We all ask this question, sometimes after thinking we HAD the best products to drop ship and then learning that it doesn’t work.
You’re supposed to find a product you love and know a lot about, right? Something that you’re passionate about selling?
Although it’s ideal to sell something that you love, this isn’t the only factor in choosing the best products to drop ship. Considering the model, there are a few other very important factors to focus on to find the best products to drop ship.
You should also know a lot about the category that you’re selling in, right? You’re not supposed to spread out too far?
It’s true that you should take things slow when you’re starting out. But don’t limit yourself too strictly in terms of staying within one or a few categories. Because your main concern with drop shipping is not inventory, you should think more about a product’s general features rather than what it is and where it belongs.
Characteristics of the Best Products to Drop Ship
(1) Lightweight
Let’s start with the feature that has the simplest reason. The items you want to sell should not be too heavy. Remember, your margins are going to be narrower than they are with other eCommerce models. Reducing your shipping costs will help you maintain a good balance so you can still make a profit. Especially if you offer express or overnight shipping, the charges for heavier parcels could kill you.
(2) Affordable
Look for products that are between $50 and $100 in price. The best products to drop ship fall in between the range of cheap and expensive. Here’s the logic behind this segmentation. If you sell cheaper products, you will tend to lose money. You’ll have to get a ton of orders to make enough money to survive, and you might not even have enough time to process the volume of orders you need. Your shipping costs might even be higher than the item’s cost. It’s just not worth it. If you sell expensive products, you won’t be able to sell that many. With lower profit margins, you again may not be able to sell enough to make ends meet.
Affordable items tend to sell well because not much thought needs to go into making the investment. Affordable items also make good gifts since they are not too cheap as to be an insult and not so expensive that it becomes ridiculous and uncomfortable. Best of all, the balance between your margins and sales volume make it worth your time.
(3) Smallish
The best products to drop ship are smaller ones for two reasons. Of course, some smaller items will be lighter and more affordable, so that’s a given. Smaller items also sell faster because people don’t have to think too much about where to put them. There’s also this universal trend that’s been driving manufacturing for decades – smaller is better. We don’t like carrying and storing large items.
By selling smaller items, you are immediately offering people the choice that they perceive is better. And if they are lightweight and reasonably priced, you have a winner.
(4) Unique
The last most important feature of the best products to drop ship is their novelty. People love things that are new and different. They’re interesting and can make them very popular. The uniqueness of an item also means that shoppers would be hard put to find that same item elsewhere. They won’t have hours on end to do a thorough search. If it’s affordable, they will either want it for themselves or to give as a gift. In connection, it’s also difficult to research or guess what the item’s price should be. People will resort to deciding to purchase solely based on the item’s degree of usability or the pleasure that it gives them.
Unique items can be a gamble because there is also not much information for you as a seller to verify if the item sells. Since you’re drop shipping, however, you can easily take the product down without losing a lot if it turns out to be a bad idea.
Examples of the Best Products to Drop Ship
Let’s look at some examples of the best products to dropship based on the above criteria.
(1) Toys
Toys are great because they are generally small and lightweight since they are items meant for children. Toys also can’t be too highly priced because parents have other, more important things to spend money on. Parents are also often buying new toys because their kids get tired of them quickly. Cheaper toys are therefore preferable since they won’t be useful for long, even if they don’t break.
Most toys aren’t that unique, but there’s always a variation or two out there. Kids these days get bored easily, so manufacturers are always producing something slightly more interesting. You can also find unique items, however, such as combination items or toys designed to appeal to a parent’s sensibilities as well as a child’s preferences. A specific example of this is animal pillows. They are cute and cuddly, functional, and can serve as a learning device. There are no negatives to buying a lovable item that can be played with and also functions as a sleeping aid.
(2) Household
Interesting household items are always a huge attraction for stay-at-home parents. These guys tend to spend more time shopping online, and are regularly on the lookout for the next best useful item. They are also the ones most often tasked with gift lists, and will always keep an eye out for something out of the ordinary.
A good example of something nifty that can make life easier is a specialty water bottle. There are many variations of this common item that everyone needs and replaces often. There are multi-functional water bottles with built-in pillboxes or belt clips, or spill-proof tumblers made for driving or active people. Another example of a useful yet fun item is the puzzle mug. It’s so new you probably haven’t even heard of it. It’s a functional mug that’s designed based on the concept of Lego so you can build on it to personalize it and change it up to suit your needs or mood. Made of plastic, these items are of course lightweight, small, and affordable.
(3) Clothing
We’re not talking about your average shirts and pants here. Many clothing items are lightweight, easy to source cheaply, and smaller in size. But to capture the unique factor, you have to get creative with trends that are taking the market by storm.
Consider shapewear as one example. Everyone wants to look good, and this is a long-standing trend that will only produce better and better choices. It’s also no longer something that you only wear under your clothes. This means an even greater variety of styles. It’s so versatile that it crosses more than a few categories. A similar example is athleisure. Everyone loves comfort wear, but can’t always go around in the average pair of sweatpants. So here is a comfortable option made of everyday wear with a ton of variety and a huge market.
Your Turn
So you get the general idea. You can find many different items – in the categories that you are comfortable with if you like – that are lightweight, affordable, small, and unique.
What do you think about these items?
- You can look at home décor items like moon lamps, which are unique enough that you can break into an otherwise competitive category.
- There are always classic jewelry items and accessories with interesting designs like shaped rings (animals), chokers (so many options) and watches (a thousand different faces), which are also unisex.
- Gift items I cannot say enough about. Unique gift items are always winners although they may not be evergreen items. Consider a gold-plated rose for Valentine’s that never wilts.
- Pet accessories are also huge, like special dog water bottles for outings and dog walking.
How Do I Find Them?
To find the actual products that are right for you, you will need to do the usual research. Look at how popular these products are on different platforms and marketplaces. For unique items, try to look for similar items to see how well they have sold in the past. If one of your current suppliers has that unique item, it will be even less trouble for you to give it a shot. Generally, look for products that are popular yet won’t get you into huge competition.
