The trending products for 2022 include a little bit of something new as well as some classic favorites. If you’re looking to start an online store using Printful or Spocket, you’ll find an abundance of products to sell on this list that are trending right now. These products may not be popular for long, so check out our recommendations and act fast. You can run your product or niche idea through our Instant Product Evaluator to better understand its strengths and weaknesses by evaluating it against 18 important criteria!
Note: The trending products listed on this page are not necessarily suggested products to sell online. All information should be considered carefully and combined with your own due diligence before making a decision to sell a particular product.
The Top Trending Products & Niches for 2021
ALCOHOL-FREE ALCOHOL
“Sober curious” is a new trend as drinking-age adults are looking towards non-alcohol drink alternatives to replace or supplement their usual alcohol intake. Typical reasons for this lifestyle choice include personal preference, fitness and health goals, and concern over the negative health implications of binge drinking.
Because of this, consumers are looking for interesting, delicious, well-branded, alcohol-free drinks that are a step above soda/water/cordial alternatives. Just because some consumers choose not to drink alcohol, doesn’t mean they’re not interested in innovative and exciting drink combinations!
This is why more and more brands are offering alcohol-free cocktails and spirit substitutes.
If you’re an ecommerce startup looking for an exciting venture, check out this CNBC article, which shares that “people are paying top dollar for cocktails with no alcohol in them.”
In addition to non-alcoholic drinks, you could also sell trending products online, such as cocktail shakers, glassware, and environmentally friendly straws.
CBD PRODUCTS
If you’re looking to start an online business, consider CBD tea, gummies, oil, and more.
Much has been researched about how CBD products can positively impact people experiencing anxiety, chronic pain, and sleep issues, so it’s no wonder that general interest and Google searches for CBD are on the rise. Monthly US Google search figures are currently coming in at 450,000 searches per month, and a global increase in searches rose 335% over the past five years.
If we dive in a bit deeper and look at search results for specific CBD products, this what can be found:
- CBD for Skin: A 1440% increase in global searches in the past five years
- CBD Gummies: An 8300% increase in worldwide searches over the past five years
- CBD Oil: A 700% increase in international searches in the past five years
- CBD Tea: Receive about 11,000 monthly searches, according to Ahrefs
These products certainly look like they’re here to stay, so if you’re looking to break into the CBD niche, it’s worth finding a reputable CBD supplier that you can trust. This means taking the time to thoroughly verify their products’ safety, quality, and compliance with the US Hemp Authority program.
MACADAMIA NUT MILK
There are quite a few trending products in the milk alternative space—from ubiquitous options like oat, soy, almond, cashew, hemp, coconut milk and macadamia milk.
In fact, according to The Good Food Institute, purchases of plant-based milk grew 5% in the past year and 14% over the past two years, making the plant-based milk market worth 2 billion dollars in the US alone.
Macadamia nut milk is a new and exciting option to offer customers. If you’re looking for an innovative product that appeals to the vegan, plant-based, and health-food markets, macadamia nut milk might be worth considering adding to your online store.
SNACK, GRAZING & CANDY BOXES
Snack boxes are a fun way to consume candies or treats—or even a unique presentation of charcuterie boards that people can order online and have delivered to their homes.
Monthly searches for snack boxes sit at around 18,000 searches at the time of writing. You can run Google Ads to promote your snack box online business to consumers who are searching for this product. Snack sales, in general, account for 40% of the US packaged food market, and this is attributed mostly to Millennials who apparently snack more than any other generation.
MEAL BOX SERVICES
Food meal box services such as HelloFresh are super popular at the moment. These meal boxes are usually sold on a subscription basis, and they’re often positioned as an alternative to ordering-in, while making at-home cooking simpler and less time-consuming.
Typical meal box service USPs include innovative, fast, and simple meal ideas that are healthy and waste-free.
There were 22,000 monthly Google searches for meal kits in the US alone at the time of writing, so it’s clear that the growth of its popularity is worth starting an online store in.
When starting a food meal box service, you could focus on niche dietary preferences like vegan, keto, or paleo diets. Or, consider focusing on consumer demographics facing allergies to dairy, gluten, or nuts.
FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGES
“Functional drinks” are beverages with an intended purpose or outcome. A well-known example of a functional drink is Gatorade—a beverage that helps health-conscious consumers achieve their fitness and wellbeing goals.
Other examples of this growing trend include mushroom coffee, sugar-free energy drinks, CBD drinks, and coffee replacements such as matcha and turmeric lattes.
