100+ Dropshipping Business Ideas to Inspire You

Dropshipping is a profitable business model for new entrepreneurs to make money on the side.

It isn’t free to start a dropshipping business (there are non-inventory costs), but it’s much lower risk and less complex, since you don’t need to stock products or handle order fulfillment.

Finding a dropshipping business idea is as simple as finding a product to sell. Yet with so many dropshipping businesses out there, the hardest part is finding the right product—one that’ll set you apart.

Here’s how to find and validate a dropshipping business idea, with 100+ trending products to look into. We’ll cover:

• How to find a dropshipping idea
• 100+ dropshipping ideas for 2023
• How to choose a dropshipping business idea

How to find a dropshipping idea

Social media

Social media platforms are a major shopping channel for young consumers. Discover your next dropshipping idea by scanning hashtags, accounts, and trend pages that appeal to your target demographic.

 

Marketplace bestsellers

The biggest online marketplaces sell millions of SKUs from thousands of brands. By 2027, they’ll play a role in 59% of purchasing journeys, making them a great source of data to uncover trending products and dropshipping ideas.

Start by looking at “top product” pages on Amazon, Etsy, and Walmart. Pay close attention to top products in any given category, or those with a “selling fast” icon.

Continue your search on wholesale marketplaces like AliExpress, Alibaba, and SaleHoo. Because most of these marketplaces double up as dropshipping websites, top products are also available for dropshipping (versus something you find on eBay that may not be drop-shippable).

 

Amazon’s bestseller lists provide great dropshipping business ideas.

 

Pinterest Trends

Pinterest is a social media/search engine hybrid that allows users to save pins to a virtual mood board. Use Pinterest Trends to see what users have saved the most during the previous week/month, and dropship similar products through your own online store.

 

Use Pinterest Trends to discover trending pins within the last week.

 

Trendhunter

Trendhunter uses page view data, artificial intelligence, and research teams to discover trending products. Recent examples include compostable menswear and muted pink sneakers, though you can browse its website to find online business ideas before they become saturated.

 

Trendhunter analyzes data to find trending products, like these cool-toned low sneakers.

 

100+ dropshipping ideas for 2023

• Beauty and skin care
• Clothing and accessories
• Jewelry
• Books
• Art
• Coffee
• Baby products
• Fitness products
• Pet products
• Car Accessories
• Home tools
• Furniture
• Electronics

Beauty and skin care

 

The size of the beauty and personal care market is increasing.

 

The global beauty and personal care industry is set to be worth $679.79 billion by 2025. People spend big bucks managing their appearance and solving cosmetic-related health issues. Claim your stake by working with a dropshipping supplier to source cosmetics, skincare, and beauty products. Sell them at a higher price through your own online store.

Popular dropshipping business ideas in the beauty and skincare industry include:

• Moisturizer
• Cleanser
• Foundation
• Concealer
• Fragrances
• Nail clippers
• Makeup bags
• Cooling eye masks
• Facial rollers
• Acne treatment
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm

Clothing and accessories

 

The number of people searching for “athleisure” increased during the pandemic.

 

The global apparel industry is one of the biggest markets in the world, valued at $1.5 trillion. Fashion niche markets come within the clothing and accessories umbrella—products you can dropship and make money from online.

“Since a few years ago, tank tops, sports bras, and leggings have all become popular athleisure items. Even among those who simply want a comfy suit for sitting and are hoping to participate in a little more leisure than athleticism.” – Colton Horn, co-founder of Breinfuel

Popular items to dropship in this category include:

• Hats
• Socks
• T-shirts
• Sports bras
• Hoodies
• Swimming trunks
• Cargo pants
• Bridesmaid dresses
• Fashion accessories
• Fancy dress costumes

Read more: The 19 Best Dropshipping Clothing Suppliers to Grow Your Business in 2022

Jewelry

 

Search volume for the keyword “gold hoop earrings” is on an upward trend.

