According to Statista, online sales are growing rapidly, increasing by 15% yearly: people purchase almost everything online. It’s almost needless to say that now is perhaps the best time to launch your own e-commerce business. And if you choose the right products to sell and understand modern e-commerce trends, success will not come long.
This article will explore e-commerce trends and help readers identify promising products. It will also discuss the best products to sell in 2024.
E-commerce Trends
Shopify is a company that specializes in developing a platform for quickly launching online stores, which will help us catch e-commerce trends. Every year, they publish a report on e-commerce trends and payment methods, and 2024 is no exception.
Trend #1: The cost of acquiring new customers is rising and forcing brands to invest more in developing long-term customer relationships
Today, entering the e-commerce market is not so difficult. Hundreds of new stores are launching daily, meaning competition is growing, and finding new customers is becoming increasingly difficult. Other factors also add to the list of challenges. For example, the release of Apple IOS 14, which limits the ability of marketers to target ads to potential users, makes it increasingly difficult to get decent results from advertising costs. The cost per click for paid search ads is also growing.
This situation in the market has forced entrepreneurs to shift their focus from aggressive direct sales to creating a brand that not only sells but also communicates with users and shares their values.
A strong brand makes performance marketing more effective and is the basis for company growth. It attracts more organic buyers, helps retain customers, and, in the long run, can allow businesses to raise prices without the risk of losing their audience.
Trend #2: Customers demand personalized solutions
Despite several privacy laws and the actions of companies such as Apple, Firefox, and Brave, which automatically block third-party cookies, merchants still need to obtain somehow information about users to personalize products. This can be done by building a trusting relationship with the customer: broadcasting values close to the audience, creating a community around the brand and offering transparent terms of interaction.
In this way, companies will not only increase customer retention but also be able to collect data directly from customers with their consent without resorting to third-party cookies.
According to Shopify, 42% of brands plan to use tools such as quizzes, personalized mobile apps, and their own behavioral data to offer customers personalized product recommendations.
Trend #3: E-commerce migrates to social networks
This trend, clearly evident last year, continues to be relevant this year. Every day, social networks offer more and more ways to attract customers. To reach success in 2024, brands need to rethink how they interact with their customers and start experimenting with social commerce.
Sales through social media are expected to grow globally and almost triple by 2025. Platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram will be at the top.
2024 will finally strengthen the position of video marketing. Brands are already actively showing work processes, staff life, and even personal life through videos and live broadcasts. Companies can also provide video consultations and personalized product recommendations.
Understanding the current e-commerce trends and market laws will make it easier for you to launch an online store and immediately set up business processes so that you don't lose money in the first year. Therefore, do not neglect the opportunity to monitor the market and all related changes again. If all brands are dramatically becoming more human and their marketers spend budgets on video marketing, you likely need to adopt such promotion tools.
How to Find Promising Products for Sale
From e-commerce trends, let's move on to ways to find the most popular products for sale. After all, the demand for a product is changing rapidly, and it's better to know how to analyze trends and identify products that will bring more profit. We suggest starting the search for such products with analytics: let's see what happened in the e-commerce market a year ago.
According to the CBR marketing agency, users aged 25-45 are the most likely to make online purchases. People aged 17 to 24 are also active buyers.
The purchasing habits of each age group may be described as:
- Users aged 16-25 mostly buy clothes, shoes, e-books, e-readers, cosmetics, gadgets, and accessories.
- Shoppers aged 26-35 also prefer gadgets, perfumes, cosmetics, and books. This category of consumers also orders groceries and ready-to-eat meals.
- People aged 36-50 most often buy household appliances, automotive products, books, and sports equipment.
Shopping habits also differ by gender. Women are leading the way in purchasing cosmetics, perfumes, children's products, and clothing and footwear for all family members. Men prefer appliances, automotive products, and various hobby supplies.
But trends and customer preferences are changing. So, you need to be proactive and look for products that will be useful in the future in advance. There are several ways to find products that will be actively purchased.
Google Trends
This option is suitable for those with several ideas for future sales. You need to enter a query that seems popular to you in the search bar and check your guesses. Google Trends statistics will allow you to find out the current popularity of a particular query and analyze its growth and decline over a specific period.
If a query is really popular, you can go to AliExpress or its analogs and find the product of interest by pre-selecting the desired rating and sorting the list by the number of orders.
