Springing ahead with Shopify e-Commerce Platform

Springing ahead… 💐

Today is the first day of spring 😎

Normally, this is the time of year when you’d expect shoppers to tepidly begin looking for hot-weather apparel, start stocking-up on travel supplies, or wrestling with the urge to update their backyard barbecue setup⁠—all in preparation for the upcoming summer.

Normally. But there is a slight difference this year⁠—we’re playing catch-up.

Last year’s spring was unlike any other. Simple purchases came with added complications, and alongside fluctuating travel restrictions, just didn’t seem worth the effort.

But this week’s trends make it clear that last year was an anomaly.

Each product featured this week had experienced years of growth prior to 2020 and each of them looked to be consigned to the dustbin of history by the end of the summer.

But looks can be deceiving.

These trends never stopped growing, they were just put on hold for a bit. With spring underway, interest is rising again, and after a year of disruption, it’s rising faster than ever before.

Are we in for the biggest spring shopping season in years? It’s starting to look that way…

Here’s what’s trending:

Sandals

Sandals are a staple of summer footwear, but last year, with fewer beach parties and summer gatherings, their popularity hit a low point. Sales and searches were the lowest they’d been in years, with its highest point lower than the year previous for the first time in a decade.

via Google Trends

This year, numbers look to be bouncing back. Month-to-month searches are unsurprisingly higher than in 2020, but they’re also higher than in 2019, meaning last year’s low was likely an outlier. With its biggest months still ahead, sandals are set to see huge sales this year.

💡Marketing tip: Related searches like “orthopedic sandals”, “flat sandals”, and “off-white sandals” are also trending. Additional keyword research would likely reveal even more insights about what styles are in high demand, and help to guide your product curation.

Electric bicycle

Electric bicycles work just like their analog counterpart, the only difference being a rechargeable, battery-operated motor that’s ready to take over pedaling whenever the rider’s legs get tired. E-bikes have a ton of accompanying gear and maintenance products, making them a great launching point for a brand.

via Google Trends

E-bikes have grown in popularity over the years, posting their biggest sales last Summer. Since then, search interest hasn’t abated. Numbers are currently higher than they’ve ever been in March, and with its busiest months ahead, 2021 is set to be a stand-out year for e-bike sales.

💡Marketing tip: New e-bike enthusiasts will need a lot of equipment, providing an opportunity to boost the value of your transactions. Try upselling or cross-selling similar products, and retargetting customers who might still be in the market for new equipment.

Pressure washer

Pressure washers are outdoor cleaning tools that use a motorized compression system to blast high-powered streams of water. They’re especially good at removing loose paint, rust, and hardened mud from surfaces like wood and concrete.

via Google Trends

Search interest in pressure washers typically peaks in late May, with a higher and higher peak each year for the last five years. This March, search interest is nearly twice as high as in March 2020, meaning this year’s peak looks on track to be its biggest yet.

💡Marketing tip: Pressure-washing has inspired mountains of online content⁠—there’s even a whole subreddit dedicated to pressure-washing videos. Active participation in these communities is a great way to find audiences that are likely to have a higher interest in your product.

Magnetic lashes

Artificial eyelashes are traditionally applied with glue, but this can be messy and doesn’t always result in the best placement. Magnetic lashes have two layers that attract each other and “sandwich” the user’s real lashes in place for cleaner, more precise placement.

via Google Trends

Search interest in magnetic lashes has been growing since June of 2019. This year, early March numbers are higher than they’ve ever been. Given that the product typically peaks in April and sustains interest throughout the summer, we expect even bigger numbers in 2021.

💡Marketing tip: Makeup tutorials are one of the most popular genres of video content on social media. Partnering with influencers from Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube could be a great way to promote your product and build awareness of your brand.

Katy Weighted Blanket Review

Katy Memory Foam Mattresses

I confirm that this is a sponsored post that adheres to FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 16 CFR Part 255 of the USA.

After a day of hard work, a restful sleep is so sweet. This is where choosing the weighted blanket and duvet is so pivotal. It could mean a sweet slumber or a sleepless night. In the meantime, do check out Katy Weighted Blanket,  which is the very definition of affordable luxury as it offers an all seasons comfort for an extremely reasonable price.

From Wikipedia, a duvet is defined as a type of bedding consisting of a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers, wool, silk or a synthetic alternative, and typically protected with a removable cover, analogous to a pillow and pillow case.

The blanket comes in 2 color options and there are 2 duvet covers. One is a 100% cotton for the warm summer and the other is a puppy like mink duvet for the cold winter. These materials are almost exclusively used in much more expensive weighted blankets. This weighted blanket is highly valued because it has helped thousands of customers with their sleep disorders and anxiety.

Since this is a review for Katy Weighted Blanket, you can check out my coupon code below with the link given.

As loyal readers of this blog, click on the tracking link >> https://dealspotr.com/getcode/3GbY8 and use my referral code PHILIN1 to save 5% for Katy Weighted Blanket! You will get 2 duvets – 1 warming and 1 cooling and a weighted blanket as shown in the picture below:

Weighted Blanket

The features are as below: 

  • Ships within 1-3 business days
  • 100% Cotton Blanket
  • Free Delivery & Return
  • 5-Year Warranty
  • 50 Night Trial

The colors are either white or gray. 

Don’t you find the above picture very enticing? The duvets are 100% cotton, with even distribution, and long-lasting. Hence, you are paying for quality here. There are options to pay by instalments or over time using Klarna.

Retailing at $114, you only pay $79.80 with a further 5% discount using my code PHILIN1, thus saving you $3.99. The net total after using my discount code PHILIN1 is only $75.81 for queen size. Simply click on the tracking link here >> https://dealspotr.com/getcode/3GbY8

Now I am a always on the lookout for deals and coupons to save money. Who doesn’t, in this pandemic? So many people are either retrenched or jobless and going out is certainly a risk without wearing your mask, in this Covid-19 outbreak. Hence, e-Commerce sites using Shopify platform abounds and thrives. Many people are jumping on the bandwagon to shop online, right in the comfort of their home, while others are setting up Shopify sites like Katy Mattress with a robust payment gateway, that is safe and secure. 

Your details will not be shared and your credit or debit card details will be encrypted for further security. I have been a Shopify user before and also a seller on this platform. Therefore, I can attest that this is a very secure and robust system that was developed in Canada.

 

The Benefits

The Katy Weighted Blanket simulates the feeling of being hugged (scientifically known as Deep Touch Pressure) and its benefits are:

– Reduces restlessness and helps with anxiety.

– Helps with Insomnia and improves sleep quality.

– Helps to increase focus for ADHD and manage symptoms of Autism.

– Reduces Fibromyalgia Pain.

– Improves mood and gives a feeling of calmness.

– Reduces symptoms of PTSD and Panic Disorder.

– Acts as a drug-free pain killer.

 

MORE DEALS

For more deals, do check out this merchant, Katy Mattress at https://dealspotr.com/promo-codes/katymattress.com

One will be spoilt for choice with so many deals on Amazon, Macys, Walmart, and such.

Katy Weighted Blanket Review

 

As now is autumn, I use the gray velvet duvet for the coming cold winter. And I must admit that the velvet duvet cover with weighted blanket is very comfortable and cozy in this cold weather. For a long time, I could sleep soundly, like a baby in deep slumber! Thanks to Katy, I get to review these splendid products which were sent to my home for a blog post like this. Katy only offers quality and premium bedding for a restful sleep after working hard to save up and put food on the table for the family. 

You will certainly deserve a luxury sleep using Katy weighted blanket and wrapped up like a hamster or puppy with luxe blankets that are designed for summer time and also winter time.

Main Features are:

– Natural Cotton blanket cover

– 2 duvets. One for winter & one for summer

– Even Weight Distribution

– Temperature Regulation

– Safe For Kids & Adults

– Free Shipping and return

– 100 Night Risk-Free Trial

– 5-year Warranty

 

Check out more awesome pictures below for your interest in these amazing products.

Katy Weighted Blanket

 

The Benefits of Duvet (Weighted Blanket) and Duvet Covers

The advantage of duvets has everything to do with the cover. The cover is easily removed and it protects the duvet itself; this allows you to remove the cover and throw it in the laundry with the rest of your clothes. When you have a duvet and duvet cover, it takes the place of a top sheet on your bed.

As my silk duvet cover is 8 years of age and tearing at the sides, this free sample of duvet (weighted blanket) and duvet cover comes in handy and at the right time. Thanks again, Katy!

Katy Weighted Blanket

Here, again I summarize the Benefits for your easy reading

¡ Protect Comforters: When you invest in a comforter, you should also take a few steps to prolong its lifespan. Using a duvet cover is an excellent way to achieve this goal. The cover is going to protect it from stains and dirt that can cause damage over time.

