Unbranded toys that are similar to the name brands (great for parents on a budget!)
- Pre-owned toys
Toys are a fast-moving niche, with new trends or show-related toys being the hot commodity but there are toys that are almost staples, such as Legos or many board games. There are also vintage toys that fall under the collectibles category that we will cover below.
27. Musical Instruments
One of the skills many people would love to have is to play an instrument and for people who can play, whether as a hobby or profession, they very rarely will just have or want the basic equipment and this is where the opportunity comes in as you can sell:
- Brand new instruments ranging from beginners to professionals
- Pre-owned instruments
- Accessories such as carry cases or amps
Focusing on a single instrument such as guitars or a family of instruments such as brass can be a great way to get started, especially if you can play yourself.
28. Collectibles
We love collecting things and collectors can become almost obsessed with completing their collection, meaning they are prepared to spend (sometimes big) to get the final pieces, which means there is a business opportunity!
Collectibles in itself is a very broad heading and there are lots of other product types on this list that will have collectible products such as toys or books but there are many other options out there, including:
- Sports memorabilia
- Auto memorabilia
- Cards (Pokemon, Baseball etc)
- Figurines and models
To be successful, you do need to have knowledge and interest around the type of collectible you are selling as this will help you know what is/isn’t in demand and also what is real and fake as when there is money involved, it attracts the fraudsters!
29. Art
When it comes to selling art online, we aren’t talking about multi-million dollar pieces by Picasso or Monet but art that people can display in their home or office and there are many different niches that fall into this category, including:
- Prints by famous artists as long as they have a public domain license
- Art created by independent artists
- Photography
- Digital inspired artwork
If you are an artist or photographer, then you can sell your own art or you could become a curator for other people’s artwork (many artists like to outsource the selling of their art). You could also set this up as a print-on-demand business, meaning that the pieces are only printed when an order it placed.
30. Craft Supplies
People love to create, which is why many people adopt a craft-based hobby as it allows them to work with their hands and let their creativity flow but in order to do this, they are going to need some supplies, such as:
- Art supplies – pencils, paints, canvas etc
- Knitting supplies – wool, needles, templates etc
- Jewelry making – beads, wire, metal etc
One of the great things about having a craft-based business is that it can be easier to get repeat customers, especially if you supply top-quality items at a reasonable price. It can also be helpful if you do the craft yourself as you will know what people are looking for and be able to provide advice as you will probably get a lot of beginners as customers.
31. 3D Printed Products
An area that has seen massive growth over the past few years is 3D-printed products and it used to be that these machines were very expensive but evolutions in technology have meant that you can have a really good 3D printer for less than $1,000 and this opens up the chance to sell 3D-printed products, such as:
- Miniatures and figures
- Custom parts
- Movie or game-inspired products
- Castable designs for jewelry etc
To maximize your revenue potential, it can be helpful if you know how to use CAD software so that you can create the designs yourself. If you don’t want to do the printing yourself, there are companies that offer a print-on-demand model for your designs.
32. Stationary & Office Supplies
Even though we are becoming a more digital society, we still need stationery to write things down and organize our life.
When it comes to selling this online, you could sell generic products or offer personalized products for individuals (who doesn’t like a personalized pen?) and/or businesses who want to have their brand put on their stationery.
33. Furniture
Whether it is for the home or workplace, people need all different types of furniture to make their environment comfortable and are now buying:
- Beds
- Chairs & sofas
- Tables
- Wardrobes & storage
Online as they get access to a far larger selection of products than they would at their local furniture store. You may need a fair bit of storage and a good delivery company though.
34. Interior Furnishings
Furniture itself usually requires some additional furnishings in order for it to be useable, for example, a bed frame and mattress aren’t enough for it to be a bed that you could comfortably sleep in, for that you would need pillows, quilts and sheets.
And this is where the business opportunity lies as people are always looking to make their homes or workplaces a bit more comfortable and you could sell:
- Bedding
- Cushions
- Rugs
- Picture frames
- Interior design elements
Having an eye for interior design and staying up to date with the latest can be very helpful in making a business in this niche successful.
35. Kitchenware
One of the most important rooms in the house is the kitchen as who doesn’t like to eat?