An August 2020 report by the Business Research Company found that more consumers than ever are looking for healthy food and drink alternatives. More and more consumers seem to be searching for ways to boost their immune systems and overall health, making this a trending product to sell online.
Big brands such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo Inc. are already on board with this trending product category and are introducing their own functional beverages such as Coca-Cola with Coffee and PepsiCo’s Driftwell. It’s no wonder that they are, since the functional beverage market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.96% between 2020 and 2025!
EAR DROPS
Ear drops are a classic product used to clear up ear infections or soften ear wax. They’ve been around for decades, but a new breed of natural and homeopathic brands in this niche has resulted in a 70% increase in searches related to ear drops over the past five years.
Brands like Natrulo that contain ingredients like “mullein and garlic bulb extract” are popular. Also, ear drops that are alcohol and preservative-free are another appealing choice for those wanting a natural remedy to soften ear wax. If you look at Google Trends, you’ll quickly see that ear drops have been steadily increasing so if you’re looking for trending products to sell, you’ll want to add this to your online store.
ACNE PATCHES/PIMPLE PATCHES
The job of acne patches and pimple patches is to speed up the healing process of blemishes by absorbing toxins. They use hydrocolloid technology to absorb the pimple’s toxins and create a moist environment to promote healing. They’re also proven to be useful at preventing the wearer from scratching or squeezing the spot.
The largest market right now is interested in invisible or transparent round patches in different sizes.
Google searches for this product have grown, with over 106,000 monthly global searches for “pimple patches.” Trending products to sell like this one should be marketed via Google Ads.
SKINCARE TOOLS
The global skincare market is predicted to increase to more than $180 billion dollars by 2024 and data from Spate (as reported by Vogue Business) identified that an increased interest in skincare tools was one of the top emerging trends during the pandemic.
With beauty spas and salons intermittently closing, skincare tools empowered consumers to take care of their complexions at home while creating a calming, at-home spa experience.
These are some most popular skincare tools at the moment:
- Red and blue light masks
- Microdermabrasion kits
- Gua shas
- Quartz, jade, and amethyst face rollers
- Facial steamers
Looking just at face rollers alone, Google searches ran to 108,000 searches per month worldwide. You can attract customers when you create video content on social media and with an affordable price.
SWEATPANTS
2022’s hottest trending product to sell online in the fashion category is none other than sweatpants.
Anyone working from home—whether they’re tied to Zoom meetings or otherwise—is now familiar with the joys of not having to wear workwear to… Well, work.
The best part is that even if you’re summoned to a Zoom meeting, you can throw on a neatly pressed shirt to look smart from the waist up, and still chill in your sweatpants from the waist down. Maybe that’s why searches for sweatsuits have escalated by 100% in the past year alone.
The key term “sweatpants” generates around 366,000 monthly searches globally, making it a great addition to a fashion online store.
Tip: To find sweatpant suppliers, check out our curated directories! Find garment makers to create bespoke pairs in our Clothing Manufacturers Directory, wholesale sweatpant suppliers in our Wholesale Suppliers Directory, and even dropship sweatpants from one of the suppliers in our Dropshipping Suppliers Directory.
SLIPPERS
Trending products to sell like slippers are growing in popularity according to Google Trends. As working from home becomes the new normal, the rise in slipper sales reflects consumers’ need for comfortable footwear to wear around the house. Slippers are most commonly sold around the holidays and are expected to see triple-digit growth since 2019.
SILK PAJAMAS
If your audience leans towards more premium tastes, then silk pajamas are a perfect substitute for sweatpants.
Google Trends searches for pajamas have risen with about 64,000 monthly searches worldwide. In fact, Adobe Analytics said that online pajama sales rose by 143% in April 2020 compared with March.
Depending on your customer personas, you could opt to sell more affordable satin pairs or more premium pure silk ones. The key here is to focus on luxurious comfort that consumers can experience at home.
HIKING BOOTS
As more people head outdoors to work out, trending products online include hiking boots and other outdoor apparel.
Consequently, online searches for hiking boots have risen according to Google Trends, and boast about 203,000 monthly searches according to Ahrefs at the time of writing.
The beauty of adding hiking boots to your ecommerce store is that you can market them for outdoor exercise and as fashion items.
LAPTOP STANDS
Remote working has risen exponentially allowing lists of trending products to sell in the home office space to grow. A useful accessory to lessen back pain and assist with better posture when working from home is the simple laptop stand.
Searches for laptop stands are stable according to Google Trends but still boast over 253,000 monthly searches worldwide so we weren’t kidding about this being one of the best trending products to sell this year.