¡ Ease of Maintenance: It is more convenient to clean and maintain a duvet cover than the comforter itself. Comforters are mostly recommended to be dry-cleaned, which means increased maintenance costs. However, a duvet cover can be cleaned in your washing machine.

¡ Warmth Control: The choice of Bed Linen Duvet Covers can also affect the warmth provided by the comforter. The warmth received depends on the cover material. Cotton is perfect for a cooler effect. If you want more warmth, you should choose flannel.

· Add Stylish Looks: Duvet covers are more affordable than comforters. This allows you to choose from a wide range of design and color options to update your bedroom. You can update the rooms’ décor based on the season without having to worry about spending a lot. Experiment with your preferred themes as and when desired.

· Ease of Storage: It is also easy to fold and store the covers. Whether you are replacing the covers after laundry or changing the room’s theme, you can easily fold and put it away. It doesn’t require much room to store.

Reminder

To repeat and as a reminder for my dear readers, do note the following:

Retailing at $114, you only pay $79.80 with a further 5% discount using my code PHILIN1, thus saving you $3.99. The net total after using my discount code PHILIN1 is only $75.81 for queen size. Simply click on the tracking link here >> https://dealspotr.com/getcode/3GbY8

 

About the Merchant

Managed by:

If you can spare the time, also do check out the links above for more information. This is a needful product and must-have in this pandemic where everyone is house-bound and what more do we want? A comfortable bed to sleep and to take power naps while working in your home office, with broadband internet connectivity, computer or laptop and you are good to go!

Getting Unstuck: What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do

illustration of entrepreneurs relying on their resourcefulness to navigate a maze

Once they start, entrepreneurs have a hard time stopping.

But that doesn’t mean they never get stuck.

For many business owners, it’s a familiar feeling. When you’re strapped for cash and have to build your business on a budget. When once-frequent sales suddenly become scarce. When a pandemic forces you to shutter your doors. When you feel like you’ve exhausted all your options and are running in one place.

Building a business is like navigating a maze without a map. And every once in a while you are bound to hit a wall.

The good news is that “feeling stuck” doesn’t mean staying stuck. In many ways, it’s what entrepreneurs do in these moments when they don’t know what to do—their resourcefulness—that defines them.

What does “being resourceful” really mean?

Everyone has their own personal definition of what it means to be resourceful, as we found when we asked what it meant to all of you.

For many, resourcefulness means some version of making do with what’s available. But there’s a concept psychologists call “learned resourcefulness”, which refers to resourcefulness as a set of attainable skills and behaviors that help us control how we respond internally to adversity to put us in the right mind to find solutions.

Early research into learned resourcefulness focused largely on forms of self-control:

  1. Engaging in positive self-talk. Negative self-talk leads to defeat before we even try. Many entrepreneurs you’ll meet are relentlessly optimistic people when it comes to their ambitions.
  2. Viewing problem solving as a process. The steps include clearly defining the problem, exploring potential solutions, evaluating and prioritizing each solution, and executing the best one. We often do this intuitively, but it’s a process we can also consciously invoke whenever we feel stuck.
  3. The willingness to delay gratification. Working towards a larger goal, like a profitable business, often requires you to put in a lot of work before you can taste the fruits of your labor. Depending on the scope of your vision, it can be months or even years before it materializes. That doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the little wins and major milestones along the way.
  4. Self-efficacy. The belief that we have the ability to control ourselves, our environment, and our outcomes.

Learned resourcefulness has since evolved to include “social resourcefulness” —not just our capacity to help ourselves when we’re stuck, but our ability to make connections and seek out help from others.

From speaking to a dozen entrepreneurs about this topic, each of whom had at least one story about feeling stuck, getting unstuck meant embracing both of these forms of resourcefulness to find solutions.

Strategies for when you’re feeling stuck, from entrepreneurs who’ve been there

1. Pause, zoom out, and find your north star 🔭

Many business owners find themselves in their first rut not when they’re building their business, but when they hit a ceiling on their sales.

Hitting up against what feels like a limit can be frustrating, especially when you’re nowhere near where you would like to be.

While action is one antidote during these moments, you may also need to take time to pause and look up from the work to take stock of what you’re doing and what you’ve done so far. Or, as Adam of N/A Stock Company puts it:

Sometimes you need to spin your wheels in circles for a bit before you can figure out how to build a well-oiled machine.

Adam Libunao, N/A Stock Company

Getting stuck 

During the early stages, my business partner and I were pretty much planning on the fly for the first couple of years. We were making sales, creating new products, getting new opportunities, but on a very small scale. Eventually, it felt like we hit a wall. We had months with no new products and weeks with no sales—almost to a point where we thought that offering huge discounts was the only way for us to make sales.

Getting unstuck 

It wasn’t until we set up goals for the entire year where we saw the biggest difference. We needed to go through that first phase so we could actually have a benchmark. This gave us time to look at what our customers wanted, what wasn’t working, what could be improved, and what a realistic sales goal was.

We took our year goal and started project planning around those goals 6 weeks at a time. This change helped us take the business more seriously. We went from having too much inventory to having to do more restocks! Our sales tripled, our chemistry got better, the process got easier, and we started to have fun with it again. We were like a well-oiled machine.

—Adam Libunao, N/A Stock Company

Adam says that slowing down and rewriting his business plan, based on everything he’d learned, helped him gather his thoughts, focus his time and effort, and see the way forward through product launches.

If this feels familiar, you can use our business plan template to think through every aspect of your business, from your mission to your place in the market, set ambitious-but-attainable goals, and work backwards on how to get there.

Download business plan template

Entrepreneurs may be known for bravely leaping first and “building the airplane on the way down”, but going through the process of planning—getting your thoughts on paper—can help you clarify your goals and prioritize the best path towards meeting them—whether it’s creating a more profitable pricing strategy, outsourcing to free up your time or securing new capital to grow.

2. Get good at Googling (problems are rarely unique) 🕵️‍♀️

When you think about it, in a world of over 7 billion people (more than a million building with Shopify), many of the obstacles we encounter are probably not one-of-a-kind. That can be reassuring.

Our questions have likely been asked before and our obstacles have likely been overcome before.

Answers and solutions are often a free Google search away.

The world’s most popular search engine is a good place to start your quest for answers, but there are a few tricks that can help entrepreneurs in particular:

  • Add “ ” around your query to force Google to filter for only exact matches of that keyword phrase (e.g. “holiday gift guide 2019” wellness to find out-of-date gift guides to pitch for your wellness products).
  • Add site: before a URL to search for a topic or question on a specific site. You can use this to quickly search forums like Reddit or Quora for answers (site:reddit.com influencer marketing ecommerce).
  • Don’t forget about YouTube, especially if you’re a visual learner. It’s not just a place for music videos and entertainment. “How to” and educational videos are some of the most popular videos on the platform.
  • Certain keywords can enrich your search results, such as case study to find real examples to learn from (e.g. facebook ads case study beauty brand -facebook.com) or vs. to compare two solutions you’re unsure about (e.g. sms marketing vs email marketing). If your search is turning up irrelevant results, you can add a  before a specific keyword to exclude it from your search results.
  • Search the Shopify app store for solutions. The Shopify app store is home to over a thousand solutions built specifically for entrepreneurs building on Shopify. For little challenges, like how to make a good-looking sizing chart, to larger problems, like improving your conversion rate, chances are there’s a free or paid Shopify app to solve it.

google search example

3. Find inspiration in your competition 👀

Comparison doesn’t have to be the thief of joy. It can also be a teacher.

Looking at your competitors or at what others are doing in your market can inspire ideas for your own business, such as how to drive traffic, how to price your products, and how you can position your brand to stand out.

There’s only so much you can glean from visiting a competitor’s website, however, so here are three ways you can peel back the curtain and see into the inner workings of other businesses for free.

1. Analyze their marketing strategy with Similar Web

There are hundreds of ways to market a business and the best approaches will depend on your context. But one of the better places to start is by analyzing your competitors.

SimilarWeb is a free tool that lets you plug in an established competitor’s website and see how they’re driving their traffic: what sources they’re relying on, what sites are linking to them, and other companies in the same space. All of this can be useful information for making your own decisions about where to invest your effort.

similar web traffic analysis

2. See what ads they’re running with Facebook Ad Library

Coming up with ads you feel confident betting on can be tough if copywriting, marketing, and design aren’t your main strengths.

Luckily, you can look up other companies using Facebook Ad Library to peak at what ads they’re currently running, for design and copywriting inspiration, or angles to help you differentiate yourself from your competition.

facebook ads library comparison

3. Peak at other email marketing strategies with MailCharts

Email marketing is indispensable for most ecommerce businesses. But setting up your own email campaigns can come with a lot of questions.