And more and more people are cooking as a hobby, whether it is to create the most amazing dish they can, eat healthier or save money on expensive take-out and restaurants but in order to do this, they need some equipment and this could be:
- Kitchen Appliances
- Cooking Aids – air fryers, sandwich makers, slow cookers etc
- Cutlery and utensils
You can also niche down on this, for example, there are companies that just focus on providing the best quality kitchen knives.
36. Home Office Equipment
There has been a huge change to the way we work in recent years, with more and more people working from home and in order to be able to do this effectively and in comfort, they need to buy equipment to build a home office, such as:
- Desks
- Office chairs
- Computers, phones and printers
When it comes to setting up a business in this niche, you can focus directly on the consumer or look to work with companies that supply their staff with the equipment that allows them to work from home.
37. Gardening Equipment
Whether people love gardening or mowing the grass is a weekly chore, they need equipment in order to be able to do this, such as:
- Electric or gas-powered tools – mowers, strimmers, hedge trimmers etc
- Hand tools – shovels, forks, rakes etc
You can also expand this to include garden furniture and ornaments as many people like to not only make their garden look good but also have something that allows them to enjoy it as sitting outside on a nice sunny day is one of life’s simple pleasures.
38. Tools & Accessories
Whether it is DIY around the house, working on the car or for a hobby such as woodworking, people need tools and for a lot of people they are the equivalent of toys for adults and in many cases they need tools or accessories in order to be able to complete a task or project, these can include:
- Power tools – drills, saws etc
- Hand tools – screwdrivers, wrenches etc
- Accessories – drill bits, screws etc
- Storage boxes and chests
There are thousands of different options when it comes to tools and focusing on a single niche can be helpful such as you narrow down the scope of tools you will sell and it is also easier to reach your target market.
39. Car Parts & Accessories
For some people, a car is a tool to help them get from A to B but for enthusiasts, they are so much more and car lovers are prepared to spend good money on their pride and joy, either with:
- General car maintenance
- Repairing their car
- Customizing their car
When choosing a niche for car parts, it can be best to go for either a certain make such as Ford, Mercedes or Toyota or go for a more general car category such as muscle, import or tuners.
40. Pet Supplies & Accessories
It would be impossible to make a list of products to sell online and not talk about pet supplies as people love to look after their four-legged friends and in some cases will spend more money on them than they do themselves!
There are many different products around pets that you could consider, including:
- Beds
- Toys
- Leashes, harnesses and bodywarmer
- Cages or enclosures for large and small animals
- Food
This can be expanded even more if you start talking about aquatic or exotic pets, it is a huge niche but one that is always going to have a steady flow of customers and if they like the products you sell, it can be very easy to turn them into return customers.
41. Subscription Boxes
The subscription box is an interesting take on the subscription business model as customers sign up to your subscription and they receive a box in the mail every month with a small selection of products that they can try and use to see if they like it or not.
This can be a great way to get customers to come back and buy their favorite products from you as they may not have bought it otherwise.
Creating mystery or personalized boxes for each customer can make it a bit more special as they are effectively getting a present every month.
How Do You Choose A Product To Sell Online?
Having a list of potential product ideas in front of you can be inspiring or daunting, so how do you narrow down the potential options so that you can choose the right product to start selling?
1. Play to Your Strengths
One of the best ways to find products to sell online is to look very close to home, do you have any hobbies? passions? or areas of expertise?
If you do, then you will find it a lot easier to find gaps in the market because you already have an understanding of the industry and the types of (or lack of) products that are available.
You will also probably be actively involved in Facebook groups, forums or on Linkedin, which are great places to see what people are looking for and also if there are a lack of options available to them.
One great example of this could be something that is not available in your country, for example Product Awesome is only available in the USA but you know that lots of people in your country want that product and importing it can be expensive and problematic.
If so, you could reach out to the company to see if there is any way you could become the exclusive distributor for that product in your country, if they agree, then you have a product and direct access to the market to sell it!
2. Solve People’s Problems
This is something that you will hear a lot when it comes to finding a product to sell but it is very true that products that solve people’s problems will usually sell!
When it comes to these types of products, think of them as things people NEED to buy in order to solve the issue they are currently having, let’s look at an example for this:
Example: Putting Up a Shelf
Someone wants to put up a shelf in their room so that they have more space, well if they want to do it themselves, they are going to need some equipment in order to be able to do this:
- A tape measure to measure where the shelf and holes are going to go
- A scanner to check for any cables and/or pipework in the wall
- A drill and drill bits to put holes in the wall
- Screws and either a screwdriver or driver attachment for the drill
- A spirit level to make sure that the shelf is straight
They will also need the shelf and brackets obviously but I hope you get the point, they need these tools and accessories in order to be able to put up the shelf and it be straight and usable.
