Amazon is considered a true tech giant, the ultimate place for many sellers looking for ways to make their sales skyrocket. Market analysts number around 6 million third-party sellers on Amazon, which may frighten off many newcomers. Daunting as it may seem, the actual number of competitive sellers is much lower.
If we take 1 review a year as the only factor of sellers’ activity, then only a million Amazon sellers show some life signs. If we add to it checking listings and updating products promptly, only a third of them remain on the arena. This simple mathematics demonstrates that there’s enough room for new sellers, and the Amazon marketplace welcomes everyone.
Product Research as the First Step
The first question that entrepreneurs usually have at the starting point is: “What product to sell to get the maximum profit with minimal risk?”. We should say that successful business on Amazon starts with quality product research.
This question can be overwhelming because finding a great product isn’t just a matter of luck. Performing thorough product research is about considering a bunch of vital factors and learning all the ins and outs of this marketplace. Let’s dig deeper into the issue and study the key points every seller has to keep in mind to find the most profitable product for sale.
Why Sell Wholesale on Amazon?
There are a number of selling models to choose, but most sellers go in for wholesaling sooner or later. They start purchasing items in bulk from a reliable supplier and resell them on the Amazon marketplace. The major reasons for that include:
- It’s easier to scale up;
- No steep fluctuations in the supplier’s product prices;
- You cooperate with an established brand, which means you don’t have to create listings or earn a reputation from scratch. Customers already have certain expectations that you have to live up to.
Still, purchasing items in bulk requires weighty upfront investment. That’s why in-depth product research is vital to avoid losses and, what’s more, generate revenue.
The Impact of the Pandemic on Product Demand
As the pandemic hit, the new living conditions impacted and altered people’s needs. Along with them, some Amazon categories came to the fore. Here’s a list of products that Amazon customers have become more interested in:
Home Office
First and the most obvious – home office. More and more companies are providing opportunities for their employees to work remotely. In 2021, Global Workplace Analytics estimated that 25-30% of the workforce would work from home for several days a week by the end of 2021. As the reality demonstrates, the numbers don’t lie, and we observe the increasing number of job positions with the option of working from home.
Patio, Lawn & Garden
Locked in their houses, people turned to refine their gardens, which also requires certain equipment and decoration items.
Tools & Home Improvement
Sitting at home within the walls, people started noticing more flaws, which gave rise to purchasing home improvement tools.
Pet Supplies
The pandemic has driven consumers to spoil their pets more than ever before. With huge queues at pet stores, many customers went for shopping online. For this reason, products that continue to sell in huge quantities include pet beds, pet bowls, clothing, and automatic feeders.
Sports Equipment
Gyms closed, there was no other possibility other than doing sports at home. Thus, Amazon experiences an increase in the sales of sports equipment.
Prohibited Products for Sale on Amazon
It’s time we covered the major aspects to keep an eye on to find the best-selling product. First, let’s consider the categories of products you should avoid selling. Some of them are prohibited by Amazon rules, others may pose serious challenges and losses.
Amazon presents the comprehensive list of prohibited products, among which we shall highlight the following ones:
- Offensive materials;
- Tobacco products, drugs and illegal substances;
- Gambling, lottery tickets, and coin-operated slot machines;
- Alcohol of unknown production and excise stamps for it;
- Hacking, locking, or spy tools;
- Hazardous substances such as mercury batteries, fireworks;
- Firearms and explosives.
Products to Avoid Selling
In addition, there are products that constantly cause troubles during shipping, storage and packaging. The products that can make you incur losses include:
1. Products That Need FDA Approval
Be attentive with the products that require FDA approval. Make sure you have all the documents and comply with its guidelines, otherwise you may lose your right to sell on Amazon.
2. Products in a Competitive Niche
Popular products may seem appealing, but they may be already sold by a number of competitive sellers, i.e. the ones with optimized listings and many reviews, mostly positive ones.