Beyond one-off promotional emails and newsletters, you can set up automated emails, like abandoned cart reminders and welcome emails for new subscribers, to drive value for your business in the background while you work on bringing in more traffic, subscribers, and customers.

But because emails are restricted to the inbox, email marketing strategies can be pretty opaque.

With MailCharts (free plan) you can actually see what emails a brand is sending to customers, along with the frequency, subject lines, and promotional mix to help inspire your own strategy.

mailcharts email marketing analysis

There’s also a gallery where you can filter by specific email types instead (order confirmation, Black Friday Cyber Monday, etc.), which are even graded based on effectiveness.

A thorough competitive analysis can make comparison your friend, helping you get the lay of the land so you can chart your own way forward. You can get started with your own using our free competitive analysis template, which includes key points of comparison, from price to target audience, to note down while researching your competition.

Free competitive analysis template for your business

Get competitive analysis template

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help 💚

Being resourceful may mean figuring it out, but it doesn’t mean figuring it out alone. Social resourcefulness is an often forgotten option because of the pressure to stand on our own. But seeking advice or support from others is a form of resourcefulness, not weakness.

There are countless communities and resources online, many of them free, where you can connect with other entrepreneurs or helpful advisors. You can even form your own mastermind group comprised of like-minded friends embarking on similar journeys ready to support each other.
Here are some ways you can embrace social resourcefulness for the moments when you get stuck:
  • Take advantage of customer support. Most of the tools you use to run your business will have customer support reps who might be able to help you navigate your issues. Support calls for technical issues can end with solid business advice on what to do next. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Shopify Support Advisors are available 24/7 to talk about your business and selling with Shopify.
  • Attend virtual meet-ups. Networking with other entrepreneurs can lead to some of the most valuable connections you’ll make in life. These are people like you who “get it”. Some of them have even been where you are now, or vice versa. Shopify Meetups regularly hosts virtual events that you can attend and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs.
  • Hire an expert. If you’re struggling with a critical area of your business, such as store design or paid marketing, you can hire an experienced Shopify Expert to help. You can also look for freelance help on platforms like Upwork.
  • Ask around in forums for answers. People gather together in forums like Reddit and Quora around common interests and questions, making them a great place to find answers. Search to see if your question has already been asked. If not, you can pose it and hopefully find an answer. Shopify Community is our official forum for all things Shopify.
  • Participate in online communities. There are dozens of engaged online communities you can join. Even if you mostly lurk, there’s value to be had in listening in. And whenever you have a question or want feedback on an idea, you can pose it to the group. Try searching through Facebook groups for a group that’s relevant to you.

Community can be a lifelong resource for entrepreneurs if they can find it. For Lina, owner of Sooala, she found hers through an entrepreneurship bootcamp.

Getting stuck

The first time I felt really stuck, I was selling at my second flea market. My first attempt didn’t go that well, but this one was just before Christmas and I had high hopes for it.

It ended with me making one sale, whereas the girl next to me selling jewelry was making hundreds of sales. I just completely shut down after that. I spent the next two weeks wondering, “Why am I even doing this?” It’s really harsh when you get this kind of feedback from customers so early on.

Getting unstuck

What got me unstuck was a shift in my mindset.

I talked myself out of abandoning everything. “This is something that you really want to do. Two tries aren’t enough for you to say that you want to stop.”

I needed to do something that would move me forward. So that was when I enrolled in this business bootcamp. I thought to myself, I need to be surrounded by my peers, by like-minded people.

In that environment, I was able to learn and pivot my business idea into the business I am running today. I also connected with incredible entrepreneurs, some of whom I have even partnered with. We support each other in the down moments but also cheer each other on, and that just changed the whole journey for me and added to what keeps me going.

—Lina Ravelojaona, Sooala

Mentorship doesn’t need to come in the form of a wise mentor who takes you under their wing and teaches you how to fly. It can be found in a community of your peers, all of you figuring it out together.

5. Consider pivoting your business

Things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes a newer, better opportunity emerges that your business isn’t equipped to act on. Or, a key pillar that once supported your business vanishes overnight, leaving you teetering, trying to keep your balance.

A pivot occurs when you make the decision to alter the very DNA of your business to help it thrive better in these circumstances.

Some examples of pivots include:

  • Turning your company’s attention to a different audience or opportunity to find new customers (e.g. Pizza Pilgrim, a pizza restaurant forced to close their doors, started selling pizza kits online).
  • Changing your product or positioning to resonate more with a specific type of customer (e.g. PopSockets started as a headphone management accessory for smartphones before pivoting to stand out as a phone stand that’s fun to fidget with)
  • Overhauling the technology powering your business to keep pace with your customers’ needs (e.g. Old World Kitchen switched from selling through a marketplace to selling in their own online store)

Think of your favorite companies. Chances are they’ve undergone a significant pivot at least once in their history.

Shopify started off selling snowboards and pivoted into a solution to help people sell their own “snowboards”.

Such a drastic change to a business can be risky without the right market insight to back it. But for Lily of Lovelee Designs, a pivot was just what she needed when COVID-19 cancelled what would have been a big summer for her business.

Getting stuck

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was completely stuck. As a fashion designer who focuses on making custom designs for special occasions and events, I didn’t know how I would be able to continue making sales when the whole world was going to be on lockdown.

With several fashion shows booked (even one overseas), I had planned for it to be a summer of opportunities. Unfortunately, because of the effects of COVID-19, I was not able to attend any of these events.

I was actually questioning if I should go back to the corporate world and just work a regular 9-to-5, if being an entrepreneur was something I could actually maintain and sustain for the rest of my life.

Getting unstuck

I got unstuck when I realized that I should focus on the things that my market actually needed at that moment. With news that face masks would soon be mandatory I decided to learn how to make them.

I was then able to focus on bringing new customers through my “fashionably safe face masks” and a new online store. And as a result I was able to start pulling in sales again and bringing many more new customers to my brand.

—Lea-Asha ‘Lily’ Hibbert, Lovelee Designs

Where there’s a will

“There’s always a way” is the entrepreneur’s default when confronted with setbacks and challenges. But some obstacles can really throw you off your path.

Feeling stuck sucks. But it can also be immensely fulfilling when you figure out how to move forward. These moments when you’re reaching for your goals and your resourcefulness is stretched can even serve as inspiration the next time you get stuck.

Photo of Braveen Kumar

About the author

Braveen Kumar is part of the content team at Shopify where he develops resources to help aspiring entrepreneurs start and grow their own businesses.

Supporting your Family with Dropshipping

Pierre Emmanuel

This week, we’re going to peek into the world of Pierre Emmanuel, a French immigrant who made a killing with dropshipping to support his family after their move to the U.S. He used his digital marketing expertise to rake in almost $1 million in revenue his first year.

And now, he’s giving us his five juiciest tips for you to use in your own entrepreneurial adventure.

 

1. Keep detailed records.

This one gets a lot of newbies. If there’s unusual activity in accounts like PayPal or Shopify, those companies might place some of your money on hold until they’re sure you’re legit.

Both companies reserved part of Pierre’s cash after he got a bunch of returns. (Another lesson: don’t sell cheap plastic products.) Eventually, he got his money back after proving he was legit.

The point is: keep detailed records of your business activities so that you can prove the incomings and outgoings from your accounts.

 

2. Invest in good marketing.

ThisPierre is a bit biased about good marketing. He knows the value.

At one point, he paid $2,700 for a stunning product video for his Facebook ads.

While this seems like a lot upfront, he made way more in revenue as a result of using the video in his ads.

This just goes to show you that some extra investment in quality can take you far in the long run – so think twice before you take the cheap route for all of your marketing efforts.

 

3. Spy on your competitors for inspiration.

Nothing like a good ol’ game of spy.

Pierre has a great trick that helps him to validate his products. He uses Facebook’s “Page Transparency” section to spy on the ads of other businesses. Genius.

Pierre says: “I spy a little bit on the competitors to see the numbers of views they have on their ads. And I know, because it’s my job, that an ad that has one million views is probably an ad that is working because if not, you’re spending a lot of money for nothing.”

Always take advantage of the tools available to you. Your competitors definitely will.

 

4. Build a system that works for you.

Pierre is constantly on the hunt for winning products for his general store.

So he needed to create a good, repeatable system. His system has two parts: the first one was the Facebook spying we just talked about.

The second part is using Facebook ads to see if the news products will sell. “Most of the time, it doesn’t work… But, if a product is really, really working, it’s worth trying 10 products that aren’t working. It’s part of the game.”

 

5. Ride the ups and downs.

Spoiler alert: it’s pretty likely that your first try will fail (and second, and maybe even your third…).

This is 100% normal. Even Pierre had a few rough dips where he had to scale back on his advertising and scramble to find new suppliers.

