20 Best Dropshipping Products to Sell Online
For anyone looking to get into the world of eCommerce, dropshipping is a strategy well worth considering. For budding entrepreneurs, dropshipping removes some of the traditional barriers to entering the market. Investment is minimal, reducing initial overhead, and there’s no need to source or manufacture your stock in bulk. For established online businesses, dropshipping can strengthen your product offering.
In the first half of 2021, we saw over 123% growth YoY in Wix users connecting dropshipping to their accounts.
Once you connect your online store to a supplier you can start dropshipping instantly, adding new products to your store’s inventory in just a few clicks. Dropshipping simplifies and streamlines fulfillment processes for merchants, as they manage product storage, packaging and shipment. In fact, Wix Stores who add dropshipping launch an average of 15% faster than other online retailers.
Making a living off dropshipping requires you to do your research and fully understand the dropshipping landscape. In this article, we’ll cover the bestselling dropshipping products to sell right now and everything you need to know to successfully incorporate dropshipping into your online store.
What are the bestselling dropshipping products?
How to find the right dropshipping platforms
How to choose the best dropshipping products to sell
How to price your dropshipping products
How to build a successful dropshipping business
What are the bestselling dropshipping products?
The effect of the pandemic on online buying habits was significant. Not only did consumer attitudes to buying online change in 2020, but what we were open to buying online also changed.
Last year, Wix eCommerce stores saw 140% YOY growth in sales transactions, and over $5.4 billion in online transactions.
From our increased need for leisurewear to our newfound obsession with home decor, here are the trending products and categories that will help to kick off your dropshipping research:
Clothing and accessories
01. Statement slogan tees
T-shirts are an everyday wardrobe essential and a solid product option for dropshippers. They’re also a great option for existing businesses to boost their revenue. For example, a health and wellness store might dropship organic cotton tees that say, “I love avocados”. Merchants can browse dropshipping platforms for a wide range of tees or create their own unique designs using print on demand. In the first six months of 2021, the topselling item for Wix users integrated with print on demand companies, Printful and Printify, was a “Short-Sleeve Unisex T-Shirt”.
02. Athleisure wear
Athleisure products, from tank tops, to sports bras to leggings, have been trending for a few years now. Even among shoppers who are looking to engage in a little more leisure than athleticism, who just want a comfortable lounging outfit. One of the stand-out trending products in this category is, of course, the hugely popular and, of course, TikTok-approved scrunch legging.
03. Hats
Baseball caps, wooly hats, floppy beach hats, bucket hats—the list is endless. When it comes to selling any wearable garment, it’s wise to consider seasonality and your target market. If you live in a cold climate and want to focus on a local market, choose practical options that will meet your customer’s needs. If you live in a place that enjoys year-round sunshine, protective hats with a wide brim are more likely to be your bestsellers.
The great thing about dropshipping is that it allows merchants to easily and quickly update their inventory, so if you want to change your offerings with the seasons, or notice that some products aren’t getting any traction, you can easily swap them out. For Wix users connected to Printful and Printify, the trucker cap was the 6th most popular selling product in the first half of 2021, followed closely by the snapback hat and dad hat.
Health and wellness
04. Hygiene products
With an increased focus on maintaining health and hygiene due to the pandemic, cleaning, safety and sanitation items are more popular than ever. There are a few stand-out products in this category, such as hand sanitizer gel, N95 face masks and any number of colorful and fashionable face mask options. From January to May 2021, facemasks still ranked in the top 10 best selling products for Wix users connected to Modalyst. One innovative product that has grown in popularity is the no-touch door opener, a device you can keep on your keychain and use to open doors and cupboards, avoiding the need to touch handles directly.
05. Water bottles
Call it the power of the Kardashians, or even a pandemic-induced focus on wellness, but one surprising product has shot to fame—time and volume marked water bottles. These products, which have been the must-have accessory of celebrities and influencers all over social media, have started an undeniable trend. The water bottles are designed to encourage people to drink more water by adding time indicators on the bottle so that it’s easier for people to track their water consumption throughout the day. Some versions of the product have received over 16,000 reviews on Amazon, making it a hot item.
06. CBD-infused products
CBD is having a moment. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the fastest growing product categories on the market right now and has grown into a multimillion-dollar industry. CBD is in 3 of the 5 topselling products sold by Wix users through Modalyst. One of the many cannabinoids, or compounds, found in the hemp plant, it’s hailed for its positive effects on the body. If you’re targeting the health and wellness market, you’ll find a wide array of CBD-infused products to choose from: gummies, capsules, powders, tinctures, oils, creams, and many more. Before you sell CBD online, it’s best to conduct research in your own country and the countries you intend to ship to, to ensure the products you’re selling are legally permitted. Recent U.S. legalizations have opened the doors for merchants, making it a great time to sell CBD. Learn more about how to sell hemp-derived products online in this live session.
