Once you decide to dive into the world of online selling the first step is selecting your private label products. Starting out, you probably don’t want to stock a wide variety of products. When selling private label products, you supply the inventory. Limiting the number of products you offer is a way to control costs.
There are other reasons to limit your inventory starting out, which we will discuss later. Basically, it makes the learning curve less extreme, allows you to learn as you go, and course correct as needed.
Knowing that you will start with one or two products can make product selection challenging. There is more pressure to select the “perfect” product. Don’t let this pressure keep you from making any choices at all. Take some time to brainstorm on what product makes sense. This will give you confidence that the choice you make is the right one for you.
Best Private Label Products
1) Supplements
There is a wide range of choices in private label products supplement sales. You can purchase supplements with established formulas or you can work with the company to develop your own special blend.
Supplements are a great choice because they are a consumable product. If you build brand loyalty, you can count on repeat business from your existing customer base in addition to new sales you generate.
The cost to get started in private label supplement sales is generally higher than in some other types of private label selling. It may also take longer to receive your product if you are choosing a specialized formula.
Don’t let these drawbacks dissuade you from private label selling supplements. For individuals interested in nutrition, this can be a very rewarding niche.
2) Kitchen Gadgets
Kitchen gadgets are inexpensive and often solve real problems in someone’s daily life. Microwave egg cookers, avocado slicers, and many other inexpensive tools can make time spent in the kitchen more pleasant.
Kitchen gadgets are also a common impulse purchase and gift. If you do your homework and have a strong description that gets your product at the top of search results, people won’t hesitate to buy.
Kitchen gadgets are a great introduction to private labeling products selling because they are inexpensive, easy to use and understand, and don’t rely on name branding for sales
3) Cosmetics
Private label cosmetics are a growing market. While there will always be people who insist on a popular brand name, internet beauty gurus have increased the popularity of lesser known brands. Taking some great pictures of makeup “swatches” and including them in your listing allows shoppers to compare colors across brands. Recreating popular looks with less expensive “dupes” is popular in the online beauty community. With the right marketing, this can be a very successful choice.
4) Skincare
Skincare, like supplements, is a private label products niche that you can personalize as much or as little as you like. There are products available that only require your label, while others allow you to adjust a particular formula to meet your needs.
It can be hard to stand out in the crowded world of skincare. If you are interested in these products, your passion will show, and you can use it to differentiate yourself in the competitive marketplace.
5) Electronic Accessories
Selling private label electronic accessories is a great choice. There will always be a market for inexpensive headphones, cases, chargers, screen wipes, and the many other miscellaneous accessories nobody needed ten years ago.
Selling these products allows you to have a constant supply of new customers. You can participate in the expanding market base of electronic devices without the financial outlay or return worry of selling the actual devices.
6) Workout Gear
Resistance bands, foam rollers, yoga blocks and mats, and exercise balls are just some of the many types of workout gear available to sell as private label products. With the fitness industry an over 25 billion dollar part of the US economy, there is real money to be made here. Workout gear is an ideal choice for private label selling, as it is not something that most people shop for by name brand.
For the fitness buff, combining private label workout gear with private label gym clothing can be a great way to build your own brand. Individuals with a strong social media presence related to fitness will find that they have an established customer base and brand trust already in place before their first sell.
7) Wine
You may be surprised to learn that wine is available as a private label product. It’s true that nearly any product you can think of is available to sell as a private label. You can select a private label variety to resell or work with the company to develop your own blend.
There are more restrictions on private labeling products that contain alcohol than other products. You must be licensed to sell or distribute alcohol to work with the private label company. You must also select your advertising and distribution methods carefully.
These restrictions should not scare you away if you’re interested in selling private label wine. In fact, if it is your passion, you have a leg up, as the restrictions make this a less competitive niche than many others.
8) Clothing
Designing your own brand of clothes may seem like a daunting task. Private label clothing companies have many ways to help make this a lucrative. You can choose everything from having your own label applied to existing designs to creating the pattern and selecting the fabric, and having the company handle manufacturing. The common middle ground is using the company’s existing patterns and fabric selection to create your own unique design.
Selling private label clothing allows more creativity and control than purchasing clothing from wholesale outlets and reselling. For individuals who have dreamed of owning their own boutique, private label clothing sales can be a realistic way to live their fantasy.
9) Travel Accessories
Luggage tags, passport holders, those straps you wrap around your suitcase to hold it shut, and neck pillows all have to come from somewhere. The travel accessory industry is full of ideas for individuals interested in private label products.
Travel accessories are not something people generally search for by brand name, and many of these accessories are unique and fix a problem that many travelers do not realize they have until seeing the item. These two factors combine to make travel accessories an ideal choice for private label selling.
10) Coffee and Tea
Private label coffee and tea sales is a lucrative selection. People who enjoy these drinks often get a kick from trying newly specialized blends. Coffee and tea are considered affordable luxuries. Creating a brand that caters to that allows you to fill a niche with plenty of room for expansion. Many private label coffee and tea producers also market flavored syrups. As you grow your brand, you may even decide to expand into coffee mugs and other coffee shop type accessories. The market for private label products in the coffee and tea niche is limited only by your imagination.
