Best Products to Sell Online in 2022 for Big Profit Margins
Updated April 21, 2023.
In 2020, more than two billion people bought something online. So, there’s a massive market of potential customers. Though, what products are most profitable to sell?
Your product choices will depend primarily on whether you plan to sell locally or internationally, among other things. If your target audience is local, the top product to sell online will possibly not be the same as what’s trending globally. If you’re wondering what to sell online, here are some niche products for 2022 and other items to sell for profit.
Is Selling Online Profitable?
There are many high markup products to sell online. So, finding items with a high profit margin for businesses to sell is not necessarily the challenge. The trick is to see which products your target audience will like in order to personalize the customer experience. If you crack this code, you can definitely make money online.
How much money?
Well, that depends on several factors, including the type of product you sell, how good you are at marketing it, and how dedicated you are to making sales.
To gain greater insight into how much an online store is likely to make, see our performing product profit analysis for an online store guide to learn more.
Which Products Have the Highest Profit Margins?
According to Shopify, a good margin for selling online products is around 45%, and according to Insider Monkey, the software industry was the most profitable in 2021.
Alongside software, these winning products are also highly profitable:
- Jewelry
- Beauty products
- Kids' toys
- Women’s and men’s apparel
- Designer sunglasses
- Eco-friendly products
What Are the Low-Cost High-Profit Products?
On the other hand, products with low margins can also be lucrative products to sell. While hygiene products are inexpensive to produce, there’s almost a daily recurring demand for them, which makes them some of the best consumable products to sell.
On the one hand, offering lower-priced items can attract more buyers, help you stand out from your competition, and make your products available to a wider audience. However, there are also some disadvantages to selling low-cost items. For one, product margins are significantly less. Consequently, you’ll need to sell more products in order to make the same amount of money.
It’s not all bad, though.
To help attain the highest profit margins possible from low-cost items, tracking business expenses is a must. See our guide to optimizing online profit by tracking product expenses to learn more. It's also essential to understand the difference between gross profit and gross margin.
What E-Commerce Products Are Trending in 2022?
In 2021, some of the best things to sell online for profit include activewear, hair accessories, phone cases, and phone tripods. Some of the best consumable products to sell include pet food, quality tea, and craft drinks.
With more people focusing on their health and the environment, you can expect that reusable water bottles will be in demand in 2022. According to Grand View Research, the global reusable water bottle market size is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 4% until 2028. It’s also one of the best products to sell on Shopify.
Grinders, drills, and other power tools commonly needed for home improvement projects are also good products to sell online in 2022. In fact, according to Global Market Insights, it’s expected to generate $1 trillion in sales by 2027.
Which Products Are in High Demand Right Now?
So what products are currently flying off the shelves? Taking a look at the most recent product trends, the following items are being purchased at a high rate:
Pet accessories:
- Pet carries
- CBD products
- Dog toothpaste
- Cat treats
- Pet beds
Lifestyle products:
- Decorative drink bottles
- Bags and totes
- Gardening supplies
Health products:
- Supplements
- Gym equipment and accessories
- Trainers and sports-specific shoes
What Online Services Are in High Demand?
If you’re not searching for just items to sell for profit, you can offer a wide range of online services. Print-on-demand, graphic design, website development, social media management, and app development are just a few of the other things to sell with a high profit margin.
How to Increase Your Profit Margin
There are many things that you can do in order to increase your profit margin while selling online. One of the simplest and most effective ways to do this is by improving your product selection. When you offer a wide variety of quality products, you make it easier for customers to find what they're looking for, and this increases the likelihood that they will make a purchase from your store.
You can also improve your profit margin by increasing your prices. While this may seem like an unpopular suggestion, it's important to remember that customers are often willing to pay more for quality products. By increasing your prices, you can ensure that you're making a healthy profit on each sale.
Finally, check out our guide on how to increase profit margins in e-commerce, where we break down how this can be achieved in more detail.