07. Yoga gear
Target the booming home fitness market with affordable products that will make workouts more enjoyable. Hands up, who got into yoga in 2020? Dropshippers offer an amazing range of gear for wannabe yogis, from yoga mats to accessories, like straps, blocks, mat carriers and leggings. Often bright and eye-catching, they make a great addition to any sports and wellness store.
Home and garden
In June 2020, YoY sales in the home and garden category in France, the US and Mexico grew by 239%; 296% and 284% respectively.
08. Wall art
During the pandemic, many of us found ourselves spending more time at home, prompting an urge to spruce up our surroundings. With nothing else to do on the weekend, home renovation became a popular hobby. As a result, sales of home decor items, like wall art, skyrocketed. From slogan-led prints to wooden signs and metal hangings, this category is still going from strength to strength.
09. Planters
Easy to manage (and hard to kill) plants like succulents are having a bit of a moment. Not only do they look cute but they help to improve the air quality within your home. Help home decor enthusiasts bring greenery into their surroundings by offering all manner of pots for their plants, from ceramic planters to knitted hanging baskets.
10. Office accessories
With working-from-home being part of the new normal, many people’s homes—from spare bedrooms to kitchen tables—now double as their office. Unsurprisingly workers continue to invest in items to help make their setup more functional and comfortable. As a result, items like office chairs, desks, ergonomic supports, laptop stands, and stationary are still trending.
Kids and baby
11. Baby essentials
If you’re looking to sell essentials, you can’t look past items like baby wipes and diapers. Parents go through hundreds of these a year. You might also want to consider appealing to a particular niche in this market to stand out and help boost your sales. You could look into selling organic and recyclable baby wipes or reusable cloth diapers. These environmentally friendly options are increasing in popularity each year. On Modalyst, one particular brand of reusable diaper inserts has a 4.7 rating with over 1,300 reviews. Use product ratings to guide your decisions or buy samples to see for yourself.
12. Kids clothing and accessories
If there’s one thing we know about kids and babies, it’s that these little people require lots of clothes. From rompers to bibs and beyond, dropshipping suppliers have a wealth of products to choose from. Add a unique element to your online store by offering custom printed items and sell them on-demand, using dropshipping companies like Printful and Printify.
13. Baby carriers and baby bags
Parents everywhere have come to the conclusion that if you’re going to wear a baby accessory, make it a trendy looking one. Moms and dads everywhere are donning slings and baby carriers that keep their babies close and free up their hands. Similarly, the essential baby bag, stuffed with diapers and wipes, needs to be both functional and wearable. Choose from bright colors, fun prints, or chic neutrals.
14. Baby toys
Another great children’s product range to consider stocking is educational toys and learning devices. Parents and people purchasing for kids often enjoy this additional incentive to buy. There are a ton of low- and high-tech options. It’s also helpful to follow trends, as toy crazes for kids like “fidgets” and “popits” often emerge and can take the market by storm.
Between daily essentials, clothing, carriers and toys, this is a potentially very lucrative market to tap into.
Gifts
In November 2020, ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Wix users in the US saw YoY growth of 304% in the gifts category.
15. Picture frames
Picture frames are a great go-to gift option for birthdays, anniversary or special occasions. If you want your online store to target the gift-buying market, offer a selection of beautiful picture frames, from classic to decorative, and entice shoppers to make this easy purchase. Who knows, they might even throw one into the cart for themselves.
16. Wedding accessories
The wedding market has always been a lucrative one, but these days, image-based social media apps like Instagram have opened up a whole new market for fun wedding accessories that help to tell a story. From wearable gifts for the bride and groom—think bathrobes, slippers and even bikinis donned with the words “Mrs to be”—to wedding favors, guestbooks and signage, the list of potential products to stock is seemingly endless.
17. Personalized mugs
Fun mugs or travel cups are always a handy gift option, especially when it comes to that friend, family member or work colleague who’s always sipping a hot drink. Choose from thousands of fun, slogan-print mugs, or, use print on demand to bring your own slogans to life. Think about your store’s target audience—gamers, coders, sports fans—and tailor your mug offering to them. People love toting around a mug that shows their personality.