When trying to find products that solve problems, once again it can be useful to look close to home.
You can use this as constant product research as there are always going to be problems that people face and if you can provide a product to solve it, then you have got yourself a business!
3. Satisfy People’s Desires
The problem is though, that not all products really solve problems, some products are instead aimed at satisfying people’s desires. These are the types of products that people WANT instead of need!
Luxury and non-essential products fall into this category and there are some great examples of these:
- Jewelry – no one needs jewelry but people want it as it makes people feel good about things or it can signify special moments in life
- Luxury Watches – no one needs a Rolex or Patek Phillipe as a cheap Casio will actually do a better job but people want these due to the aura around these brands
- Supercars – people want to own a Ferrari or Lamborghini but they don’t need them as Ford Focus or equivalent mass-produced car will more than do the job but they don’t evoke the same kind of desire
- Luxury Foods – these can even be relatively low-cost things such as Ice cream and Chocolates, we don’t need these (and they can be bad for us) but we want them as they taste nice and give us enjoyment
There are many examples of this that I could list but I hope you get the picture and if you pay attention to the advertising of any of these types of brands, you will notice that they are trying to make people want the product as they know that people don’t need them!
4. Pay Attention to Current Trends
What is currently hot in your niche? If you don’t know the answer to that, then you need to know the answer to this as it can be a great source of information about potential product lines.
Fortunately, there are quite a few free resources you can use for this:
- Google Trends – check to see how much search volume there has been for products over a selected period of time
- Amazon Best Sellers – you can see what the best sellers across all categories have been for the world’s largest online retailer
- Ebay Best Sellers – while not as detailed as Amazon’s offering, it can still give some insights into what is selling well on one of the world’s biggest online marketplaces
There are also tools from third-party companies that also offer information on popular products but you need to understand that these are current trends and in some niches, trends can change very quickly and you don’t want to be stuck with last years hot thing!
5. Stay Ahead of the Trend
And it is for the reason above, that you want to try and stay ahead of the trends so that you know what products might be hot this year or next and are ready to capitalize on these trends.
This is more challenging to do but there are some steps you can take:
- Industry Publications – many trade magazines or websites will probably have the inside scoop on what is going to be popular next and can be a great source of information
- Social Media – by following leaders or influential people within your niche, you will probably be able to learn about what the next hot products are going to be
- Reddit – similar to social media, you can learn a lot about upcoming trends from posts in subreddits related to your niche
You can also sign up to the likes of Trend Hunter, who produce reports and general information about upcoming trends for lots of niches.
While this is important for all niches, there are some such as fashion and tech where these change very quickly and it is your job to try and stay ahead of the curve so that you can capitalize on any opportunities.
6. Is it Profitable to Sell?
There is no point in choosing a product to sell if it is not going to be profitable!
When it comes to figuring out profitability, you need to look at two things:
- Are you going to make a profit on each product you sell?
- This is pretty simple to figure out as it is your Sale Price – Cost Prices – Costs (payment fees, postage & packing etc) = Net Profit Per Product
- Is the profit per product enough to cover your business’s overheads (website fees, rent, utilities, insurance etc) with your projected sales volume? so that you end up with a profitable business overall.
Some of this may include some guestimates and for sales volume, it is always best to air on the side of caution and go with your lowest potential sales number but you still need to have a basic idea as to whether this has the potential to be a profitable venture or not.
We have created a profit calculator, which will help you get an idea of what the profit per product is going to be.
Conclusion
Coming up with an idea of what to sell online can be challenging and sometimes overwhelming but hopefully, this list has got your creative juices flowing and you have some ideas and things to do more research into, always do your research before getting started.
But there are many options for selling physical products online and you could choose to:
- Stock and ship the products yourself
- Dropship
- Print-on-Demand
And you can expand beyond physical products by offering digital products and/or services, which can be great additional revenue streams and very profitable.
Hi, I'm Paul, the Owner and Founder of EcommerceGold.
I ran my own Ecommerce Business for over 7 years and now help others start their own online retail empires!