There are multiple takes on this compact accessory that you can sell online—aluminum, plastic, and acrylic. Plus, there are folding options, lightweight options, and ones that even suction onto windows.
STANDING DESKS
The standing desk market is expected to grow to 9.541 billion by 2027 according to WBOC. With remote working on the rise, and health and fitness still a priority in many consumers’ lives, the standing desk market is continuing to grow.
Many workers turn to standing desks as a way to stay active, alert, and keep better posture while they work. Some standing desks are also adjustable to suit different heights and working positions.
ERGONOMIC OFFICE CHAIRS
In the past, ergonomic chairs tended to be bought by businesses for their employees. Fast forward to today, and around half of all American workers are now working from home, and consequently, consumer demand to replicate their office environment is growing.
Google Trends shows that this product is still expected to grow in searches, though it already generates 234,000 monthly searches globally. So if you’re looking to innovate a market that was previously more focused on B2B retail, you could consider making appealing ergonomic office chairs for B2C on your online store, with a flair for DTC.
AT-HOME WORKOUT EQUIPMENT
Fitness products are always trending products to sell online, including but not limited to folding treadmills, indoor exercise bikes, weights, yoga mats, workout bands, ankle weights, resistance bands, etc.
Although the market is predicted to grow just under 3% between 2020 and 2025, we’ll just have to see what the next few months have in store for public gyms and workout classes. Companies like Peloton have seen their sales surge by a whopping 172%, and over one million people have subscribed to their streaming classes making it a profitable niche.
In light of all of this, selling home-friendly workout equipment and accessories could be a trending product worth considering.
For tips on how to make the most of consumer’s growing interest in fitness, check out our article on Creator Marketing Tips for Health and Fitness Brands.
AIR-PURIFYING PLANTS
As consumers are spending more time indoors, sprucing up their indoor space means adding a little bit of nature.
It was NASA who, in 1989, discovered that indoor plants help to remove air pollution. So, given the current events of the world, air-purifying plants have an even more attractive quality to them. Google Trends shows that this these best sellers are on the rise, with an astounding 30,000 monthly searches worldwide.
According to NASA’s study, they recommend having two to three indoor plants for every 100 square feet, so for many consumers, that likely means having multiple plants in one household. As an ecommerce plant seller, your target market could use a lookbook of suggestions about where to best place air-purifying plants for maximum health benefits.
LIVING WALLS (WALL GARDENS)
A living wall is a vertical outdoor or indoor garden that’s attached to a wall.
Google Trends shows that “living wall” searches are steadily climbing and boast 24,000 monthly searches globally.
This increased interest could be attributed to people wanting to improve their homes as they spend more time indoors. You could sell living walls on online stores in the plant and flower niche. Trending items like this could complement various niches, such as home offices, a dropshippping store, or potential buyers in the influencer marketing space looking for a backdrop.
UNDER-DESK TREADMILLS
In an effort to stay active while working from home, consumers are making use of under-desk treadmills.
This piece of equipment is ergonomically designed, portable, and has a low impact on joints. Not only that, but it can connect to your FitBit, iPhone, or Android device to track your movement throughout the day.
You can sell online under-desk treadmills, which are still growing in popularity according to Google Trends, making them an innovative trending product to pursue if you want to target the health and fitness niche. Online stores selling products like this can also include fitness best sellers, home office accessories, or other fitness or home-office related items.
MASSAGE GUNS
Trending products to sell in the health niche, include top selling items like massage guns.
These tools are easy to use and combat soft tissue aches and pains by providing quick bursts of pressure into the muscle, which enhances blood flow to the affected area. More people are taking a do-it-yourself approach to massaging their muscles after a workout, making this a high demand product for online businesses.
Google Trends shows a huge increase in search volume for massage guns. However, ecommerce stores stocking up massage guns can reach a target audience size of 631,000 monthly searches. In the health space, these trending products to sell are still picking up steam.
LED LIGHTS
TikTok is responsible for bringing to light a huge new high demand trend: LED lights.
These products are especially popular amongst teens who use them in their bedrooms to create a tranquil space they can switch up at the change of a button. But, not only do they create a calm ambiance, they also make for interesting backgrounds behind video content that users post to their social feeds.
At the time of writing, monthly worldwide search volume for LED lights is over 1.1 million. Ecommerce stores that sell this product at an affordable price via Facebook Ads, SEO, or search-based ads like Google can generate a lot of ecommerce sales.
If you’re interested in selling a trending item with constant demand, you’ll find that LED lights come in multiple colors and are often sold in strips that switch between different colors and lighting modes. Start selling online today.