 

Consumers spend $28.68 billion on jewelry each year. If you want to start a jewelry business but don’t have the time or skill to handcraft your own products, consider drop shipping those another manufacturer has already made.

The chunky gold jewelry trend, in particular, is one worth considering if you’re looking to use this online business idea. Block gold rings, necklaces, and earrings are back in fashion, with searches for “gold hoop earrings” steadily increasing.

Other notable jewelry products to dropship include:

• Rings
• Necklaces
• Fine jewelry
• Costume jewelry
• Anniversary jewelry
• Wedding rings
• Gemstones
• Bracelets

Books

 

Statista data shows that 65% of adults have read a print book in the past year.

 

Reading is still one of the most popular activities, with almost two-thirds of US consumers having read at least one print book in the past year, spending an annual total of $25.71 billion

Instead of dropshipping any book you can find, the key is to specialize in one specific type of book. Take academic course materials, for example. Consumers spend $339 per year on higher education books (compared to the global population’s $113.87 average).

Other types of books to dropship include:

• Fiction
• Non-fiction
• Language books
• Religious books
• Large-print books
• Autobiographies
• Pre-K books

Art

 

 

Online sales in the art market top $13.3 billion each year. The industry experienced a 7.3% annual growth rate in 2021.

The best thing about dropshipping art is that it’s accessible to anyone, regardless of how knowledgeable you are of the field. You’ve got the option to dropship fine art, which can fetch thousands of dollars per piece or handcrafted drawings that are printed and sold at scale for a lower cost.

Find your next dropshipping business idea with products like:

• Prints
• Art pencils
• 3D statues
• Wall Decor
• Coloring books
• Enamel pins
• Phone cases
• Greeting cards
• Children’s art kits

Coffee

 

 

Dropshipping coffee is a great way to take your slice of this spend. Find a coffee dropshipping supplier like Dripshipper or Aroma Ridge. Add custom labels to coffee-related products and list them on your e-commerce website for a higher price.

Popular items to sell on your coffee business’s online store include:

• Coffee beans
• Sachets
• Coffee pods
• Coffee machines
• Coffee bags
• Coffee grinders
• Flavored syrups

Baby products

 

 

Parents and caregivers spend $67.35 billion on baby care products each year—a figure set to hit $88.72 billion by 2026.

Niche markets are emerging in the baby space. Take the gender reveal industry as an example. An increasing number of soon-to-be parents are hosting parties to announce the gender of their baby. According to Google Trends, searches for “gender reveal balloons” have steadily been increasing since 2016.

Here are some other baby products you can use to spark a dropshipping business idea:

• Kids’ toys
• Diapers
• Strollers
• Stair gates
• Breast milk pumps
• Organic baby food
• Baby monitors
• Changing mats
• Baby carriers
• Booster seats

Fitness products

 

 

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced employees to work from home, exercise levels increased. House-bound consumers had no choice but to exercise at home. To do that, they needed fitness equipment.

Fitness trackers are one dropshipping niche that’s exploded in popularity. Some 553.6 million fitness trackers were shipped last year, with global consumers predicted to spend $93.86 billion on wrist-wearing activity trackers in 2022.

Aside from fitness technology, consider dropshipping the following exercise products:

• Yoga mats
• Foam rollers
• Gym gloves
• Jump ropes
• Protein powders
• Fitness trackers
• Trampolines
• Step blocks
• Resistance bands

Pet products

 

 

More than half of American households own a pet, contributing to a $123.6 billion industry.

To capitalize on our love for furry friends, find a lucrative business idea in the pet industry. Dog vitamins, for example, are just one huge area of spend. Owners splash $81 per year on supplements to keep their dogs healthy.

Other pet-related items to dropship include:

• Food
• Leashes
• Collars
• Cat litter
• Raw bones
• Bird seeds
• Cage water bottles
• Drying coats
• Pet ID tags
• Slow feeding bowls
• Grass patches

Car Accessories

More than 65 million cars are sold each year. Give the millions of consumers who own one the chance to make their driving experiences more enjoyable by dropshipping car accessories.