But he bounced back in the end. He says: “If you find it really rough in the first month, maybe you’re just in a slump period… There are always ups and downs.”

The Art of Reinvention: How One Founder Found Her Purpose in the Middle of a Pandemic

Business owner Moorea Seal stands on the street

So far this year, Moorea Seal left her long-term relationship, moved into a temporary home, closed her retail and online stores, and let go of her entire staff—and it’s only April. Like many small business owners around the world, Moorea is scrambling to answer the question “What now?”. For her, this collective global grief is compounded by personal loss. But she’s been here before. And she is ready.

Moorea is a published author, small business founder, maker, and community connector. She’s also been an influencer since before influencers were even influencers. She is a magnetic, spiritual being with a natural inclination to help and guide others. Above all, she is a master of reinvention—and many of her successes were born during times of crisis.

Moorea Seal talks to another woman in a busy store next to a shoe display
Moorea Seal built her business to help support other makers and small brands. (Kara Meloy)
Display of gold earrings
Moorea taught herself to make jewelry and sold it on Etsy before launching her Shopify store. (Kara Meloy)

When she was eight, Moorea’s parents announced, without notice, that she would be moving from the UK to the US, and she would have to sell all of her toys. “I set up my playroom as a shop,” she says. “My first shop.” She was bullied in her new American school and recounts a childhood punctuated by death and family trauma, relationships with abuse, and the tension of leaving her religion. “There have been points in my life that have been truly, truly tragic,” she says. “Extreme loss and extreme pain.”

College was a struggle for Moorea, too. “I thought at the time it meant I would not be successful in life,” she says. She nonetheless graduated from a college illustration program—in the middle of a recession. Working as a live-in nanny to pay the bills, Moorea was isolated from her friends and family. She taught herself to make jewelry from her tiny bedroom and sold it on Etsy. She started blogging as a way to work through isolation. Her blog connected her to a community—and that community resonated with her story.

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The accidental influencer

Moorea was an early adopter of Pinterest where she built a following quite by accident. Her influence on the platform eventually landed her partnerships with brands such as Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and L’Oreal, and she would appear alongside the likes of Martha Stewart and Dr. Oz on Pinterest tastemaker lists.

But Moorea was wary of the influencer world. “After a year or two, I thought, ‘There’s no way that the world of influencing is going to last,’” she says. “‘I can’t rely on this for my income.’” In 2013, she built a safety net and launched her online store on Shopify, leveraging her existing follower base.

Her namesake brand, Moorea Seal, became an extension of her Pinterest account—a place to curate her favorite things. She sold goods from over 40 makers, including herself, and focused on handmade and sustainability. “No one was really talking about the ethics of shopping,” she says, “and so my site was very unique at that time.”

Six months after launching the store, Moorea received a call from a Pinterest rep, who told her that affiliate links were being removed—the next day. “For me, that meant an income of about $3,000, $4,000 a month just stopping,” she says.

I was paying myself nothing for the first two years.

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Moorea poured herself into her store to make up for the lost income. “I was paying myself nothing for the first two years,” she says. She had a partner and one staff member and they bootstrapped the business from a small room in a church community center. “The irony of being a priest’s daughter who left religion and is building her business from a children’s playroom at a church was crazy,” she says. The trio outgrew the space and, in looking for new digs, Moorea thought, “What if we try and find a space that was also a storefront, kind of a pop-up situation?”

Bricks and book deals

In 2014, the team signed a lease on an affordable space that was on a main Seattle bus line. “I just put my name on the window really huge and made sure the logo looked the same as on Pinterest,” Moorea says. It worked. She gained customers from passersby who recognized her from her online presence, and the business grew, eventually expanding into the space next door. “I was like the sales girl for six days a week,” Moorea says, “in addition to running it and building our team and selling online.”

Interior of a store with pink walls and a red couch
Moorea bootstrapped, reinvesting her book income into her business, eventually growing into a larger space. (Moorea Seal)
Image of a store interior. A woman in the foreground sits on a round yellow stool trying on shoes
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Moorea closed the door on her Seattle retail space in March. (Kara Meloy)

But Moorea was still nurturing her online community. She landed a book deal based on an online self-care venture and, in 2015, published The 52 Lists Project, the first in a series of a journal-style workbook aimed at encouraging self-discovery and increasing mindfulness through weekly list-making challenges.

Soon after, her business began outgrowing its retail space. Moorea’s team invested in a new, larger location that better represented the brand. “I put everything I made from my books into my business,” she says. “It was an expensive space to build out.”

The pivot

In March 2020, the spread of COVID-19 was ramping up in the US and the entire country started shutting down. In Seattle, Moorea responded quickly, communicating her precautionary measures and offering her customers and followers advice for staying safe. But soon, the local government mandated the closure of non-essential businesses, and Moorea was forced to shut her doors.

My staff can’t leave their homes. I have one person who lives on an island, and they have to take a ferry into Seattle.

Luckily, Moorea already had a solid eCommerce business to supplement the retail space, and she diverted attention to her online store. She bundled books from her 52 Lists series with other self-care lifestyle products—candles, pens for journaling, personalized handwritten notes of hope—into care packages that quickly sold out. But with no staff left to help her fulfill orders, Moorea ended up closing her online store, too. “My staff can’t leave their homes,” she says. “I have one person who lives on an island, and they have to take a ferry into Seattle.”

A book titled 52 Lists for Togetherness lays on a stack of books set upon a faux fur surface
Moorea’s 52 Lists project landed her a publishing deal and she wrote several books within the series. (Moorea Seal)
A shot from above a table with pens, a notebook, hats and jewellery
Moorea’s store became an extension of her work on Pinterest—curating the things she loves. (Moorea Seal)

Moorea talks to me from her Airbnb, where she planned to stay only briefly after leaving her relationship. She was ready to look for a new permanent home when Seattle implemented shelter in place, requiring all residents to stay at home. Now, she’s stuck in limbo. Moorea says she finds herself at a crossroads in every aspect of her life—work, home, relationships. “I’m experiencing a lot of loss,” she says.

But Moorea has a remarkably positive outlook—it was from a place of loss that many of the successes in her life have manifested. With many others in isolation seeking community and connection, Moorea sees an opportunity for her next reinvention. She hopes to amplify her story of overcoming various forms of isolation in her own life and be an example to others. “It literally feels like, OK, Moorea, here’s why you did all the things you did for the last 10 years,’” she says.

Finding her purpose

Before COVID-19 forced Moorea to rethink her strategy, her heart was already pushing for a change. The retail store was a dream come true, but she found it difficult to separate herself from her brand. “Having your name on a business, you can lose your identity very easily,” she says. In the fall of 2019, Moorea already had started to explore what else her retail space could be. She imagined hosting restorative and healing events, music video dance-along, and tattoo pop-ups. “I can’t unlink it from my identity, so let’s just make it a true reflection of my identity,” she says.

I need to make sure my business is more about what I care about on a deep, deep level—more than just selling products.

In-person events currently are out of the question while her city is on lockdown. But the brainstorming exercise was helpful in planning her next move. “I need to make sure my business is more about what I care about on a deep, deep level,” she says. “More than just selling products.” With the store closed, Moorea has found the space to explore those things: writing, spirituality, and being a guide to others.

“My purpose,” Moorea says, “is to use my own experiences with isolation, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder and be a resource to people.” Lately, she’s been taking to Instagram to offer messages of inspiration and hope to others. Maybe it will spin into a podcast, she says, and probably more books.

A photo of an open book held by a hand on a jute rug
Moorea plans to rethink her business while the store is shut down, and focus on writing more books. (Moorea Seal)

As she has always done, Moorea is staying open and springing into survival mode. She’s offering tarot readings to her Instagram followers, which is helping her generate enough income to meet her basic needs. And she’s looking ahead.

“Seattle’s not going to be shut down for two weeks,” Moorea says. “My storefront’s going to be shut down for a couple months or permanently. I have to accept that.” With this new reality, Moorea’s vision for her retail store has taken on a new life. Her Shopify site, in its future form, will be a virtual manifestation of her original plan. She says she might still sell products, but they’ll reflect her overarching goal of creating community and safe space. And anything she builds next will involve bringing back her staff. “They really are like family.”

Sometimes the greatest learning you do in life is uncomfortable.

Whatever post-pandemic life looks like for Moorea, she’s optimistic it will be a chance for a much-needed career rebirth. Until then, she’s focused on her basic necessities: finding a place to live, learning to cook for herself, and navigating a grocery store. “I’m learning some basic things in a weird time,” she says. Her message to others struggling? You can come out of this OK on the other side, she says—she’s living proof—and you may even be better for it. “Sometimes the greatest learning you do in life is uncomfortable.”

Photo of Dayna Winter

About the author

Dayna Winter

Dayna Winter is a Storyteller at Shopify, curious about the humans behind the brands and the moments that motivate them to create. She follows more dogs than humans on Instagram and isn’t a real redhead.