Animal care and supplies
In 2020, as more people found themselves spending time at home with their pets, the animal care and supplies category experienced continual growth for Wix merchants. According to our 2020 end of year report, in April 2020 the category grew by 202% YoY in the U.S.
18. Pet essentials
Today’s pets are part of the family, which is why animal care is a widely popular and growing market with great products that are very well suited to dropshipping. Animal care items, for the most part, are also durable, therefore they’re perfect candidates to survive a long shipping process. Why not position your store as a go-to place for every pet owner’s needs. Dropshipping suppliers have everything from harnesses, collars, water bottles, food bowls, litter trays and so much more. Study what each dropshipping company has to offer and curate a selection of items that offer everyday pet essentials that shoppers are likely to repurchase.
19. Pet beds
Loving pet owners who want the very best for their furry friends have caused a surge in the popularity of pet care. One of the most popular items? Pet beds. If we humans get to sleep in comfortable beds, then why shouldn’t our pets? Prepare to be astonished at the sheer array of beds, from the practical to the outrageous (search: princess puppy bed) and choose products that appeal to a wide market or a more targeted niche.
20. Pet toys
As pet owners we want our pets to be happy, entertained, and sometimes distracted from that brand new pair of highly chewable sneakers we’ve just purchased. Choose from thousands of furry teddies, squeaky chew sticks and interactive toys. There is literally something for every kind of pet. Pet toys are a great addition to any inventory as they can be an easy option for shoppers to add to their basket and, depending on your target audience, you can offer a variety of items at different price points.
How to find the right dropshipping platforms
Now that you know what’s trending, you’ll need to connect your online store to a dropshipping platform so that you can browse their product offering and see what’s right for your business.
Did you know that 84% of eCommerce merchants say that finding a dropshipping supplier for their online store is the most significant roadblock to starting their dropshipping business? Whether you’re just starting your online store or own a seasoned business looking to add products to its catalog, finding a reliable supplier is crucial for your dropshipping success. The process of finding a supplier can be tricky, and making the wrong choice could expose your business to unnecessary risk.
The good news is that Wix, and many other eCommerce website builder platforms, are integrated with reputable dropshipping suppliers.
Some of the biggest and best dropshipping companies include:
Modalyst
Sprocket
Syncee
Importify
Doba
365Dropship
Printful
Printify
Salehoo
Dropshipping platforms like Modalyst and print-on-demand companies like Printful and Printify fully integrate with your online store, so you can seamlessly manage all of your products and sales from your Wix dashboard.
These dropshipping platforms offer an extra layer of security for merchants as their suppliers are vetted and must adhere to the platform’s rules. This means there are minimal complications when it comes to delivering the goods to your customers. Read more about the pros and cons of some of these dropshipping suppliers.
How to choose the best dropshipping products to sell
Now that we’ve given you an idea of the wide array of products you can dropship and the platforms you can integrate with, you’ll need to finally choose which products to sell. This is one of the biggest challenges that dropshipping sellers face as there are millions of products and several dropshipping platforms that are easily integrated with all-in-one platforms like Wix eCommerce.
Don’t rush into your decision, as it’s essential that you choose the right product offering to give your business the best chance of long-term success.
105 - The average number of dropshipping products sold by Wix merchants.
Do your research
Many people’s personal interests spark their business ideas. It’s reasonable to think that if you like something, maybe other people will too. However, it’s best not to rely on a hunch or personal passions alone. To ensure your success, you’ll need to ground all of your product decisions in market research and data.
To determine if your product idea will be popular:
Research your competition. Look at their websites and the products they offer. Ask yourself, what are they doing right and what they could improve on. How can your product offering be better than theirs?
Conduct interviews. Identify your ideal target audience and connect with them on social media. Scan online forums such as Reddit to give you good insight into your target audience’s state of mind. Find out how you can solve their pain points. Ask yourself, what products could you dropship to tackle these?
See what’s trending. As they say in the industry, you need to “keep your finger on the pulse.” Dropshipping lets you quickly and easily add items to your store, so it lends itself to trends more readily than traditional retail environments. One of the best things you can do to succeed at dropshipping is finding popular trending items.
A great example of a new trend that we’ve seen over the past year is face masks. Before the pandemic, these weren’t a popular item worldwide, however, in our new reality, they can be a potentially lucrative trending item to add to your store.
With so many trends coming and going, especially with the rise of social media platforms like TikTok, there’s a lot to look out for. Here are some places where you can do some research to see what’s trending:
Use social media Instagram and TikTok can be an invaluable resource to help you get an accurate understanding of what’s popular with your target market. Browsing through Instagram Reels can even help you spot trends—in fashion, clothing and makeup—just as they’re kicking off. By selling trending products, you can become a hit with a specific crowd simply by being aware of what they really want.