3. Products That Require More Complicated Logistics
These are the products that often cause unexpected refunds. Steer clear of flammable and fragile products that present a high risk of damage, and don’t get started with oversized or too heavy items whose delivery and storage is more expensive.
4. Products with Multiple Sizes & Colors
At the starting point, don’t choose items that can’t fit eveybody. If your type of product requires different sizes and colors, you can’t predict the demand for each option. As a result, you can’t control your inventory efficiently to generate the maximum revenue.
Key Characteristics of Profitable Products
Now that we know what products not to start with, let’s focus on the major characteristics of a profitable product. What product can become a helping hand in your business success? The key points you should consider are the following ones:
Size and Weight
Less is better. Selling small light goods is much cheaper and more convenient. The maximum size is 18 * 14 * 12 inches (a shoebox) and weight up to 2 kg.
Average Selling Price
Focus on the price that would appeal you to make an unexpected purchase. If an item is expensive, people will think twice before buying it and may not return to you afterwards. The optimal price fluctuates between $10 and $40.
Low Cost
High marginality is vital, which is why you’d better choose products that don’t require huge costs for their production, storage, and delivery.
Low Competition
You need to find the balance between the item’s relevance and the number of sellers for it. Mind the fact that if there are many sellers with few or negative reviews, with no optimized listings, you have a chance to stand out in this niche.
Demand
It’s good if the item doesn’t depend on seasonality factors. This facilitates logistics and excludes the chances of unclaimed stocks in the warehouse.
High BSR (Best Seller Rating)
The best BSR for the item is at least 3000 for three of its models from different manufacturers. This means that there is a demand for a product and no one seller dominates the niche.
Monthly Sales
Examine how the product is selling now, and how it was sold in the past. Is there enough demand to generate the income you aspire to? Are the sales too high for you to keep up? Have sales increased or decreased recently? All the questions mentioned worth being considered.
Analytics Tools as a Must-Have to Find the Most Profitable Products
There are two ways to perform product research – a manual and an automatic one. The former is so time and effort-consuming that many soon-to-be sellers dread even starting the process. It’s not surprising because millions of products are sold on Amazon and tens of different factors have to be considered.
For this reason, more and more sellers turn to analytics tools for this tedious task, as they streamline and speed up streamline the analysis of huge catalogs, and provide sellers with more accurate results. We suggest you seizing the advantage of ScanScout, a top-notch analytics tool that provides sellers with a comprehensive picture of the product’s profitability within a couple of minutes.
Why Use ScanScout Sourcing Tool?
All you have to do is to search the product by its ASIN or name. As a result, ScanScout’s advanced Analyzer Tool processes long lists of items in the blink of an eye and provides items’ detailed “portfolio” to stop at the most promising ones.
For example, the research tool will show whether the product chosen falls under any of the restrictions (the product is fragile, contains hazardous materials, needs additional license, is sold by Amazon or is intended for adult use). As soon you search the product, ScanScout shows its dimensions and weight, its BSR, and the number of FBA and FBM sellers who offer it. A built-in calculator also enables you to calculate potential profit, margin, and ROI.
The ScanScout Chrome Extension carries out an in-depth analysis based on 50 criteria including Net profit, FBA fees, Keepa, and much more. Moreover, you can manage your listings easily and add them to your Seller Panel.
The free version allows sellers to leverage the full range of its instruments, with the only limitation on the number of inquiries per day. Paid subscription starts from $5, using which you get an unlimited number of inquiries.
If you want to take all possible benefits from automatic product research, ScanScout offers the version with the full set of instruments that costs from $49 to $89 per month.
The Takeaway
Product research may seem daunting at first, as there are many not promising types of products and a handful of factors to keep in mind. However, taking into account every detail is the only way to reduce risk and skyrocket your Amazon business. To make sure you’ll get quality accurate results, turn to ScanScout analytics tool, with which you’ll be able to process endless lists of products in a matter of minutes and be more confident with your choice.
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