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How This Direct to Consumer Brand Disrupted the Handcrafted Footwear Industry

Cofounders of Velasca, Enrico Casatio and Jacopo Sebastio.

Made in Italy and with handcrafted leather shoes seem to be a synonymous pair. Consumers covet this segment of footwear and accept its steeper price tag—the result of an industry layered with distributors, agents, resellers, and retailers. In walks, Velasca, a Milanese startup born in 2013, set out to disrupt the industry by connecting consumers directly to shoemakers.

The concept for Velasca sprouted from a casual conversation between co-founders Enrico Casati and Jacopo Sebastio in the back of a taxi. It has since grown into a direct-to-consumer company selling hundreds of thousands of shoes in over 30 countries. We were keen to learn more about Velasca’s story, so during a trip to Milan in late 2019, I visited the company’s headquarters to speak with Enrico about how the brand first stepped foot into the industry and where it’s headed from here.

You can listen to Velasca’s story on this special episode of Shopify Masters:

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Tailoring a business idea to solve a personal need

Velasca’s office, a converted sugar factory that counts Armani and Fendi as neighbors, is located in a veritable sweet spot in Milan’s Tortona neighborhood—the fashion and design heart of the city, and a district that’s the epitome of “Made in Italy.” Enrico and I sat down in the company’s buzzing space to discuss how the brand is simultaneously disrupting and fitting into the fashion industry.

Co-founders Enrico Castai (left) and Jacopo Sebastio (right) in the Tortona district of Milan, where Velasca is headquartered.
Co-founders Enrico Castai (left) and Jacopo Sebastio (right) in the Tortona district of Milan, where Velasca is headquartered. Velasca

In 2012, Enrico was working as a banker in Singapore. “I had this personal need for buying a pair of shoes for my job—a simple pair of loafers,” he says. “I was 25 at the time and was earning enough to live well in Singapore, but I didn’t want to overspend.” Enrico’s brother was visiting him at the time, along with a friend—Jacopo. Enrico and Jacopo started discussing the gap between designer and fast-fashion shoes, and a creative spark was ignited. They quickly brainstormed ways they might be able to bring handcrafted leather footwear to the everyday consumer.

A pair of double monk straps shoes by Velasca.
By cutting out layers of distribution, Velasca was able to deliver the same product as the big shoe players for a fraction of the price, like this pair of double monk straps. Velasca

Their idea was simple on the surface—build their brand online. “We wanted to connect these craftsmen in Italy that are good at making the products with people that love Italian design and quality around the world.” Like their headquarters, their business model found a sweet spot. “We bet our company on being direct-to-consumer, which brings about a competitive advantage in terms of pricing,” Enrico says. “You make the same products from the same factories using the same materials as the famous brands. But you’re able to sell them at half the price of comparable products.”

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Finding an opportunity during an economic downturn

In 2012, Italy was suffering an economic collapse— while many founders understandably believe a recession is not the time to start a business, Enrico and Jacopo saw it as an opportunity. Production companies lose money when they don’t produce. The local shoemakers’ lack of business during this downturn helped convince them to take a chance on Velasco. “It’s out of these economic crises and times of depression that there are more opportunities than there would be in times of economic boom,” Enrico says.

So Enrico and Jacopo visited the mountainous region of Marche, where families of shoemakers stretch back generations. Working through different dialects, they were able to convince the makers to take on much smaller orders of a couple of hundred pairs, compared to the usual fashion houses orders of hundreds of thousands. “Size is not the only thing that matters—trust also is important,” says Enrico. The Velasca team built this trust by following through on their promise to pay shoemakers within 30 days of delivery. Enrico stresses that, from the very beginning, Velasca has always treated its relationship with shoemakers as a partnership, as opposed to a strictly transactional exchange with a supplier.

The role of sleek, yet approachable storytelling

With production relationships now established, Velsca shifted gears and focused on a “media as marketing” approach to reach new customers. “The first three years were just focused on marketing and sales,” Enrico says. “Once we established a good relationship with the makers, we didn’t get too involved in the production side, because we trusted them and their expertise.” Enrico says, “We focused on storytelling, making sure that the consumer understood that this was not just a discount website,” Enrico says. The direct-to-consumer model was still relatively new to Europe at the time, and the Velasca team had to pave the way, similar to the pivotal role Bonobos and Warby Parker played on the other side of the Atlantic.

Two men walking their dog in the woods while wearing shoes by Velasca.
Visuals that perfectly balance editorial and everyday moments are a key component of how Velasca shared its stories. Velasca

“We made sure that through video, photos, and interviews, the concept of Italian craft machine came through,” Enrico says. Ludovico Bertè, one of Velasca’s first employees and the company’s creative director today, played an instrumental role in capturing images that commanded attention and aided customers through the purchase journey. By being digitally native, Velasca was able to rely on smaller budgets and market through social media, email, SEO, and Google Ads. “We found our channel on Facebook, and then later on Instagram, because it’s picture-based, it’s emotions coming through a digital channel,” says Enrico.

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Velasca also elevated its marketing efforts by publishing a magazine called A Million Steps, which showcases the Italian way of life through interviews and stories on pop culture, sports, food, and more. There’s no mention of Velasca’s shoes or promotions to be found—it’s a separate editorial effort meant to accompany fans’ journey through life. Whether you’re putting a classic negroni recipe to good use or getting to know how the Mona Lisa gained popularity when reading A Million Steps, “you will feel like it’s a different entity,” Enrico says. “But Velasca and A Million Steps are different sides of the same coin.”

The journey from online to offline with retail expansion

While the direct-to-consumer model played an essential role in Velasca’s early success, the team knew there were channels they needed to explore to further scale their business. “We realized over time that we were not tapping into the full potential of the brand by being online only,” says Enrico. “We started seeing a lot of people emailing us and saying, ‘I love your products, but I don’t buy shoes online. Can I stop by your office and try them on, touch the leather, see the quality, and then order online?’”

A pair of boots perfect for a hike in the country side by Velasca.
By listening to customers’ feedback, Velasca decided to start its in-person sales through pop-ups. Velasca

Experimentation is embedded in Velasca’s culture. So it started by hitting the streets in ape cars and setting up temporary pop-ups next to bars during aperitivo (happy hour). This on-the-ground hustle is something Enrico remembers fondly. “Six months before this, I was in a suit and a tie every day, working on Excel and PowerPoint,” he says. “Six months later, I’m showing my products with our brand, with the name that I chose, to potential customers. It was a lot of fun.”

Temporary pop-ups proved successful, and, in 2014, Velasca opened a temporary retail location. “I remember the rent for that place, for a month, was €3,500, which sounds small now, but it wasn’t at the time,” Enrico says. The team was cautious and created projections that outlined best- and worst-case financial scenarios. To their surprise, their investment in the retail storefront was made back in just two days—over opening weekend.

The Paris retail store by Velasca.
From temporary pop-ups to over ten stores, Velasca now has a retail presence in Italy, France, and England. Velasca

After opening its first permanent storefront in Milan in 2015, Velasca began scaling its physical presence with a new location in Rome the following year. In 2017, after 18 months of honing its retail strategy and execution, the company established seven new stores across Europe. Each expansion continues to result in significant sales growth—from London to Paris to Rome, Velasca consistently sees up to a six-fold increase in sales in respective cities whenever a new store opens.

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Steps for Velasca’s future

Velasca’s team has grown, too, from just Enrico and Jacopo to over 35 people who look after the day-to-day operations. Velasca’s production supports ten families of shoemakers in Marche, along with five people who look after shipping and fulfillment. Their success has not gone unnoticed by investors: the team raised €4.5 million in their third round of funding in late 2019, bringing their total amount raised to over €8 million.

The Velasca team during an offsite.
Some of the team members of Velasca, who help to bring handcrafted shoes from the cobblers benches of Marche to customers all around the world. Velasca

Swift year-over-year growth has brought about a whirlwind of changes for the business, but Enrico and the team remain dedicated to the simple things that keep them connected to customers. “Some daily activities that I make time for are responding to customers’ emails, and I’ll go to the store at least once a week and spend time there,” Enrico says. This unwavering commitment to customers is Velasca’s heartbeat, and Enrico believes the reason for the company’s success today—and for the years to come.


It’s a time of ever-changing circumstances when all businesses are trying to adapt, pivot, and find new ways to grow. This conversation with Velasca’s founder took place in December 2019, and, much like everything else it does, the company’s response and way of connecting to its community during this challenging time are made beautifully. You can check out some of its initiatives on its Instagram feed. 

Photo of Shuang Esther Shan

About the author

Shuang Esther Shan

Shuang is a storyteller at Shopify, fascinated by how change is created through commerce. When she’s not obsessively researching or glued to hearing the stories of merchants, she’s discovering new places—with a camera in hand.