Amazon best sellers page Amazon is the leading US eCommerce online marketplace. Looking at their Best Sellers page is a great way to see what’s popular. The page is updated on an hourly basis, so it’s reliable information gathered from millions of buyers.
Google Trends This is a great resource to see how many people are searching for and buying a particular product. It’s also a great way to double-check any product ideas you’ve gotten from social media, dropshipping platforms, or Amazon. You can sort the trend data by country, which is also a super helpful way to know where you should sell your items and focus your marketing efforts.
It’s worth noting, whichever dropshipping platforms you connect to will likely have stacks of information on which products are trending. Whether you want to hop on a trend, or go against the grain and delve into dropshipping a niche product, is up to you.
Focus on a niche
Niche products often attract a smaller but more dedicated or enthusiastic customer base. By focusing your offering on a very specific target market you are likely to have less competition and therefore have the opportunity to stand out, providing you have strong marketing strategies to let your niche audience know you exist.
Cruising Aviation targets a niche audience of aviation enthusiasts, selling over 300 items, from tote bags to phone covers, with an aviation-related theme. Designed by a student pilot and targeted to an audience of “pilots, plane geeks and everyone addicted to aviation,” they ship worldwide and have created a dedicated page to provide shoppers with up-to-date delivery fulfilment times.
Dropshipping lends itself to quick pivots, as you don’t need to wait for the stock to arrive at your warehouse. You can quickly and easily add and remove products from your store.
Use analytics for instant feedback on how shoppers browse your website. Look at the stats to see which product pages get the most clicks and the least. Use this information to inform your inventory. Add products that speak to your target audience and remove the ones that aren’t generating clicks.
Keep the bottom line in mind
In eCommerce, it’s always critical to consider how your price points and profit margins will impact your long-term success. Once you’ve found an item you’re interested in, you’ll need to evaluate your pricing strategy. The dropshipping world lends itself to marketplaces that sell large volumes of low cost white-labeled products. Often you’ll be able to on-sell larger volumes of these items; however, the profit margin is usually quite slim. In contrast, the opposite is true for pricier products.
There isn’t an obvious preferred option between choosing to sell cheaper or pricier items. Your decision will depend on the demographics of your target audience. However, what you choose to sell will significantly impact your marketing and customer service activities.
More premium products are likely to involve higher outlays. You’ll need to provide more dedicated customer support, premium branding and packaging, and possibly more time marketing your product if it’s a high cost purchase that requires deeper consideration, such as home gym equipment.
This is why it’s so important to calculate associated costs, not just the supplier costs. You might well find that it’s more worthwhile to sell fewer, more expensive products rather than hundreds of cheaper products in the end. Either way, it’s best that you work this out from the start. That way you can plan and budget realistic financial projections for your online business.
Aim to attract repeat customers
Did you know that it can cost five times more to attract new customers to your business than retaining existing ones? One of the easiest ways to get repeat shoppers is to sell products that people buy regularly. This way, it will be intuitive rather than a hard sell. Some great examples of these products include everyday supplies, like hygiene products, stationary, or cosmetics.
You can also target shoppers, who are looking for convenience, by selling product subscriptions or replenishment subscriptions, automating purchases of commodity products, like razors, diapers, or pet food. Replenishment subscriptions are the perfect way to create a steady income while making life easy for your customers. Get creative with it, do your research, and bake in a sales strategy that attracts repeat business.
Know your shipping estimates
Dropshipping companies have suppliers all over the world, an important consideration when it comes to curating the product offerings of your online store. Many dropshippers allow you to filter your product search by region, which can be helpful for businesses who want to reduce shipping times or their carbon footprint. Whether you ship nationwide or internationally, it’s essential that you choose the right products, packaging, and logistics partners, to ensure that orders arrive on time and intact. Merchants should try to be as open as possible, using FAQs or email marketing, to inform or update their customers when it comes to delivery time estimates or expected delays.
During the pandemic, when gyms began to close, BWSS Fit (Big Workout Small Space), made it their mission to make setting up a home gym easy and affordable for all. BWSS sells everything a fitness fanatic could want—from high quality adjustable dumbbells to workout benches—and sources products from factories all over the world. Their direct-to-consumer model meant that they could sell high-end products at more affordable prices, without the expense of pre-purchasing and storing inventory. Being open and transparent about their business model, as well as their estimated delivery times, gives shoppers the confidence that, although shipping times may be longer, what they get in return is great value for money. This upfront strategy has paid off and the company continues to thrive.