AIR PURIFIERS
Since the population at large is spending more time indoors, it’s no wonder that consumers are increasingly concerned about the quality of the air they’re breathing.
Cue, air purifiers.
Air purifiers rid spaces of indoor pollutants, allergens, and particles and right now, there’s no better time to sell a product that does those things.
According to a report from AP News, the air purifier industry is expected to increase by around 10% between 2019 and 2029. This projected increase is attributed mainly to broader concerns about air quality since the pandemic started.
If you’re looking to start selling this trending item, it’s essential to clarify what they do and don’t do. The last thing you want is to make any unsubstantiated promises to your customers!
AIR FRYERS
Finding a healthy way to eat fried food was never going to be unpopular. The statistics support this, with the air fryer market size expected to grow from almost $895 million in 2018 to $1,425.7 million by 2026—and global Google search volumes make up over 4.1 million per month. Plus, take a look at the climbing Google Trends data, air fryers are the trending products to sell in 2022, if you want to run Google Shopping ads on your dropshipping store. You can get a lot of organic traffic if you optimize your website for search.
From an ecommerce seller’s perspective, emphasizing the benefits of air fryers—such as their ability to remove high fat and calorie-dense oils from the cooking process—makes a strong sales pitch.
There are multiple versions of the air fryer out there, with prices retailing as low as $50 on Amazon to higher-end models for hundreds of dollars. It’s also worth considering selling air fryer accessories on your online store, such as paper liners and cookbooks.
RING LIGHTS
Trending products to sell like this vibrant ring light are worth pursuing in 2022. Ring lights are circle-shaped lights often used by content creators, video streamers, or Instagram influencers.
According to Google Trends, there was a slight dip in the search volume over the years. However, there seems to be a growing uptick again.
If you’re in the beauty niche, these trending beauty products could be used for making viral social media videos of you doing your makeup in good lighting.
Search volume has been growing the past few years. And right now, the monthly search volume for “ring light” is about 1.4 million meaning that a lot of these have been sold online already but there is still a large target audience.
VIDEO PROJECTORS
Cinemas around the world remain primarily closed so one possible solution to the pain movie buffs feel at the loss of the traditional cinema experience is to use a video projector.
Video projectors bring the movie theatre experience to the home without busting the bank balance and with so many people stuck at home looking for any way to elevate their at-home living experience, now is one of the best times to capitalize on consumers’ growing interest in video projectors.
You can create your own brand with this trending product from the past few months. The search volume for the keyword “video projector” boasts 20,000 monthly searches globally. You can add this to your electronics, movie, or accessories store.
LUXURY CAT LITTER
Anyone who’s owned a cat knows that cat litter doesn’t smell like a bed of roses—far from it, in fact. That’s just one reason why searches for luxury cat litter, and brands like PrettyLitter, have surged.
This type of cat litter is made from silica which absorbs unpleasant odors and it also helps cat owners detect possible health issues that their feline might have due to changes in urine pH levels.
While it might seem like a niche product idea, there are over 95 million house cats in the USA, and it’s likely that their owners are very open to innovation in the cat litter market. It’s also a product that a subscription delivery service can be built around, which can increase consumer loyalty and bring in recurring revenue, which is obviously good for business.
GAMING GLASSES
There are 2.7 billion gamers worldwide, with the Asia Pacific region taking the lion’s share, followed by Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and then the US. Gaming is big business, and gamers need (and love) accessories.
One rising trend according to Google Trends is gaming. Consumers are interested in the product’s apparent ability to reduce eye fatigue, eye strain, and headaches caused by many hours of gaming. Searches for these products have risen by an astonishing 2,800% over the past five years.
The glasses are meant to filter out blue light given off by digital devices, which is often the root cause of the symptoms listed above.
There are plenty of places to source blue light glasses nowadays, so whether you’re interested in dropshipping, manufacturing, private labeling, or wholesaling, you should be able to find an option that suits your needs.
PUZZLES & BOARD GAMES
Jigsaw puzzles and board games are long-established pastimes enjoyed by people of all ages. Interestingly, global searches for jigsaw puzzles have grown by 94% in the past year. A CNBC report in April 2020 also found that jigsaw puzzle sales for one US game maker, Ravensburger, rose by 370% over the past two years!
Given the amount of time consumers are spending indoors, it’s no surprise that they’re looking for creative ways to fill their time.
Forbes reported back in April 2020 that sales of board games, puzzles, and crafts had risen enormously. One retailer reported its sales increased by 4,000% in the last week in March 2020.