Marketplaces: Prom, AliExpress, 1688.com, Alibaba.com, Taobao.com
Another search method is intended for those who do not know what is trending today. To do this, you must go to AliExpress or its analogs, select a specific category and subcategory of goods, check the "**** and more" box, and then sort the list by order. The system will show which products are the most popular on the market today. Additionally, you can check them through the same Google Trends service.
For example, you choose to sell pet products. To do this, you must go to the appropriate category and select the subcategory "Cat products." After checking the "**** and more" box and sorting the products by order, you can see that cat beds and plush toys are the most popular products in this category.
You can dispense with the filters and check out the "Trending," "Trends," "Popular," and similar sections. There, you can also find ideas for profitable products in 2024.
CPA networks
These resources are useful for those engaged in traffic redistribution and lead generation. CPA networks are a real treasure trove of up-to-date information about product popularity. The "offers" tab will allow you to see trends. Registering as a webmaster is better to get the most information.
Crowdfunding platforms
The following algorithm works most often: a product that has just appeared abroad and is starting to gain popularity is not represented in our country at all. Whoever starts selling it first will get a demand far exceeding the supply. You can study the statistics on Kickstarter, RocketHub, and Indiegogo.
List of Promising Products
For those who want to start a new e-commerce business or expand an existing one, we have prepared a list of promising products for 2024. It includes products that are only gaining popularity and those that have already taken place in the list of the best-selling products on the Internet but are not losing ground.
Household goods
1. Portable blender
Today, products for proper nutrition are more relevant than ever. A portable blender can prepare smoothies and fresh juices in seconds. One device's charge is enough for an average of five cocktails; it can also be charged using a USB cable.
2. Smart scales
Compared to conventional scales, smart scales provide much more information: the percentage of muscle, bone, and adipose tissue, the recommended calorie intake, and body mass index. Such a product will organically fit into the selection of sporting goods, health products, and eco-product stores.
3. Aroma diffusers
This device allows you to humidify the air in the room and add a pleasant aroma. You can sell a 2-in-1 option - a budget humidifier with an aroma diffuser. Also gaining popularity are "moon lamps" and other unusual devices that can be used to decorate the interior.
4. Products for home office
Many people have already realized the benefits of working from home. Moreover, companies are in no hurry to bring their employees to offices. That's why people are setting up mini-offices right at home on their own. Portable desks with adjustable heights, footrests, ergonomic chairs, table lamps, orthopedic back pillows, and much more come to their aid. It's worth noting that the demand for these products is unlikely to decrease. Many people will not want to return to the office even after the pandemic.
Clothing, footwear, accessories
5. Minimalist Jewelry
Minimalism is becoming a popular trend again, especially when it comes to jewelry. This type of jewelry usually sells great on Instagram and Facebook. The key to success is a beautiful selection of photos and videos.
6. Corrective underwear
Allied Market Research estimates that sales of corrective underwear will reach $6.95 billion by 2030. In the near future, such underwear will become a daily choice for customers: it can be worn as an independent wardrobe item or underclothing.
One of the advantages of selling corrective underwear is its versatility and variety. Manufacturers offer many options for corrective underwear that differ in color, style, and size. This allows you to work with groups of customers who are very different in age, income, and preferences.
7. Backpacks
According to StatInvestor, backpack sales reached $18.85 billion in 2021 and will increase to $19.6 billion in 2022.
Backpacks are available for children, adults, schoolchildren, and hikers - you can choose the most suitable segment. In addition to traditional online stores and single-page websites, Instagram and Facebook accounts show excellent sales results.
8. Mesh shoes
Running shoes are currently in trend. Soon, mesh shoes will become one of the most popular products for both women and men, overtaking regular sports shoes in popularity.
You can promote such a product through Instagram, Facebook, and Google Ads. You can target middle-aged people who need comfortable shoes for vacations or tours or workers in the service sector or the food industry, where people spend a lot of time on their feet.
9. Wigs
Selling hair accessories is a great way to get started in the e-commerce market. Someone always needs them, and the options in our reality, where people have stopped caring for their hair and decorating it somehow, are minimal.
The main thing is understanding what kind of accessories are worth selling in 2024. And we will tell you. Wigs are gaining popularity and are becoming a product of the premium segment of women's fashion. With their help, you can not only hide gray hair and other external imperfections but also experiment with images.