11) Household Items
Look around your house. What items do you see that are common and everyone has? Candles, a fan, light bulbs, travel mugs, batteries? If you have made it this far and haven’t decided on the perfect product yet, start looking around your house. Those common, everyday items have to come from somewhere. Once you have a list of items that seem like they may make good private sale items, start looking for suppliers. Common household items may not be as glamorous as some of these choices, but they can offer reliable consistent sales.
Selling Personalized Items
If skincare, cosmetics, beverages or supplements are items that interest you, you may be curious about the personalization process.
Getting involved in personalized private label products may seem like something best left to experts, but these companies are designed to help you succeed. You are not expected to come up with a product from scratch. They have professionals on staff to take your concept and help you bring it to market.
Of course, you can also sell their existing formulas. If all you are choosing to personalize is the label, there are several ways to go about this.
- Select labeling provided by the company. Your supplier may offer customization in-house. You make your selections online, they print and apply the custom labels. You can generally choose from one of a selection of label backgrounds and fonts to personalize your brand.
- Provide your own design. Your supplier may allow you to send your own computer file with the labeling design that they print up and apply. You can do this design work yourself or consign a freelance graphic designer to take your concept and create the design.
- Provide your own label. Your supplier may offer to ship unlabeled bottles to you. You design and print your own labels and apply them to your product before shipping.
As you can see, there are a variety of ways to create your own brand, and you can make it as personal as you want. For some people, this personalization of the product is a big part of the reason they wish to run their own business, while others are not interested in this process at all. This is one of the most rewarding things about private label selling. You can use it to create the type of sales that work best for you.
There are many different choices when it comes to selecting private label products. While you may want to take your personal interests into consideration when selecting the products you plan to sell, it isn’t the only consideration.
What are some reasons to choose a particular product?
- You have an idea for marketing that you haven’t seen done before.
- You see a product that is undervalued that you feel will gain in popularity.
- You see something that is consumable and will need to be repurchased.
- You can get an excellent price for something that you can then resale in the sweet spot of $20 to $40, earning you a tidy per unit profit.
There are some other things to consider when selecting private label products. While there is no one right choice, take these ideas into consideration when making your selection.
Have An Open Mind
Start with an open mind. You may have an idea of what you want to sell. That’s great. Don’t get so attached to the idea that you ignore warning signs. If your research shows the product you’re considering is in an overly competitive or shrinking niche, or you find you cannot find a well-made product you are comfortable selling at a price that allows a decent profit margin, move along. Your product is out there, you just haven’t found it yet.
Start With One Product
You may be tempted to offer multiple products initially. You’re not manufacturing the product yourself, so it doesn’t seem like that much more work, right? Not so fast. Selecting and sourcing the product is just one part of the process. In the crowded online marketplace, getting your product noticed is what helps your business succeed.
This isn’t a complicated business, but like anything, there is a learning curve. Take time with your first product to understand the branding and fulfillment process. Work on writing informative, concise product descriptions that answer common questions consumers may have. Learn to take pictures that show your product well, including at least one of the product in use if possible. All of these steps are the keys to selling your product.
Don’t Go Seasonal
Avoid seasonal products when you are starting out. Seasonal products are tricky. Some sell like wildfire, others are overlooked. Both of these are not great options for a new business.
If your sales are much lower than anticipated, it is easy to get discouraged. If they are higher, that can be a problem as well. If you sell out of an item, it may be weeks before you can get it back in stock. All of that time spent building brand name recognition and sitting at the top of search engine results is wasted.
And what happens after the holidays? With no product, you start back at the beginning.
You can take advantage of seasonal shopping patterns by offering a product that makes a good gift but is something that is purchased year-around. Electronic accessories, for example, are commonly given as gifts, but there is always a strong market for them, January through December.
Take Action
The most important idea to keep in mind when selecting the perfect private label product to sell is that sometimes you just need to take action. Research is important. You have to do your homework to determine if a product makes a good choice, what price you should aim for, and who can reliably provide you with the product.
It’s very easy, however, to worry that you don’t know enough to get started. You may worry you haven’t done enough research, or some better product will come along. When you start second guessing yourself, it’s time to act. No one knows everything when starting a new business. There are plenty of things you won’t learn until you get started. As long as you’ve done the research, selected products that you can afford to keep in stock, and are working with established vendors and distributors, you can learn the rest as you go.
Speeding Up The Process To Find Private Label Products
Looking for the right private label products to sell does not have to be hard. In fact, there are tools to make it easier than ever!
One such tool is called Jungle Scout. It’s by far the most trusted online tool to find the perfect products to sell using private label. You can use this tool to find products to sell using Amazon or as a way to find the best markets for private label. Learn more about Jungle Scout HERE.
