If you’re looking to generate passive income from an online eCommerce store, you will be presented with many choices to make. However, the biggest choice of all is what exactly should you sell? The internet is worldwide and growing constantly. New websites are being generated and new data is being added so fast that it’s dizzying, and new eCommerce stores are being created every day selling everything from gourmet dog food to barbeque grill accessories. When you create your business, it can be tempting to try to sell everything in a mail-order catalogue style product bonanza. There certainly aren’t any wrong answers, but here are some inspiring up-and-coming niche markets that you should consider.
Self-Care and Cosmetics
Self-care products are all the rage now—for all genders. Do not skip the boys, either. Specialty body wash, dollar razors, beard oils, grooming kits, and any other manner of product and cosmetic is available for men and they need them! Organic and eco-friendly beauty products in particular are booming right now, as are natural products made from real ingredients with names that can be spelled by people without science degrees. Find a niche you think is underserved, and check out the competition. Sure, Amazon may sell that, but you aren’t Amazon. Find out why people should buy their cosmetics from you. Are you reliable? Are your products handmade? Does your company speak to their specific needs?
People are also looking for new makeup outlets. Sure, for most people, the corner Walgreens is just fine, but for the true makeup enthusiast, they want the best products, the strongest pigments, the eco-friendliest and actually vegan formulas. Think about yourself and the people you know—have you ever wished there was a certain product that you wish existed? How about someone you know? Research can be a powerful tool in this regard, as can speed. When there’s a need in the beauty community, they are not shy about expressing it, and any opportunities will be snapped up before you even see them appear.
Craft Supplies
Crafts have grown in popularity over the last few years. Thanks to online inspiration boards and Facebook craft videos, everyone has a DIY hobby. DIY weddings, DIY parties, DIY home décor and DIY everything else have taken over the internet and opened up hundreds of niches just waiting to be filled. A smart eCommerce student would cash in on this market as soon as possible. DIY supplies like chalk paint, model kits, tool parts, specialty papers, and sewing kits are great places to start as these are super popular right now.
Fiber arts supplies are a great niche market, and yes, we’re serious. Knitting is all the rage, as well as crochet, weaving, and spinning, both on a drop spindle and a spinning wheel. Your grandma would be thrilled to know that there’s such a huge community of knitters and such a range of products represented. Crafting in general is a great business to build loyal, invested customers that will come back to your shop over and over again. However, the competition is fierce, as there are many different eCommerce stores serving a shrewd and sometimes rather finicky customer base. Do your research and see what markets you feel are underserved. Vintage knitting patterns, specialty needles, and exotic yarns and roving are always in demand. Maybe you want to work with local artisans using local materials.
Another area of interest to the crafting community is websites tailored to the care of animals and plants whose fiber is used to make yarn. Alpacas, angora rabbits, cotton, and flax are all domestic products with big markets. Animal feed, exotic cotton, flax seeds for growing and flax yarns and fiber are all small markets with big audiences just waiting for the right store to come along.
Food
Food doesn’t seem like a niche market, but you’d be surprised. There is a growing need for consumers to order different edibles online. Love chocolate? Look into opening an online chocolate shop. Specialty anything is a surety, particularly for semi-luxury items like coffee, wine, beer, foreign food, and
Health foods and diet aids in particularly are seeing huge growth online. The popularity of green tea for cleanses mean that products like matcha, detox teas, and even smoothies.
The strength in this niche market is going to be convenience above all else. People really will pay more for something that fits easily and seamlessly into their lives. Some sellers offer subscription services for monthly supplies of their products, streamlining the ordering process for customers and scoring repeat purchases and return clients. Make it easy for your customers to reorder and your company will become part of their everyday lifestyle with no issues at all.
Clothing
Right now there’s a huge demand for online clothing companies. As more and more services move online, and more people are finding dissatisfaction with the way they purchase clothing from big name department stores. Many people struggle to find clothes that fit their bodies or their personal styles. Popular trends in online markets right now are androgynous clothing that looks like men’s clothes but is made with women’s bodies in mind, plus sized clothing, and petite clothing that doesn’t look like it was made for 12-year-olds. Men also need in on the eCommerce clothing trend. Brick-and-mortar “big and tall” stores are disappearing from streets and malls, leaving men who do not fit the usual sizing charts out of luck.
Subscriptions
Subscription boxes are huge right now. Maybe you’ve heard of a service that delivers snacks right to your door? Or storybooks for your kids? Pet food? A box of supplies for “that time of the month?” You name it, there might be a subscription box for it that comes at a regular interval—weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly. But then again, maybe there isn’t! Subscription boxes are an easy way to break into ecommerce because they are simple and popular and marketing is simple because the product’s reputation is spread easily via word-of-mouth.
Final Word
Ecommerce is a great way to start generating passive income and getting off the beaten 40-hour-workweek path. Online shopping is convenient for customers, but it’s also low-cost and low-investment for you, with high returns on good ideas. It’s hard not to make money in eCommerce, and with these ideas for a market in hand, you’re sure to find a niche you’re passionate about.
Lastly, let me know your thoughts and what other Niche Ideas for 2017. Leave a comment below and I look forward to hearing from you.