Global search volume for board games generate 468,000 monthly searches and rise every December according to Google Trends.
ONLINE GAMES
Since Zoom became part of our everyday lexicon, so have games that can be played via online chat and video apps. Here we’re talking about things like online board games, online card games, online bingo, etc.
Online board games are a fun and effective way for friends and families to stay connected with each other during the pandemic. If games are your passion or you have a good idea for an online game people can play over video calls, now’s the time to launch it!
CHESS
The Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit has gripped viewers since its launch in October 2020, with a total of 62 million households having watched it!
One interesting by-product of The Queen’s Gambit is a renewed interest in chess. In the past three months alone, global searches for chess boards have risen by 354%. Also, since the show’s launch, the New York Times reported a 125% rise in chessboard sales, with some retailers reporting increases as high as 1000%!
The beauty of selling chess products is that both budget-friendly and upscale products are available and desirable to different consumer groups, so you have plenty of options.
MATCHA
Matcha tea is an increasingly popular variation of green tea and is considered to be a premium product. Ultimately, it’s a high-end green tea that has been ground into a fine powder and because you actually consume the whole leaf as opposed to just steeping it in hot water, you get a much higher concentration of good things from the tea. Much like green tea, this product can be used as an ingredient in many other products as a flavor, infusion, or extract.
For merchants looking for a premium tea to sell, or premium tea-flavored or tea-infused products to sell, then matcha is worth looking into. In fact, we have an entire case study dedicated to building a matcha tea dropshipping business from scratch here if you’re interested in learning more about the set-up process.
Selling products like matcha can be a great endeavour as global search volume is over 740,000 monthly searches. If you have a tea accessories store, this can be a great item for your target audience of tea lovers. Google Trends data shows that matcha is still on a steady rise, so this specific niche is worth tapping into due to the high search volume.
NOOTROPICS (“SMART DRUGS”)
Nootropics, also referred to as “smart drugs,” help consumers focus better, think clearer, and work harder, and they have been rising in popularity in recent years. Popular faces in the ecommerce industry such as Tim Ferris introduced many people to this relatively new term in 2015 and it seems as if this has just added fuel to the fire ever since.
One thing to keep in mind is that nootropics are a mostly unregulated market at the moment so you’ll want to take careful consideration about choosing them as a potential product idea to sell and do your own research before blindly selling them to the public.
MACRONUTRIENTS & WORKOUT ENHANCING POWDERS
Macronutrients and workout enhancing powders are not new inventions that consumers have never heard of before, however, their up swinging trend stems from their delivery to the end consumer. Consumers concerning themselves with their macronutrient intake is becoming more and more prevalent as people’s interests are rapidly shifting towards their health, diet, and wellbeing.
Macronutrients are nothing new, consumers have just become newly interested in them. This has started to generate a response in brands who are looking to connect with these consumers by advertising their food product’s macronutrients at the forefront of their marketing campaigns.
Protein powder is a well-known workout enhancement powder that helps muscles repair after a workout, but it’s nothing new. It has been a part of mainstream trends for many years now, however, the workout enhancing powder market has started to shift into new territory: Pre-workout powders. Pre-workout powders, commonly referred to simply as “pre-workout,” has started to carve a place in the market.
While protein powders are commonly consumed post-workout to help muscle repair, pre-workouts are meant to be consumed before the workout, giving individuals a hit of energy to help them have productive workouts. This innovative delivery of a simple product is an ingenious way to sell to the end consumer.
Already in the fitness industry? Shift your focus and offer pre-workout supplements while this trend is on the upswing. Marketing a food or beverage product? Shine the light on its macros. Not in the diet, health, or fitness industry yet? Get on it sooner rather than later, because consumers are buying into it more and more each year due to the number of people promoting via influencer marketing, ads, and social media networks.
BALAYAGE PRODUCTS
The beauty niche always has a variety of trending products with lots of search volume. Balayage is a popular form of hair coloring that makes the hair look like it has natural volume with the use of highlights. While this is a recurring trend in the fashion and hair industry, this time around it seems more popular than ever! The look can be achieved at home or by going to a salon which means that the target base is slightly bigger: Salons, stockists, and individuals can all be targeted for sales.
The products used to achieve this look include hair toners, lighteners, spatulas, color application brushes, aftercare products (shampoos, masks, conditioners, etc.), and more. As a lot of influencers on social media are continuously sporting the look, this trend continues to spread and the sales stay high. If you are looking to break into the beauty segment and especially the hairstyling and care niche, the balayage trend and the associated products may be worth looking into.