Packaging
As an online business, the customer’s first physical interaction with your business is when they receive their package. First impressions are everything. You want customers to instantly feel happy with their purchase.
Spicing up your packaging can be an excellent tool for your dropshipping business. When done correctly, it can instantly make customers feel confident in their purchase, even before they’ve unwrapped what’s inside.
Use customer feedback
Customer satisfaction is important for all businesses, no matter the size, but can feel especially important for newer businesses and businesses that sell more expensive items, as it significantly impacts how you build your reputation.
Ideally, every merchant should test out the dropshipping process by ordering a product they intend to sell and experiencing the complete customer journey. Ask yourself, what were your first impressions? Is the product of high quality? Was the delivery time acceptable?
If you’re happy with your product and confident that you’ll receive positive word of mouth, set up automated emails to ask shoppers for feedback or connect to review apps that will collect and show customer reviews in your online store. Positive word of mouth, not just from influencers and reviewers but from everyday consumers, can provide vital traction when building a thriving business.
How to determine your dropshipping pricing strategy
Dropshipping can be a relatively simple and cost-effective way to sell products online. If you want to run a successful store, you’ll need to know how to price your products for dropshipping and have a solid understanding of how different pricing methods will impact your sales, revenue and, ultimately, your profit.
Before you set a price on a product you need to consider all of the costs associated with it, from the wholesale price, to shipping costs and taxes. If you price an item too low, you won’t make much of a profit after covering your costs, and you’ll need to sell more to increase your profits. If you price too high, you run the risk of driving customers elsewhere. Finding a balance is key to your success.
Follow these steps to maximize your store’s potential:
Perform in-depth market and competitive research. Find your competitors and see what their customers are willing to pay. What is the average market price for your item? You might decide to undercut your competitors to drive business, but this strategy will only work if you can make a profit.
Determine a minimum retail price for each product. Calculate all expenses associated with your product. Once you know this you’ll have a better understanding of how low or high you can price.
Consider your short-term business goal. Decide if your aim is to increase revenue, profit margin, or market share. You might be happy to price lower in an effort to gain market share.
Choose pricing strategies that align with your goals. If your goal is to be perceived as a premium brand, aim your prices higher. If you want to be seen as an affordable alternative to your competitors, price lower but back it up with a solid marketing strategy to sell more.
Determine a markup rate. This is a product’s retail price minus the wholesale price. It should strike a balance between making a profit and generating steady sales.
Experiment with different strategies and markup rates. Use analytics to show you what’s working and what’s not. See if you can find a pattern in what price point is appealing to your customers.
Set pricing rules to automate pricing for dropshipping products. When you integrate your online store with a dropshipping platform, like Modalyst, pricing rules with predetermined markups are automatically set. However, you can easily modify them to suit your business needs.
How to make a successful dropshipping business
While these tips have been created to guide you on the path to starting dropshipping, ultimately, the success of any dropshipping business comes down to the drive and determination of you, the merchant, and the only way you will ever truly know if it will become successful is by getting started.
Do your research and learn about every aspect of the dropshipping chain, from product trends to pricing tactics. Experiment with suppliers and product offerings to see what’s right for you.
Once you’ve chosen your products. Create a strong marketing strategy that will support your product sourcing efforts:
Build your online store. Use an all-in-one platform like Wix eCommerce, customize designer made templates to showcase your products to the best effect and integrate with dropshipping suppliers via the Wix App Market.
Market your business. Use your eCommerce platform’s integrated marketing tools or third-party apps to connect with customers. Use email marketing to let them know about new products, discounts and sales, use SEO to boost your site’s visibility online, and consider investing in digital advertising to boost your site’s traffic.
Use social media. Connect to your product’s target audience on whichever channels they use. Showcase your products in the wild and create a strong presence for your brand. Create a hashtag for your brand and ask customers to use it. Your customers can be some of your best product photographers, videographers and brand advocates.Consider investing in social advertising, like Facebook Ads by Wix, which uses smart machine learning algorithms to target the right audience for your products.
Connect with influencers. Taking your marketing budget into account, consider whether or not it might be worth investing in some influencer marketing. New businesses often don’t have the budget for mega influencers, so it’s worth researching nano influencers and their fees. If you don’t have a budget, try sending a product sample anyway. You never know, they could like it so much, they feature it for free.
Dropshipping is a great option for those looking to get into the eCommerce