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12 Trending Products to Sell in 2020 (And Ideas for How to Market Them)

Illustration of three shopping bags with icons on the front representing trending products

To succeed in e-commerce, you need three things: in-demand products to sell, the skills to market them, and the drive to succeed.

You already have the winner’s mindset—you’re continually learning, researching, and preparing for success. But finding popular products to sell can be a challenge. That’s why we update this list every year to help you uncover new trending product ideas.

In this list, you’ll find 12 trending products in 2020 that will activate new business ideas—or, you may find an in-demand product to add to your existing store. Since each trending product is meant for a distinct audience, we’re also sharing niche-specific tips for reaching new customers.

The trending products on this list are a handful of products with the highest Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and a total number of orders sourced from Oberlo and AliExpress. Additionally, each of these trending products can be found on Oberlo, which is available for free to all Shopify store owners. If you find a product that piques your interest, you can add it to your Shopify store in a few clicks.

Trending products to sell in 2020

1. Pet bed

Looking for the purrfect popular product to sell to pet owners? This pet bed has been clawing its way to the top of the sales charts. According to Google Trends, “dog bed” has seen some strong growth in search volume. The search keyword “dog bed” gets 234,000 monthly searches, and “cat bed” also has a sizable amount of search demand, with 60,500 monthly searches.

Screenshot showing Google Trends data for searches related to pet beds

If you own a pet store, you can market this pet bed on visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. On Pinterest, you can join pet group boards, which allow you to promote your products to a bigger audience. On Instagram, you can partner with pet-related fan pages to get a shoutout in a post or in an Instagram Story. By partnering with a fan page, your product can be seen by a much larger audience, especially if you’re just starting out.

pet bed

2. One size fits all sofa and couch covers

This sofa and couch cover is a popular product for homes with pets or children, as well as property owners who rent out their spaces on platforms like AirBnB. Sofa and couch covers are a popular product for hosts as they help keep furniture in pristine condition for all guests, and replacing a cover is significantly cheaper than replacing an entire three-piece set.

Not only has Google Trends shown a noticeable rise in searches for the product, but Statista also estimates the sofa and seat industry to be a US $44,706m market in 2020. Last but not least, data from Statista predicts the market will grow 0.6% annually until 2023, which makes sofa and couch covers an ideal trending product you can sell for at least the next few years.

Screenshot showing Google Trends data for searches related to couch covers

When marketing to customers that have pets or children, your best bets are wide-reaching channels such as Facebook and Google. But if you’re looking to acquire AirBnB hosts as your customers, you should consider geolocation in your acquisition strategy. According to AllTheRooms Analytics, there are 30 cities in the US with the highest occupancy rate, and 23 are in either California, Hawaii, or Florida. This data should give you a great insight into the type of Facebook Custom Audience you can build and target if you choose to appeal to AirBnB hosts.

Image showing a couch with a protective cover over it

3. Minimalist jewelry

Many people prefer the finer things in life. Evidently, it’s minimalist jewelry that has seen some of the strongest sales growth for retailers in recent years. Google Trends shows there are many frequent, high-volume searches from consumers for this more modest style of jewelry. Despite an expected annual growth rate of 2% until 2023, there has actually been an overall decline in the number of jewelry businesses available. Since the demand for the product is there, but the competition is not, a jewelry store could be a lucrative venture for any new or existing entrepreneur.

Image showing Google Trends data for minimalist jewelry

When it comes to marketing trending products like these necklaces, the ideal platforms are typically Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. A simple way to elevate your jewelry store’s presence is to create videos featuring your products. Videos get more visible slots in Instagram’s Search and Explore pages, which will in turn create more visibility for your posts. Also, most jewelry retailers tend to post pictures, giving you a competitive advantage if you’re willing to put in a bit more work.

Minimalist product example.

4. Beard straightener

Men’s grooming is quickly turning into one of the lucrative markets available. In 2018, Statista valued the industry at $60.6 billion USD, and it’s now expected to rise to $81.2 billion USD by 2024. As a whole, the men’s grooming industry is full of opportunities, but one item, in particular, has caught our attention: beard straighteners. Not only does Google Trends show the growth in search demand for this item, but there are also 37,000 monthly searches for beard straighteners. This is definitely one of the hot trending products to sell.

Image showing Google Trends data for beard straightener

To turn this men’s beard straightener into a top-selling product on your store, consider using a mix of Google ads to target keywords with high purchase intent (e.g. “buy men’s beard straightener”), along with SEO-focused content to go after more informational terms (e.g. “how to straighten a beard”). Or, if you’re not a writer, instructional videos also work.

Dropshipping is an excellent way to sell a trending product without needing to hold inventory. In this episode of Shopify Masters, we interview a dropshipper who spotted an up-and-coming product and managed to generate $8,872 in sales in 4 weeks.

Educational content performs well in this product category because as the market demand grows, so do the needs of customers looking for tips on how to take care of their beards with these tools. Try to use content to solve common questions like, “what kind of comb is best for beards” and you’ll frequently be rewarded with search traffic.

 

Image showing a beard straightener which is a trending product to sell in 2020

5. Shapewear

Shapewear is shaping up to be one of the best evergreen niches to pursue—for the third year in a row, this product category has made our list. By 2022, the shapewear market is expected to skyrocket to about $5.6 billion in sales. What started as an undergarment has evolved into a piece of everyday wear.

Image showing Google Trends data for shapewear

Fashion retailers are also stocking their stores with bodysuits that help create a slimming silhouette. Though shapewear is still popular within the lingerie industry where it first emerged, the shapewear niche offers women a variety of different styles that can either be worn under clothing with different cuts or as a top.

What makes shapewear a product worth considering is that it offers retailers a lot of versatility: whether you sell lingerie, women’s fashion, or want to add this category to an existing general apparel store, you’ll be able to find shapewear in different colors, styles, and sizes to meet the needs of your diverse customer base.

You can sell trending products like this high-waist shapewear, which has generated over 6,000 sales in January of 2020. It has a seamless design and creates a visibly slimmer figure for your customers.

Image showing a beard straightener which is a trending product to sell in 2020

 

6. Backpacks

Backpacks have been a popular item to sell. But recently, the data shows they’re a clear frontrunner as one of the best products to sell online—in particular, this backpack has been surging in sales recently. As Google Trends shows below, search demand has grown year over year with consistent spikes around August. Statista estimates that backpack sales will rise from $19.1 billion USD in 2020 to $22.5 billion USD in 2023, ensuring this will be a top trending product for years to come.

Image showing Google Trends data for backpacks

Targeting your ideal customer depends on who it is; backpacks for children, college or university students, or adults. If you’re looking to sell backpacks for children, then your marketing will need to target parents. The best place to target parents is through Facebook ads, Instagram ads, and Pinterest. One thing to consider is that competing with other “back to school” marketing campaigns will result in inflated prices on ads. But, if you time your store and product launch before the schools reopen, you could see a surge in sales.

However, if you’re selling to college kids or adults, then you’ll need to reach them directly with Instagram ads, potentially by sourcing partnerships with Instagram influencers. Backpacks for adults that aren’t in college aren’t as susceptible to seasonal ups and downs, so if you’re looking for an all year-round product trend, this market could be a hit.

Image showing a backpack which is a trending product to sell in 2020

7. Post-workout massage guns

Massage guns are hand-held massage devices intended to be used after a workout to unwind and relax tense muscles. Massage guns are still relatively new, but consumer interest in them has been climbing since last summer. Interest is still high post-Christmas, and massage guns show clear signs of becoming a top trending product to sell in 2020.

Image showing Google Trends data for massage guns

To tap into the best-selling product potential of massage guns, look to video marketing and interactive ads on Instagram as your best distribution channel. Targeting your ads around particular Instagram hashtags or influencer’s handles could be your best customer acquisition method. Here’s why: It’s a growing trend among fitness gurus and enthusiasts to share anything from workout tips, routine videos, and what’s in their gym bag—their followers want to see their routine and what equipment they find essential for their workouts.

Image showing a post-workout massage gun which is a trending product to sell in 2020

Working with influencers directly on Instagram could be another lucrative channel for sales. Getting a shoutout in their story or a reciprocal comment on one of their posts could be enough to drive new sales. For instance, there are certain niches in the fitness industry you can pick to focus on, from runners to CrossFit athletes, there is ample opportunity to showcase the benefits of massaging sore muscles with this item and turn it into a best selling product online.

8. Plaid hoodie

The plaid clothing pattern has evolved from a flash in the pan fad to a timeless and consistently popular style. Despite the clothing market being a particularly competitive niche, these products niche are still a potentially lucrative option for ambitious entrepreneurs who want to build an apparel business. Google Trends shows a steady increase in interest over the past few years. With 1,900 monthly searches for “plaid hoodie,” there’s clear evidence that this is a robust niche market.