The term balayage current has a search volume of 1.7 monthly searches, trending niches like this need to be jumped on quickly so you can sell the most beauty products.
BODY WIPES (“DUDE WIPES”)
Men’s hygiene is a niche that doesn’t get the attention it really deserves and, despite that, it’s certainly on an upswing right now. In this case, there are manufacturers that already create hygiene wipes for children and women, however, smaller vendors have recently noticed that there’s a great opportunity to supply a similar sort of product for men as well.
The “dude wipes” are targeted to men across the board—from those who enjoy camping and outdoor activities, to those who have busy urban lifestyles and commute a lot. Due to the fact that body wipes are a product that needs to be purchased regularly as it falls into the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) group, manufacturers are making “customers for life.” For a vendor, that offer the potential for subscription purchases or automated re-ordering.
FAKE EYELASHES
Fake eyelashes have been around for a while, however, in recent years they’ve experienced a massive overhaul in both style and innovation to make them more beautiful and functional than ever before.
Brands, makeup artists, and influencers have been creating their own collections of false eyelashes in recent years by using different materials, sizes, colors, and even adhesive methods in an effort to make false lash application easier and for a more worthwhile result. There’s lots of room in this niche for innovation and creativity and consumers are open to trying new things.
The product also falls into the category of products that can be upsold. In most cases, false eyelashes are bought in bulk. Furthermore, these are disposable items thus the chance of returning customers is extremely high. These are also a great product to dropship since ePacket delivery is easily available, they are extremely light and cost-efficient to manufacture and ship. To learn more about starting a false eyelash company from scratch, check out our case study with Esqido, a luxury false eyelash company.
NICHE-SPECIFIC BRANDED APPAREL & HYPER-LOCAL APPAREL
Companies like Printful are making it increasingly easy to create a clothing brand. As they continue to increase the number of ecommerce platforms they integrate with along with the apparel and customization options they offer, creating a custom apparel brand is only going to become more popular. But with apparel being such an over-saturated market already, any new businesses will have to work hard to stand out. Two ways to make that happen are to have very niche-specific branded apparel or hyper-local apparel.
Niche-specific apparel refers to clothing items that are only relevant to a certain type of consumer whether that’s because of the clothing item’s style, functionality, or even the designs on it. An example of niche-specific apparel includes the IconSpeak t-shirts that appeal to the niche of people who like to travel, which we discussed in our Nomad Gear: 10 Minimalist Travel Essentials for Digital Nomads article.
Hyper-local apparel refers to creating products that cater to a very defined audience in a certain geographical area. For example, we launched a 24-hour t-shirt business as a fun side project and targeted a hyper-local audience with creative designs that appealed to commuters that frequented local subway stations.
Here are some other examples of hyper-local apparel brands:
ENAMEL PINS
Enamel pins seem to be one of those recurring trends that come around every few years and has been around for several decades. These days, enamel pins are trending again due to the capability and ease of designing and/or personalizing your own pins.
These pins are a great fashion accessory as they spruce up anything from bags to jackets to t-shirts, etc. They can be tiny and still be called statement pieces. Enamel pins, on the other hand, are also used by companies, NGOs or individuals that want to represent that they stand for something in particular. A tiny product like this holds great social and cultural significance as it can be a signifier or the medium of a certain message.
Ideally, to sell these in high volumes, you might want to build a strong marketing campaign and perhaps target fandoms, lifestyle groups, and pop culture enthusiasts. If you’re interested in learning more about how to start your own enamel pin business, check out this article.
FITNESS LEGGINGS
Another great product for dropshippers is fitness leggings. These have been around for a couple of years now and by the looks of it, they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. This product caters to multiple trending niches which make them a versatile commodity for anyone focusing on building a fashion, fitness, or athleisure brand.
Just like beanie hats, fitness leggings are also extremely light, come in a plethora of styles, fabrics, and colors, and are inexpensive to stock and ship. As a dropshipper, you can easily stock your inventory with multiple styles and options to test out what sells the best, while providing your customers with great options, which keeps them happy and coming back to your store.
You can promote this items to your target audience on your online shop via Facebook Ads, search ads, and by reading success stories from similar brands on how they did it.
NOVELTY SOCKS
Socks. Yep, you read that right. Socks are another one of those evergreen products that are almost always trending. In fact, novelty socks have been trending for a few years now, especially around the holidays.
They’re a perfect product: They’re comfortable, aren’t restricted to a specific gender, age, or style and are simple to coordinate with an outfit, too. The one thing to keep in mind, however, is that while novelty socks are a great niche, regular socks have far more competition and the market is saturated for them. Novelty socks are a great alternative to the more traditional ones as the market is still growing.