The product you might consider selling could be:

• Air fresheners
• Car mats
• Car cleaning kits
• Cup holders
• Steering wheel covers
• Dash cams
• Car hoovers
• Neck pillows
• Tablet holders
• Trunk organizers
• Wiper blades

Home tools

 

Home improvement sales are predicted to reach $621.3 billion by 2025, making it one of the largest consumer markets. Dropship home gadgets, hardware, and decorating accessories to build a profitable business in this niche.

“I believe the best dropshipping products in 2023 will be anything in the off-the-grid living and homesteading space. These niches are continuing their upward trajectory trend and there are a ton of different supplies in these niches that can be targeted with high or low-ticket dropshipping.” – Thomas Sleeth, founder of Dropshipping Hustle

Popular home-related items to dropship include:

• Extension leads
• Doorbells
• Step ladders
• Security cameras
• Lint removers
• Wine fridges
• Handheld vacuums
• Carpet cleaners
• Lights

Furniture

 

If you’re looking for a high-ticket dropshipping business idea in the home improvement market, consider dropshipping furniture. Products are often priced higher than small home improvement gadgets. The average hybrid queen-size mattress, for example, sells for $2,050.

The hardest thing about dropshipping furniture is the fact customers can’t always see the product they’re thinking of buying. Solve any pre-purchase anxiety and build consumer trust with extensive product photography, reviews from happy customers, and size charts to scale.

Furniture-related items to dropship include:

• Mirrors
• Bean bags
• Bookshelves
• Rugs
• Lamps
• Bedside tables
• Dining chairs
• Shelving units
• Home office chairs
• Standing desks

Electronics

 

From computers to cameras, global consumers spend $376 billion on electronics each year. This type of product isn’t in short supply—you’ll find manufacturers offering dropship electronics across all major dropshipping platforms.

However, the electronics industry is another highly regulated niche. Reputable suppliers will be happy to supply a portable appliance test (PAT) certificate that confirms their electronics have been rigorously tested and meet safety standards.

To turn this niche into a profitable dropshipping business, source trending products like:

• Chargers
• Cameras
• Headphones
• Sat navs
• Printer ink
• Screen cleaners
• TV remote controls
• Memory cards
• Smart speakers
• Phone cases
• Kettles

How to choose a dropshipping business idea

Dropshipping is notoriously known for being a low-risk business model. However, you can increase the odds of ecommerce success by validating an idea before running with it.

Evaluate demand

Before running with your next idea, see whether people are already talking about the product you’re thinking of selling.

Do your own research with online tools like Google Trends. The platform shows historical data for how many people search for that dropshipping business idea. Pay especially close attention to keywords on an upward trend. This indicates the product is becoming more popular and demand is increasing. Try to get there before competitors cotton on.

“I always use Google Trends to see how the product is trending in various countries over the last five years and then use a keyword tool to check the monthly search volume.” – Thomas Sleeth, founder of Dropshipping Hustle

 

If you’re torn between two dropshipping business ideas, use Google Trends’ comparison tool to evaluate demand for each term. Knowing one keyword is much more popular than the other can sway you in that direction.

Check your competition

If you go into a niche that’s already popular, it’s going to be super competitive. Dropshipping requires a successful marketing strategy—and paid ads will cost more and keywords will be more competitive for top products.

Yet go the other way and there’s a risk of nobody wanting to buy the products you’re dropshipping. It’ll be an uphill struggle to build a profitable business.

Ultimately, there is no “ideal” demand when selecting the best dropshipping product. There are pros and cons when going niche versus hyper-competitive. The ideal competition level depends on the type of business you want to build.

Low competition

If you’re struggling to find retailers selling similar products to the one you want to dropship, it’s not a bad sign. Going after a niche market can be a smart business move.

Pros

• It’s easier to stand out.
• Build customer loyalty by being known as the go-to brand for a specific product.
• You’re not at the mercy of competitors—many of whom are able to sway consumers with lower prices.