Image showing Google Trends data for plaid hoodies

To turn to sell plaid hoodies into a lucrative venture, it’s best to have your marketing target its niche market. The low search volume shouldn’t put you off from relying on organic search to drive sales. The keyword difficulty for this term is also quite low, leaving ample room for newcomers in the market to drive sales from organic search and create a top trending product for your business.

Image showing a woman wearing a plaid hoodie which is a trending product to sell in 2020

9. Smartwatches

Around 1.2 billion watches are sold each year globally. And the number keeps rising. Last year we saw the rise of minimalist watches. In 2020, smartwatches will likely continue trending upward. December tends to be the peak month for watch sales, but it would be wise to include a relevant summer accessory to ensure higher profits year-round.

Image showing Google Trends data for smartwatches

Facebook and Instagram tend to be the most popular channels for growing a watch store. Many watch retailers have influencers take lifestyle shots set wherever they travel, for outdoorsy and luxurious images that are perfect for social media. Entrepreneur Tim Kock launched a watch store and was able to make $6,667 in roughly eight weeks by using this approach.

You can start your first watch store by selling this Bluetooth smartwatch, which includes a built-in camera, sound recorder, step counter, sleep monitor, calendar, and more.

Smartwatch product example.

10. Infant and baby carrier

One recent product trending with new parents is the baby carrier. Since strollers are big and bulky, some parents are opting for smaller, compact harnesses to carry their newborn for a few hours. Google Trends shows we’re close to hitting peak interest for this product, so if you’re looking for a top-selling product with validated demand, consider acting fast.

Image showing Google Trends data for baby carriers

To reach new parents with this item, you’ll once again turn to advertise on Facebook and Instagram. If you’re looking to explore other sales channels, consider selling on Amazon or listing your product on Google Shopping, although it’s worth noting that these marketplaces will take a fee from your sale. Another experiment to try is to market to a local group with flyers. Create discount codes and distribute them among new parent meetup groups in your town.

Image showing a baby carrier product example which is a trending product to sell in 2020

11. Athleisure

In fashion, trends are the only constant. However, athleisure is one fashion trend that has some staying power. No wonder, then, that it’s a trending item that’s made our list two years in a row. Athleisure is active wear worn as an everyday look rather than for athletic purposes like going to the gym. Within this category, you can sell everything from sweatshirts, sweatpants, leggings, sports bras, tank tops, headbands, capris, and shoes—all in countless colors and styles.

Image showing Google Trends data for athleisure

Plus, you can take this niche in several directions: with a dedicated store, a product collection within a broader fashion store, or you can market your products to one of the many fitness sub-niches. Depending on how you position your brand, there could be an opportunity to expand into other product verticals, such as fashion accessories and jewelry or fitness accessories like yoga mats.

Since millennial women are often the target market for athleisure, visual platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are ideal channels to grow your brand, whether you pursue organic growth or use their advertising options.

You can also look into driving growth with influencer marketing. One place to begin is seeking out fitness influencers within your niche using Instagram search tools. Influencers can model your apparel and give your brand a shout out for a fee or a commission of sales. You can start your athleisure store by selling these yoga leggings, which have been converting well for Shopify store owners using Oberlo.

Athleisure product example.

12. Mesh shoes

We’ve seen the rise of mesh shoes primarily as running shoes, but now they’re another item that’s moved from workout wear and into the athleisure category. Mesh shoes for women and men have also been a best-selling product for the last two years and show signs of being a trending item in 2020.

Image showing Google Trends data for mesh shoes

These trending items are best sold through visuals platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, though a channel you may want to experiment with is Google Ads. At the time of writing, the average bidding cost for mesh shoes is low at $1.20. If you choose to use the same kind of millennial-focused marketing as athleisure, be sure to partner with influencers as it’s the easiest way to get a new brand’s products in front of this audience.

Mesh shoes typically have a bigger addressable market than most athleisure products. For example, your target market could be as niche as focusing on generation X or Baby Boomers who are seeking comfier shoes to walk in while touring on vacation. Or, you can target the staff in the food and service industries where folks are on their feet all day. Point being, there are many potential audiences you can explore with mesh shoes. Conduct a competitive analysis or SWOT analysis of the market and decide what route is best for you.

Image showing a pair of mesh shoes which are a trending product to sell in 2020

Time to get selling

These are some of the trending products to sell in 2020, but there are so many more to choose from. Finding product trends is only one part of the equation. The real secret is figuring out how to market them.

Check out 50 Ways to Get Sales with Dropshipping to learn how I personally grew my online store’s sales using the marketing tactics that the best performing stores use.

If you’re interested in hands-on training that walks you through the process of starting an online store around a profitable niche, be sure to watch our free webinar series. During the webinar, one of our team members will share how they grew one of their online business ideas to over 8,000 sales per year, along with the marketing tactics that worked (and the ones that flopped).

Illustration by Albert Tercero

Photo of Nicole Martins Ferreira

About the author

Nicole Martins Ferreira

Nicole Martins Ferreira is an e-commerce entrepreneur and content marketer at Oberlo. She’s been building online stores for over five years.

Sell Pet Products: 5 Ideas for Starting Your Own Pet Business

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There are few things more important to pet owners than their furry little bundles of joy.

While the pet business may be subject to the same unpredictable ebb and flow of any industry, there’s one certainty you can count on: people will never stop spoiling their pets.

That kind of opportunity is hard to pass up if you’ve got a passion for pets, but building a business from scratch takes more than an opportunity. If you’re currently fending off a barrage of questions about what to sell and where to find customers, know that every successful business owner has started in the exact same place.

Successful business owners aren’t without fear, but what sets them apart is their willingness to confront it. It’s not easy building a pet store from scratch, but with the right tools and an understanding of how to use them—it’s likely a lot easier than you think.

Let’s get started.

Pet business ideas: 5 products and services to sell

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Photo by Sarah Pflug from Burst

Pet businesses come in all forms. Some provide services like walking and grooming, while others provide products like bowls and chew toys. Some pet stores target cat and dog owners, while others may specialize in more niche pets like reptiles and arachnids.

In the pet business, the key is to find a niche that’s large enough to provide sustainable patronage, but specific enough that it offers a chance to brand yourself in a distinct way.

With that in mind, let’s go over ideas for pet products and services you can provide.

1. Sell pet supplies like bowls, toys, and beds

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Every pet owner needs basic supplies like food bowls, toys, and leashes. Yes, selling the basics puts you in competition with big-box pet stores, but don’t let that trick you into missing the huge opportunity here.

A market overflowing with options is a huge advantage for smaller businesses hoping to stake-out name recognition and build a brand.

Big-box pet stores tend to trigger a phenomenon called “choice paralysis”, where an overabundance of options makes it hard for customers to decide what to purchase, oftentimes resulting in no purchase at all.

A simple, well-branded line of basics is the exact type of collection that thrives in scenarios like this.

Pet owners love expressing their personalities through their pets. A one-of-a-kind brand with a unique selling proposition brings far more expressiveness than any large retailer, putting it in a better position to create customers invested in your success.

Benefits: 

  • Leaves more room to corner a niche market and differentiate your brand
  • Combined with dropshipping, selling pet supplies can free up a lot of time to work on marketing or provide pet-related services

Challenges: 

  • Selling pet supplies puts additional importance on branding, which could be challenging if it’s not your strongest asset

Example: TEDDYBOB Pet Supplies

TEDDYBOB Pet Supplies is a BC-based retailer that provides all kinds of basic products for dog and cat owners.

While their collections are extensive, TEDDYBOB does a great job of narrowing the focus of their branding and cutting out any opportunities for choice paralysis.  Despite selling everything from litter boxes to heating pads, their sleek, modern branding always acts as the unifying force behind their collections.

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Aside from the occasional color variant, TEDDYBOB’s everyday supplies tend to have few options. This is smart because it means that if customers end up on the site for the basics, they’ll spend less time deciding which litter scoop to choose and more time browsing everything else.

2. Sell homemade pet treats

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For people that love baking, creating foods and treats for pets can be an exciting, new way for you to practice your craft. With audiences becoming increasingly health-conscious, there’s also a lot of opportunities here to offer foods catered to pet owners looking for healthier options for their pets.

You might decide to sell treats for animals with specific dietary restrictions. You may sell functional treats, such as bones used to brush a dog’s teeth. You could sell soft treats, kibble, dried meats, and a whole host of things.