ATHLEISURE
Athleisure is described as activewear that is worn as an everyday look instead of for solely athletic purposes. This clothing trend emphasizes comfort, durability, and style which is exactly why it’s been trending in recent years.
As a seller, this opens a wide door for you as you can sell multiple products such as leggings, sweatpants, t-shirts, shoes, socks, headbands, sports bras, etc.
What makes athleisure great is that unlike most fashion trends, it is here to stay. This niche also gives you a great entry point into other market segments such as sports and fitness or health and holistic living.
With social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest making athleisure even more popular and influencers promoting athleisure products, the trend is going to be around for a while.
BACKPACKS
Backpacks have increasingly become very popular on Google Trends in recent years. Part of this can be credited to startups on crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and their mission to create the perfect urban backpack but carrying backpacks to work has also become cool again and now there are many types and styles that are easily accessible in shops.
The new style of anti-theft backpacks that safeguard the belongings of urban commuters, or the tracking systems and battery charging capabilities of high-tech urban packs has ushered in a new age for a product that used to just be seen as a back-to-school special. While the August to September back-to-school period is definitely peak sales time for this product, it doesn’t mean that the product won’t sell year-round, especially for a more professional crowd.
As a merchant, stock and sell different types of backpacks that could be targeted to different age groups, activities, and styles—such as to students, travelers, IT specialists, urban commuters, etc. This trend is a great way to explore the different directions that one product can take you in.
MATTRESSES
While a mattress might seem like an awkward fit on a trending products list, it makes total sense. Not only is there almost always a demand for mattresses but with the evolution of technology, mundane and everyday objects like mattresses have also evolved.
Just a few examples of the new breed of high-tech mattresses include ones that track your sleep and sleep health, ones that have auto-temperature settings that cool down in the summer and heats up in the winter, ones that are attached to automatic coffee makers, and ones that have a built-in vibrating alarm system, to mention a few.
Even the benefits of mattresses differ: Some aid in orthopedic healing and others help with sleep disorders—the choices are vast and the technology is constantly evolving. There are even mattresses that come bundled up in a box so they’re easy to move into new places, they’re compact enough to fit in elevators or to be carried up stairs. It would be a very smart idea to jump on this trending product while the market still has space to carve out your own niche.
FAIRY LIGHTS
Fairy lights are another product that has become extremely popular due to social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest. People have been using these lights for home decor, in restaurants to create a cozy ambiance, as holiday decorations, and more.
There are even entire social media pages dedicated to teaching consumers how to utilize fairy lights and style them to their taste! These lights are often bought in bundles and can be sold with other decorative products, too.
AUTO-FOLLOW DRONES & UNDERWATER DRONES
Not only are drones trending, but there are new types of drones coming into consumer’s lives. In the past few years, we’ve seen drones rise swiftly into popularity as they became a more justifiable purchase for consumers to make but throughout the years, drone technology has continued to advance and the way people utilize them in their everyday lives has continued to evolve.
This year, expect to see drones as one of the top trending products, however, expect further advancements in technology that will allow consumers to integrate drones into different aspects of their lifestyles. First, auto-follow drones are coming into trend now because their advanced technology allows users to manage the drone in a hands-free way.
Also on the rise are underwater drones which help users to locate fish and chart underwater landscapes.
Search volume for “underwater drone” have stabilized according to Google Trends since they rose in popularity showing that this product is here to stay. The search volume for the term “underwater drone” generates about 17,000 monthly searches.
ELECTRONICS ACCESSORIES
For many businesses, this is going to be the largest window of opportunity when it comes to finding the perfect product to sell online. With consumers adding more and more technological products into their daily routines there is more interest in accessorizing these devices to make them more stylish, streamlined, and functional.
These accessories can add style to the device itself whether it be a phone, computer, camera, drone, etc, or these accessories can be a more stylish version of something you regularly use in tandem with a device such as docking stations, power banks, cords, chargers, etc. Some popular accessory items include the iRing and PopSockets which add additional functionality to the smartphone devices, AirPod Skins add style and protection to the Apple Airpods, or even sweaters for drones and Airpod floss stickers. The smartphone accessories market has an abundance of products you can sell in your ecommerce business today.
Take advantage of the demand for stylish, sleek, streamlined, and functional accessories and create a new product that makes an existing device or accessory better. The beauty of this approach is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. Spend some time thinking of the devices you use every day and what small accessory would make them either function or look even better. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel here, just think about useful, functional, quirky, or customizable additions that make existing devices better.