Cons

• Demand might not be as high.
• You often need to take the quality-over-quantity approach.
• It can be more expensive to find and acquire customers in a niche market.

High competition

Hundreds of other dropshippers selling comparable products might make it harder to stand out, but it proves demand is there. Look at their product pricing strategy and see whether it’s worth competing.

Pros

• Proven demand from customers.
• Wider variety of suppliers to choose from.
• A strong brand personality can help you charge a premium for comparable products.

Cons

• It’s harder to stand out from established competitors.
• Most often, you compete on price—even when profit margins are already tight.
• You’ll need to define your unique selling proposition upfront (and heavily market it).

Find dropshipping suppliers

Dropshipping suppliers make or break your new business. They’re the ones responsible for manufacturing, packing, and shipping orders to your customers. Check that for whatever dropshipping business idea you choose there are suppliers to work with.

Most importantly, recruit a reliable supplier you can trust. Any customer complaints will fall in your hands since the dropshipping supplier acts as a silent partner. Ask for their order accuracy rate, previous customer reviews, and minimum order quantity upfront. It’ll minimize the chances of a supplier’s problems ruining your own brand’s reputation.

Order a sample

Dropshipping isn’t a business you can start with no money—people pay a premium for higher-quality products. Figure out whether it’s worth paying more for quality from your suppliers by ordering samples.

Let’s say your supplier stocks three different varieties of the resistance bands you want to dropship:

• Product A: $2.49 cost price and made from low-quality rubber.
• Product B: $3.69 cost price and made from high-quality rubber.
• Product C: $6.29 cost price and made from recycled and sustainable materials.

If you’re looking for a dropshipping business idea that’ll make the most money, you might think Product A stands you in better ground to do that. Lower cost price means higher margins, right?

However, people pay premiums for sustainability. After ordering all three products to sample, you survey your target market and discover they’d pay $28 for Product C—a 79.68% profit margin (compared to 25% for A and 43% for B).

Ordering samples in advance also gives you first-hand experience dealing with a supplier before your customers are involved. You’ll have the delivery communication emails, unboxing experience, and first impressions your customers get.

Survey your target market

Your target market is the group of people who will buy your products. Instead of finding a dropshipping product idea and hoping there’s a market for it, survey your target audience to see:

• Whether they’d buy the product
• How they’d discover it (i.e., your best marketing channels)
• How much they’d pay

There are two ways this process tends to go AWOL. First, people are notoriously awful at telling you what they would do or would buy. It’s difficult to get honest opinions when no real money is at stake.

Secondly, small business owners often turn toward their family and friends for market research. They ask if they’d buy a product, only to hear everyone say yes because they didn’t want to hurt a budding entrepreneur’s feelings.

Solve these issues and ask hard-hitting questions that allow you to verify whether what you think is a great business idea would make money. That includes:

1. How would this product impact your life or daily routine?
2. What products are you currently using to solve this problem?
3. Which features do you find the most/least useful?

Calculate your profit margin

Once you subtract the wholesale price of a product and your overheads, are you left with any profit? Good business ideas are those where products are sourced at a low price and resold higher.

Use Shopify’s free profit margin calculator to see how much money you’re left with after buying the product from a supplier and paying their fee for picking, packing, and shipping.

 

 

One route is to find the absolute cheapest product and sell it at as high of a price as possible. But that strategy comes with risk. You often have to sell as many products as you can, rather than focusing on high-quality customers and building a sustainable business.

Invest in brand-building if increasing your profit margin is the ultimate goal. Consumers pay a premium to shop with brands that:

• Are sustainable
• Have a community
• Have strong brand values

Even if cost prices and competitor RRPs are low, make your dropshipping brand the go-to e-commerce website for consumers who want more than the ordinary.

Start a dropshipping business today

The success of your dropshipping store depends on the product you choose.

