The Best Drop Shipping Products 2019

By Milo Cruz | Last Updated: February 19, 2019

Drop Shipping Product Ideas

Check out our list of recommendations for this year’s most profitable drop shipping products and niches.

Fitness Products

The wellness and health industries have really been taking off in recent years. With more and more people embracing healthier lifestyles, selling fitness products can be very profitable.

fitness products

Start with the basics. Gym apparel, shoes, and small exercise equipment are very in-demand items that have proven to sell very quickly.

Organic Products

Alongside fitness products, the increased interest in health and well-being has made all things organic increasingly popular. After all, it’s not just about how you stay active. It’s also about controlling what kind of chemicals and substances you expose yourself to.

That’s why the need for organic products is at an all-time high nowadays.

Organic beauty products and cosmetics are definitely prime examples. Also, consider organic food and non-perishables for drop shipping. There’s no reason you can’t drop ship food to your customers.

Hobbies

As hobbies vary wildly among all individuals, it might be difficult to think of where you should even start. Try to look at your own personal interests, and see what kind of products you require to pursue or practice those interests. Chances are, plenty of other people need them, too.

If you don’t have any hobbies that require any specialized goods, think of ones that do. These hobbies can sometimes be highly-technical, and require specific products which enthusiasts will try and source.

Motorcycle parts

And since these products are so specialized, there’s a good chance that a lot of people are searching the internet for it. That means you have a good chance of riding on that popularity through organic means, or even taking advantage of paid ads to capitalize on the interest around it.

Possibilities are endless, but here’s some ideas to get you started. Hiking gear, home beer-brewing kits, custom motorcycle parts, and so on.

Eco-Friendly and Reusable Products

Environmental-awareness has been on the rise recently, and thankfully so. It’s becoming more and more apparent that it’s every individual’s responsibility to take care of the environment. And that includes finding ways to minimize the waste that we produce.

One way of doing this is by moving away from single-use products, and consider more sustainable alternatives.

Products like these have seen rising demand, and it shows no signs of waning. With any luck, these products will become ubiquitous, and eventually the norm. They’re becoming cheaper to make, their designs are constantly being improved on, and for the most part, they just work.

Some examples are: Silicone food covers, Biodegradable plates, bowls and cutlery, Bags and storage made from eco-friendly or recycled materials, and so on.

Home Automation

Now that technology is creeping its way into every corner of our lives, it’s only natural that new innovations start reshaping our very own homes.

Smart home automation system

Smart homes represent the future of what it means for day-to-day living. Think automated systems that work in the background to make your house (and your life) easier to maintain and enjoy.

Automated lighting devices, climate control interfaces, entertainment systems, robotics – the list goes on and on. There’s plenty of products available. And they’re surely going get more popular over the next years.

Other Popular Drop Shipping Niches

Cosmetics, Beauty, and Personal Care

Cosmetics and grooming brands have seized on the opportunities presented by social media and e-commerce. From makeup to beard oils, lotions to shaving supplies, the market for women’s and men’s personal care offers plenty of profitable niches. Most products are compact and easily shipped, so you won’t have to worry as much about losing money to shipping errors and mishaps.

Collection of makeup brushes and eye makeup palette

As an industry, personal care and cosmetics were worth $532.43B in 2017, and Reuters reports that this can balloon to $805.61B by 2023. More and more people are seeking out products that can keep them looking young, fit, and healthy, and drop shipping gives you an easy way to connect with these customers.

Consumer Tech Accessories

It’s no secret that we’re tied to our devices, whether tablets, laptops, or smartphones. While big device manufacturers like Samsung and Apple aren’t partnering with drop shippers anytime soon, the many companies churning out accessories for these devices present a different story.

iPhone, earphones, coffee, and laptop on pink background

Think everything from phone cases to HDMI adapters to earphones and tablet screen repair kits. The phone accessories market alone is expected to be worth $107.3B globally by 2022. The good news is that you’re not limited to phones — there’s an endless array of tech accessories for you to choose from. Device usage isn’t going to slump anytime soon, so you won’t want for customers either. Competition will definitely be fierce, so if you’re eyeing this niche, you should definitely develop unique marketing strategies or business plans that will put you ahead of the competition.

Bags

Leather satchel on stone surface

Who doesn’t need to carry their possessions? Almost everyone will need a bag at some point, and the niche market for handbags and purses alone affirms that – to the tune of $151B in market value. You can bank on cyclical sales spikes with the back-to-school rush, plus some indirect effects from the emergence of trends like backpacking. The bag industry encompasses several niches (e.g., travel, business, casual/commuter), so you can pick from several possible approaches for your online store.

What Makes a Great Drop Shipping Product?

Picking a winning product to drop ship isn’t just about the state of the market. Not all products suit the drop shipping model. As much as you might want to sell custom cakes, for example, you’ll have a hard time finding a supplier who can make and deliver those to order.