SMART HOME APPLIANCES
Along the same wavelength, smart accessories are seeping into other aspects of consumers’ shopping habits. Appliances such as the Google Home, Amazon Echo, and even smart toothbrushes and cutting boards are aimed at helping consumers improve their day-to-day lives, and they’re becoming more popular.
Anything and everything seems to be on the table and there’s no telling where the future will take us. These smart appliances are slowly becoming a part of the average consumer’s daily life and we expect to see them become even more normalized as they continue to improve and consumers start to see real benefits to integrating them into their lifestyle.
Pay attention to your daily life: Where can you see smarter innovations being made in your home, no matter how seemingly small the innovation might be. Smart appliances are the future and we’ll definitely see their popularity rise throughout the year.
3D PRINTING
Finally, 3D printing is on its way to becoming part of mainstream business and consumer’s daily lives. For so long it seemed like a futuristic experiment that we mere mortals could only dream of but the time has come where owning a 3D printer can be a reality.
The technology and development are finally coming to a place where it’s an approachable item for some consumers to purchase. It hasn’t become a fully justifiable purchase for the mainstream market yet, however, we expect to see leaps and bounds of growth over the course of the next couple of years. Keep an eye on its progression and start getting your ideas in place ready to take advantage of this trend as it becomes an active part of consumer’s lives.
It’s likely that you don’t have the technological know-how or the means to produce your own 3D printer, so leave that to the experts and focus on the accessories. Once it launches into the lives of the masses they’ll be eager for add ons that make the experience even more streamlined.
SMART LIGHTING
As children, we all probably wished that we wouldn’t have to get up from our comfortable position on the couch or bed to turn the lights on or off. We wished we could just clap and voila! Job done. Welcome to the future! Not only are there smart lights that respond to clapping but there is an entire universe of smart lighting systems and smart lights. A few to mention are eco-friendly lighting, automatic timing for lights, mood settings, color control, remote access to lighting systems in places with wifi, motion-activated lighting, and more. There are endless options!
As the options in the industry grow by the second, so does the consumer base. Customers have become more sustainability-centric, and have created a demand for smart lighting companies to get creative with the products that are offered.
Listen to the customers: Create a product that they’re asking for that isn’t available, or a tweaked version of an existing one. Smart lighting is the future of home lighting and it’s picking up steam now so it would be a good idea to jump into the sector when you can.
JOURNALING
Again, not a new innovation by any stretch, however, it all comes down to how it’s delivered to the end consumer. Journaling has started to rise into popularity as people are looking for ways to destress, reflect, and practice mindfulness or gratefulness in an effort to take care of their mental and emotional health.
Products such as The Five Minute Journal, The Bullet Journal, The Happiness Planner, The Anxiety Journal, The Passion Planner, and the SELF Journal have become popular in recent years. Consumers will tell you that these simple tools reap so many benefits that lead to improving their overall quality of life.
Do you have a great idea for a journal or a journaling system you want to share with the world? Start developing and refining your idea and turn it into a journal business! It’s too early to tell if it’ll last long term or be a fleeting fad, but nevertheless, there’s room for more growth in this market.
FIDGET TOYS
Every year there is this one product that turns into a phenomenon that tends to last for quite a while. The last year was dominated by fidgeting toys, years after the virally popular fidget spinner. Be it the spinner toy, the fidget cubes, or the squishy toys that you can attach to your phone or laptop, they all were selling out like crazy.
The fidget spinner, however, enjoyed cult status with its own social media challenges cropping up all over. The demand for these toys was so high that at some point the manufacturers that created the ball bearings being used in the toys were under pressure to create more than their capacity allowed.
Even though these toys were initially created for those with anxiety and/or autism and have been around for over 25 years, this now became one of the must-have office toys. Now is a good time to jump in and stock up on these items, for adults and kids alike. Is there another niche you could target fidget toys to, or is there another type of fidget toy you can create?
PLUSH TOYS
Plush toys are the perfect addition to your store if you run a home or lifestyle business geared towards products for children. These types of toys have always been popular, however, there’s always a new type of plush toy that becomes the talk of the children’s community and is a must-have for every parent and child out there.
Research into popular plush toys at the moment and consider how you can make a plush toy that’s irresistible to children, or one that has special functions or additional benefits that parents might be interested in.
Conclusion
We hope this post gives you a sense of what this year has in store for ecommerce businesses as old trends fade away and new trends rise to take their place. Take these trending products and niche ideas into account and either integrate aspects of them into your existing business or use them as inspiration to develop something new that consumers can get excited about.