Build a small, low-maintenance (and low-cost) online store with Shopify to validate your dropshipping business idea and test a marketing strategy. Choose three to five products in the same niche. Invest more time and effort into products proven to sell for the best chance of success.

Shopify and GlowRoad: How to start a dropshipping business in India

Ever thought of how to earn money from home?

With more time at hand now due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the emergence of a new normal, we’re all exploring ways to earn from home. While some have taken a setback on the professional front, others just want to make the most of the time available to them.

Starting an online store has been one of the most success-proven ways to remain productive, and at the same time, earn from home. That’s why Shopify is partnering with GlowRoad to enable dropshipping in India and equip merchants to become more successful.

What is GlowRoad?

GlowRoad is a reseller platform and app in India that is providing millions of individuals including housewives and graduate students an opportunity to earn from home by starting their own online business. All they need to do is sign up on the platform as a reseller, choose the products they want to sell or think can sell, and submit their interest to the supplier.

Once the supplier reviews and accepts your request, the next step is for you to start promoting those products in your network over chat apps like WhatsApp or social media platforms like Facebook.

If someone places an order via the shared link, GlowRoad takes care of delivering the product collecting the money, and submitting the profits in your bank account. Simply put, the reseller gets to earn from home based on the number of sales they make for products sourced from suppliers, via their own channels.

To further enhance this business model, Shopify is stepping in to enable the resellers to start an online store and grow their drop shipping business using a robust eCommerce platform where the products they sell will become more discoverable, leading to more sales.

But at the same time, here’s what this partnership also does for other Shopify merchants in India who are running a dropshipping business – they get access to locally available products that they can add to their store from the suppliers registered on GlowRoad.

How does GlowRoad benefit the dropshipping business in India on Shopify?

With the need to earn from home increasing by the day, dropshipping is one of the most popular business models we’re seeing on Shopify.

The business model does not require one to keep products in stock. Instead, here, the store sells the product and passes on the sales order to the supplier. It is the supplier then who is responsible for shipping this order to the customer, and the overall order fulfilment experience.

Simply put, you get to start an online store and earn from home, all without having to risk stocking up on inventory of products. Or for that matter, even worrying about the logistics and order fulfilment.

So far, Shopify merchants running on the dropshipping model in India relied on suppliers from other countries. While reselling products from these suppliers was easier before, the new normal has slowed things down in terms of the availability of products as well as the efficiency of order fulfilment from the supplier’s end. As a result, this has resulted in Shopify stores in India having lesser stock available on their stores, leading to a dip in sales for their dropshipping business.

With GlowRoad, Shopify wants to address this issue and make online retail businesses less dependent on external factors, by giving them access to Indian suppliers.

Introducing their app on Shopify, GlowRoad will be taking the lead on expanding the dropshipping business in India. Online retailers running on the dropshipping model, will simply need to add the GlowRoad Shopify app to their store, to get access to suppliers who are selling products across different categories – fashion and apparel, jewellery, healthcare, pet supplies, local goods and more.

Benefits of using GlowRoad to start a dropshipping business in India

• Access to more products
• Lesser supply chain delays
• Lesser logistics issues
• Faster order fulfilment
• Support for local brands and suppliers
• Ability to offer cash on delivery (COD) to shoppers

TLDR; faster business growth and more revenue.

But this isn’t a one-sided affair. Here’s how the Shopify and GlowRoad partnership will benefit retailers who have been using their reselling platform to run a dropshipping business.

Want to start your own dropshipping business in India? Start an online store with Shopify to benefit from GlowRoad.

Sign up for a free trial on Shopify today.

How does Shopify benefit the dropshipping businesses being run on GlowRoad?

So far, those who want to earn from home and start an online business, have signed up as resellers on GlowRoad. They then take a look at what kind of suppliers are wanting to sell their products to resellers.

Choosing the products they want to sell, the reseller then shares the link to purchase those products with their network. They do so by sharing this link on their social media channels, profiles or even chat apps. Most begin their online business by promoting the product links amongst their friends and family.