Benefits: 

  • A great outlet for creative expression with a lot of room to grow into the uniqueness of your brand
  • Dogs are notoriously easy-to-please when it comes to food

Challenges: 

  • Cats are notoriously hard-to-please when it comes to food
  • Since these products are being consumed, it’s extremely important that you’ve researched your ingredients and can confidently vouch for the safety of your product

Example: The Dog Bakery

The Dog Bakery is a California-based bakery that makes cookies, biscuits, chewy treats, and even custom cakes—all for dogs.

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Pet owners love making their four-legged friends feel special, in some cases treating them no differently than their own children. If people get things like custom cakes and unique party favors for their kids, why not their pets?

The Dog Bakery’s branding is simple but incredibly effective. It says “bakery” from top to bottom, but technically it’s a pet store. In addition to cakes and cookies, the Dog Bakery also sells collars, leashes, and chew toys.

It’s a notable twist that sticks in the minds of pet owners looking to spoil their good boys and girls. Combined with the easy-to-remember name, The Dog Bakery brand becomes hard to forget.

3. Offer dog walking and pet sitting services

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If you’re considering a pet business, there’s a good chance you love pets. If you’re a dog person, dog walking can be a great way to make new dog friends, get exercise, and of course, make some extra money.

Service-based businesses like dog walking and pet sitting thrive on great customer service. A business such as this depends on trust that can only be achieved by maintaining valuable customer relationships.

Benefits: 

  • Great for more sociable entrepreneurs skilled at fostering valuable client relationships
  • Provides one-on-one time with animals and can be therapeutic for people who find comfort in animal companionship

Challenges

  • As with many service-based businesses, you’re directly trading time for money
  • Pet sitting and dog walking can become overwhelming very quickly if you’re not used to looking after multiple pets at the same time

Example: Let the Dog Out

Let the Dog Out (LTDO) is a dog walking service based in Guelph, Ontario. LTDO offers free Meet and Greet sessions meant to allow your dog a chance to meet their staff and become comfortable with their new babysitter.

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LTDO puts a lot of emphasis on building personal relationships with its clients. No services are provided until the client’s dog has had a chance to meet the company’s staff and is assessed for compatibility.

For dog walking and pet sitting businesses, trust is extremely important. While they do offer other products, LTDO’s emphasis on easing new dogs into the service shows their dedication to the wellbeing of their client’s pets.

4. Pet grooming

Pet grooming can be a great addition to the list of services you can provide to pet owners. Like walking and sitting, grooming is a business type that thrives on customer relationships and trust.

Benefits: 

  • Customer loyalty tends to be stronger because of the high skill levels required of a professional groomer
  • Grooming is a regularly required service so there’s a lot of potential for repeat business

Challenges:

  • Grooming is a complex skill that can take quite a bit of time to learn

Example: barking babies™

Vancouver-based company barking babies™ is a boutique, spa, kennel, pet store and puppy-training facility all rolled into one. Services offered by barking babies™ include just about every dog-related service you can think of, putting a huge emphasis on the social aspect of dog health.

 

What’s unique about barking babies™ is its branding’s emphasis on community and companionship. Much of the barking babies™ website talks about the importance of socialization in dogs.

Combined with the photos of their current clients lovingly playing with each other, it almost plays on a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out), only for dogs.

barking-babies-socialization

Dog owners want the best for their pets and, from the outside, barking babies™ looks like the hottest new club. Combined with the wide range of services offered, this emphasis on the importance of the barking babies™ community is especially good for brand loyalty and encouraging repeat customers.

5. Sell pet apparel

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If you’ve dabbled in fashion design and are up to the challenge, pet apparel can be an exciting new avenue to explore your creativity.

But even if you haven’t, clothing for pets has become so popular over the last couple of years that many suppliers, like those found through Oberlo, provide tons of shirts, outfits, and accessories designed specifically for dogs and cats.

Pet apparel also lends itself to niching very well. It won’t surprise you to learn that people can be as particular about their dog’s fashion choices as their own. With so many avenues of fashion yet to be explored as it pertains to dogs, there’s a lot of room for innovation.

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Benefits: 

  • Using a dropshipping model, it can be a low-risk business with far less overhead
  • Since dog apparel is still a relatively new addition to the fashion world, there’s a lot of room for creative expression

Challenges:

  • Pet clothing is seasonal so it can be harder to sell in warmer months

Example: Maple Leash Canada

Based in Water Valley, Alberta—Maple Leash Canada is a family-owned business specializing in dog coats, harnesses, collars, sweaters, boots, carriers, beds, and a ton more specialty dog outfits for pups of all sizes.maple-leash-tuxedo

Maple Leash Canada is branded first and foremost as an apparel company. If it weren’t for the store’s choice in models, its rustic character would fit right in alongside human apparel companies like Roots and Eddie Bauer.

The novelty of pet apparel can’t last forever, which is why Maple Leash puts so much emphasis on standing out stylistically.

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Pet stores usually offer a combination of products and services, but be careful to avoid becoming a “jack-of-all-trades” pet store. Incongruous product collections make online branding very difficult. It also puts you in competition with big, corporate pet stores able to offer the convenience of hundreds of locations. Not to mention the pet food aisle in every grocery store.

One-stop shopping is great for customers who need to pick up some last-minute kitty litter on the way home from work, but online shoppers put more value in specialty than abundance.

With an online pet-store, marketing is crucial.

 

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Photo by Scott Murdoch from Burst

Tips for a profitable pet business

From the examples above, you can see that pet businesses thrive on cross-promotion. Selling pet products usually involves diversifying your services to increase the number of income sources and help create sustainable revenue.

The key is to brand your products together with a unified goal. For example, if you’re offering pet grooming services, you might also sell pet shampoos, flea collars, and grooming clippers.

If you group your products and services in a way that best serves your customers, you can increase the lifetime value of each customer and build a sustainable business model, even without a massive customer base.

1. Start local

This is especially important if offering services like grooming or dog walking which require in-person clientele. Building good relationships with pet owners is key to the success of your business.

Start by joining Facebook groups and local online communities. Participate in discussions. Offer expertise and services, but remember not to push for sales too hard, especially in early interactions with potential customers. Take it offline, too, with business cards and community boards.

Remember that people are very protective of their pets. Trust is especially important in pet businesses and people will not trust you if they view your interaction as a disingenuous attempt to promote your business.

2. Use social media consistently

If you’ve ever racked your brain trying to come up with Instagram ideas, you know that it’s challenging to consistently post while maintaining high levels of engagement.

The great thing about pet businesses is that cats and dogs are natural sources of entertaining content. Assuming you have one or two pets of your own, good content for pet lovers will be relatively easy to create.

For groomers, walkers, and pet-sitters, every interaction with a new four-legged client can turn into content. Even the most mundane activities become watchable when a dog or cat is involved.

3. Familiarize yourself with blogging and SEO

If you’re familiar with search engine optimization, you know the amount of technical know-how that goes into writing effective SEO copy. For niche pet stores, in particular, you can build a blogging strategy around spotting questions from pet owners that can be answered with your services.

Competitive blog content won’t be as easy to create as social media content, but the potential for large, sustained traffic is much higher. A well-researched article answering a question searched by potential clients that checks off all the boxes on the SEO checklist can be an effective tool for directing traffic for months or even years into the future.

If you’re a pet groomer, you might consider answering common queries about pet hygiene. If you’re selling healthy animal treats, you might be able to answer some questions about animal diets.

There’s an endless list of information you could provide. And if you’re able to provide it to valuable clients, it can be the first step in a long-lasting trusting customer relationship.

4. Attend pet industry events, trade shows, and conventions

Networking and professional development are important in any industry. Industry events such as workshops, conventions, trade shows, and pet industry events can be great for any entrepreneur looking to build new skills or become more connected within the industry.

There’s value for any business in a trade show, but they’re especially great if you’re selling unique or handmade pet products. If you’re selling products you can’t get anywhere else, an effective trade show campaign can help you secure business relationships and get your product in stores.

5. Build valuable customer relationships

Trust is incredibly important when it comes to pet products. People are very protective of their pets. For groomers, dog walkers, and pet sitters—building a successful company means establishing good customer relationships.

Loyal customers make more purchases, spend more money, and vouch for your business in the form of word-of-mouth recommendations. A network of local, reliable clients will not only provide you their recurring patronage but will also help spread the word of your business to other potential customers that run in the same circles.

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Start a pet business today 🐶

There’s nothing more fulfilling than starting a successful company in an industry that excites you. For pet lovers bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, a grooming or pet supply business can be a personally rewarding endeavor that provides you with income for years to come.

Don’t be scared by the prospect of starting your own business. With the tools available, creating a sustainable successful pet business is accessible and fulfilling. As long as people love their pets, they’ll value services to help make them safer and happier.

Photo of Evan Ferguson

About the author

Evan Ferguson

Evan Ferguson is a writer, digital artist, and content creator at Shopify. He is best known for once being retweeted by Ice T.

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