How do you know if a product works well with a drop shipping business? Here are some qualities to look for:

Legal to Sell

This is a no-brainer. You might not need a slew of licenses to launch a drop shipping business, but you still have to comply with the law. Selling illegal items is just asking for trouble.

Drop shippers in particular should take pains to find products and suppliers that check this box. You don’t always have complete control over your products, so violations might not always be obvious. All the more reason for you to devote extraordinary diligence to checking your products.

Watch out for copyright violations in particular. You might be doing swift business selling statement shirts to fans of your favorite TV show, but unless you’ve got official permission from the people behind the show, it’s only a matter of time before authorities crack down on you for intellectual property violations.

Easy to Handle and Deliver

You might not be shipping your products, but someone is. Chances are, they’re going to charge you for it. If you don’t want to pay your supplier huge sums for shipping and handling, pick products that are easy to pack and ship.

Keep fragile items, or ones with big or unusual dimensions, off your list. You might not have as many competitors in the ceramic vase niche, for example, but your margins will definitely be smaller on account of higher fees for special courier handling and, in some cases, insurance. Plus, every broken vase is an expense you can’t get back.

Unique and Impressive

Seek out products that will catch your customers’ attention. Your product should give people a compelling reason to spend money. If you’re selling T-shirts, for example, it should be clear why your T-shirts are a better choice than any other shirt available at your customer’s local department store.

You can find uniqueness in a product’s design, function, or sometimes even just price. This is where your previous market research helps, too: if you know what everyone else is selling, it’s easier for you to pick out products that stand out.

Familiar and Useful

This sounds contradictory to #4, but hear us out. Try to strike a balance between eye-catching and familiar. Your customers usually can’t test your products in person. If your items are too odd or different, customers might be too wary to buy anything. Avoid products that leave customers wondering how the items could be used.

Good Markup Potential

Customers won’t always pay top dollar for your products. If you want to set prices that give you sizable profit margins, you better pick items that deserve those price tags. Some products are easier to justify than others: you can only set a T-shirt price so high, for example, but watches might give you a bit more wiggle room.

How to Find Profitable Products for Drop Shipping

There’s no magic formula for picking out bestsellers. Every product you choose to sell can be considered a gamble. But if you follow these steps, you can be more confident that the odds are in your favor.

Consult Reliable Sources

If you’re new to the e-commerce game, you’re probably still learning the lay of the land. Fortunately, you can often find guidance from established companies or authorities in your chosen niche. Longtime e-commerce platforms like Shopify and Volusion, for example, release regular updates on trending products throughout the year. Keep an eye on sources like these to get a better sense of the product types to put on your shortlist.

Research Your Market

Speaking of trends, take advantage of free tools like Google AdWords’ keyword planner or Google Trends to check the products that people are searching for.

This is especially helpful if you’ve got specific audiences or product categories in mind. If you’ve decided to sell shoes, for example, you can use Google Trends to see which of your prospective brands have seen recent buzz. You can also check search volumes for different kinds of shoes to help you pick which ones to sell.

Canvass Potential Suppliers

Look for reliable, responsive suppliers that can give you low prices. This can be a difficult ask, and you won’t always find suppliers who check all of these boxes. Strive to get suppliers who come as close as possible anyway. You’re staking a big chunk of your business’ reputation on their performance, after all.

Some resources, like the Shopify platform, give users lists of vetted suppliers. Otherwise, you can go the DIY research route by checking out feedback for specific suppliers on markets like AliExpress.

Know Your Sales Environment

You’re not selling in a vacuum. Keep an eye on any events or factors (both within and beyond your sales niche) that can affect how audiences receive your products. This helps you time product releases and promotions for maximum impact.

Are you selling clothes? Showcase your best cardigans and coats as fall approaches.

Is Easter coming up? Your snacks store better start highlighting chocolate eggs and bunny-shaped candy.

Has the Rick and Morty cartoon been making the rounds of your customers’ social media accounts? Time to launch a “Buy 1, Take 1” promo for bottles of McDonald’s Szechuan sauce.

Final Thoughts

Drop shipping profit margins can get pretty low, but you can stay ahead of the curve with some solid research and clever strategizing. One of the most important decisions you can make to boost your business? Your choice of niche and the products you sell. Not all products or industries take well to the drop shipping model, so you should definitely do your homework if you want to earn big.

The good news is that there are tons of suppliers and product choices available for aspiring drop shippers. Follow the tips we’ve given above, and you’ll find some profitable gems for your online store’s catalog in no time.

If you’d like to learn more about how to start drop shipping, you can check out our mega guide on all things drop shipping. Alternatively, you can also check out this drop shipping with Oberlo guide – it’s a lot more concise and Oberlo is something we recommend for beginners.