With the Shopify partnership, these resellers will be able to start an online store for their business. This will make it easier for their business to get discovered by a larger audience, equip them with an online presence they can market digitally beyond their own network and also make it easier for their target audience to explore more products from the range they have.

Benefits of using Shopify to grow your GlowRoad dropshipping business in India 

• Easy online store setup
• Access to 4,400+ apps to enhance the shopping experience for customers
• Better marketing and product promotions
• Easy online payment setup
• Easy order fulfilment tracking
• Access to customer data to boost engagement and retention

TLDR; faster business growth and more revenue.

Yes, the goal of the Shopify and GlowRoad partnership is to help those who want to start an online business and earn from home, and also equip those stores running on dropshipping models to grow without bounds.

Don’t have an online store for your dropshipping business yet? Get started on Shopify with a free trial.

Whether you’ve been in the dropshipping business for some time now or want to start exploring the industry by starting an online store, Shopify and GlowRoad are here to equip you with everything you need.

Right from setting up an online store to finding products that you’d like to sell, and a guarantee from verified suppliers to be able to fulfil orders in a timely manner, this partnership has it all lined up for you.

Already have a dropshipping business and want to expand the range of products available in your store? Install the GlowRoad app on your store today.

What Is Dropshipping and How Does It Work?

If you’ve thought about starting an e-commerce store, you’ve heard of dropshipping. It’s a streamlined approach to order fulfillment where you don’t own or ship any inventory.

Gone are the days when retailers had to lease warehouse space, juggle supply chains, and manage inventory. Whether you’re an ambitious newcomer or an e-commerce veteran, understanding and using dropshipping could be the key to taking your online store to the next level.

Ahead, you’ll learn everything there is to know about dropshipping, from how it works to benefits, and how to start your own dropshipping business today.

What is dropshipping?

Dropshipping is an order fulfillment method where a business doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, the seller purchases inventory as needed from a third party—usually a wholesaler or manufacturer—to fulfill orders.

The biggest difference between dropshipping and the standard retail model is that the selling merchant doesn’t stock or own inventory—they act as the middleman.

What is a drop shipper?

A dropshipper is a person or business that uses the dropshipping model of buying inventory and fulfillment logistics from a third party, instead of warehousing and shipping the products themselves.

Because dropshipping relies on a third-party supplier to handle inventory warehousing and order fulfillment, a dropshipping operation may be managed by dozens of employees or a single business owner.

How does dropshipping work?

The dropshipping process is essentially a relationship between a customer-facing store and a supplier.

There are two common approaches to adopting a dropshipping business model. The first is to seek out one or more wholesale suppliers located in North America (or anywhere else in the world) on your own using a supplier database. Examples of popular online supplier databases include AliExpress, SaleHoo, and Worldwide Brands.

If you’re not interested in finding suppliers for all of the products you plan to sell, you can use an app that connects you and your store to thousands of suppliers. For this, use DSers, a Shopify app that helps independent business owners find products to sell.

With DSers, you can browse AliExpress and import the products that pique your interest directly to DSers—which is connected to your Shopify store—with the click of a button. Once a customer buys a product, you’ll be able to fulfill their order in the DSers app.

Fortunately, DSers automates most of the dropshipping process. As the store owner, all you have to do is check that the details are correct and click the order button. The product is then shipped directly from the AliExpress supplier to the customer—wherever in the world they may be.

Dropshipping is often seen as a no-hassle, get-rich-quick scheme. But it’s not. Just like any other e-commerce website, it takes dedication to get your startup running and successful. Done well, dropshipping companies can become reliable and convenient partners to growing e-commerce businesses to expedite order and fulfillment processing.

Benefits of dropshipping

Here are a few other reasons why dropshipping is such a popular e-commerce business model for both large and small businesses.

1. Less upfront capital required

Probably the biggest advantage to dropshipping is that it’s possible to launch an e-commerce store without having to invest thousands of dollars in inventory. Traditionally, a brick-and-mortar or e-commerce retailer has to tie up huge amounts of capital purchasing inventory.