Sports and hobbies
10. Fitness bands (ribbons)
This product has become really popular after the massive gym shout-down, but it is still not losing ground. Resistance bands allow you to work out effectively at home and while traveling, which is important for those who keep their figure. Many bloggers actively and successfully promote fitness bands to their audience.
11. Books
Fact: When Ukrainians received government money for vaccination, yakaboo, and several other top book sites crashed in the country. Some retailers stated on their social media that they could not process such many orders, so they increased their capacity to cope with the increased demand for books. And if sellers can embellish the situation a bit for even more hype, Google will not lie. For a year now, the search query "books" has been holding 75-100 points in Google Trends, which means the highest level of popularity.
Health and beauty
12. Beard straighteners
According to experts, the turnover in the niche of men's grooming products will amount to $81.2 billion by 2024. One noteworthy device is a beard straightener.
To profit from the sale of such a product, you can post thematic training videos on YouTube and create informational SEO content for your online store.
13. Massage guns, pillows
Handheld massagers allow you to relax your muscles after strenuous workouts. Massage guns are a relatively new product that gained popularity in the summer of 2019.
For advertising, it is best to use Instagram and YouTube, focusing on opinion leaders in the fitness industry and certain hashtags. Today, a healthy lifestyle is actively promoted around the world. You can always find a blogger who will make a good video on sports topics using a massager.
14. Posture corrector
A posture corrector supports the back in the correct position, helping to eliminate many problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle—pain and stiffness in the shoulders and discomfort in the lower back and back. The corrector costs about $10.
15. Gouache scraper
The product is a piece of rose quartz or jade, usually in a heart shape. It can be used to massage the body or face using the Chinese massage technique. The beauty gadget has become really popular, and its popularity is only increasing. You can sell the Gouache scraper in a set with a quartz roller massager and massage oil.
16. Lip stain
This product has a light, liquid texture that stays on the lips for a long time and looks invisible and natural compared to regular lipstick. Its popularity increased dramatically in 2024, with about 60,500 searches on Google monthly.
Equipment and accessories
17. Ring lamp
The ring lamp provides a bright, even color, leaves no shadows, and is a great tool for bloggers, photographers, makeup artists, and lovers of beautiful selfies.
Today, colored lighting is at the peak of popularity. By choosing a color and adjusting the brightness, you can create a beautiful video or photo for TikTok and Instagram. You can also sell lamps separately from tripods.
18. Robot tripod
Modern multifunctional tripods not only hold your smartphone but also track your movements by rotating 360°. To use the tripod, you just need to install the app, turn on Bluetooth, and start shooting with your smartphone.
The product is compact and easy to operate. It will be useful for bloggers and ordinary users, such as during tourist trips.
19. Hydrogel film
A hydrogel film is a great replacement for a protective film or glass for several reasons:
- the image on the screen is not distorted;
- the sensitivity of the sensor remains high;
- there are no bubbles when the film is glued;
- no fingerprints remain on the surface of the film;
- small scratches are soon removed.
So far, the product is just starting to gain popularity. Usually, in addition to the film, the kit contains a cardboard card and a dry and wet napkin. You can properly glue the hydrogel film by yourself, which is another indisputable advantage of this product.
20. Watches
The trend toward digital detox has renewed demand for wristwatches. Smartwatches and fitness bracelets are also still popular. For example, Google Trends shows that the Apple Watch is still a desired purchase for many users. Analogs of the expensive devices, classic watches without add-ons, and children's gadgets with GPS trackers are also popular.
How to Understand that a Product is Definitely Worth Selling
Several important criteria will help you understand whether you should be the one to sell this product:
- Matching your interests. What you like and are interested in is usually easier to sell.
- Obvious practical benefits. When a product solves an understandable and real problem, conveying its benefits and value to the audience is always easier.
- Brand potential. A product that can become a brand in the future is a promising investment.
- High margin. It is important that sales cover the costs of purchasing and promoting the product.
- Low competition. It is always better to sell a product that is not yet sold in your region or a specific niche.
And that's it. We hope our article about the products peaking in popularity in 2024 will give you some good ideas. And remember that the modern realities of e-commerce require brands to do more than just provide quality products. Companies need to communicate values that are close and important to their customers. Ignoring this trend can play a cruel joke on a brand, even if it has the most popular and desirable products.