With the dropshipping model, you don’t have to purchase a product unless you’ve already made the sale and have been paid by the customer. Without significant upfront inventory investments, it’s possible to start dropshipping and become successful with very little money.

Additionally, because you’re not committed to selling through any inventory purchased upfront, like in other business models, there’s less risk involved in starting a dropshipping store.

2. Easy to start

Running an e-commerce business is much easier when you don’t have to deal with physical products. With dropshipping, you don’t have to worry about:

• Managing or paying for a warehouse
• Packing and shipping your orders
• Tracking inventory for accounting reasons
• Handling returns and inbound shipments
• Continually ordering products and managing stock level

3. Low overhead

Because you don’t have to deal with purchasing inventory or managing fulfillment centers, your overhead expenses are quite low. In fact, many successful dropshipping stores are run as home-based businesses, requiring little more than a laptop and a few recurring expenses to operate.

As you grow, these costs will likely increase, but will still be low compared to those of traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.

4. Flexible location

With dropshipping, a successful business can be run from just about anywhere with an internet connection. As long as you can communicate with suppliers and provide timely service and support that meets customer expectations, you can run and manage your business.

5. Wide selection of products to sell

Since you don’t have to pre-purchase the items you sell, you can offer an array of trending products to your potential customers. Plus, you can rotate or change your dropshipping products list without having to worry about unsold inventory. If suppliers stock an item, you can list it for sale on your online store at no additional cost.

6. Easier to test

Dropshipping is a useful fulfillment model for both launching a new store and for business owners looking to test the appetite customers have for additional product categories, e.g., accessories or wholly new product lines. The main benefit of dropshipping is, again, the ability to list and potentially sell products before committing to buying a large amount of inventory.

7. Easier to scale

With a traditional retail business, if you receive three times the number of orders, you’ll usually need to do three times as much work. By leveraging dropshipping suppliers, most of the work to process additional orders will be done by the suppliers, allowing you to expand with fewer growing pains and less incremental work.

Sales growth will always bring additional work—especially related to customer support—but businesses that utilize dropshipping scale particularly well relative to traditional e-commerce businesses. You can dropship on many platforms too, like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy.

Drawbacks of dropshipping

All the benefits we mentioned make dropshipping a very attractive model for anyone getting started with an online store or for those looking to expand their existing product offerings.

But like all approaches, dropshipping has its downsides, too. Generally speaking, convenience and flexibility come at a higher price.

Here are a few shortcomings to think about when considering a dropshipping business.

1. Low profit margins

Low margins are the biggest disadvantage to operating in a highly competitive dropshipping vertical. Because it’s so easy to get started, and because the overhead costs are so minimal, many competing businesses will set up a dropshipping store and sell items at rock-bottom prices in an attempt to grow revenue. Since they’ve invested so little in getting the business started, they can afford to operate on minuscule margins.

Typically, these sellers will have low-quality websites and poor (if any) customer service, which can help you differentiate your dropshipping business. But that won’t stop customers from comparing their prices to yours. This increase in competition will quickly hurt the potential profit margin in a niche. If you’re concerned about your margins you can quickly calculate it with Shopify’s profit margin calculator.

Fortunately, you can do a lot to mitigate this problem by choosing the right products and selecting a niche/vertical that’s well-suited for dropshipping.

2. Inventory issues

If you stock all your own products, it’s relatively simple to keep track of which items are in and out of stock. But when you’re sourcing from multiple warehouses, which are also fulfilling orders for other merchants, inventory can change on a daily basis.

Fortunately, these days, there are a handful of apps that let you sync with suppliers. So dropshippers can “pass along” customer orders to a dropshipping supplier with a click or two and should be able to see in real-time how much inventory the supplier has.

DSers also lets merchants take automated actions when a supplier’s stock hits zero. For example, when a product is no longer available, you can automatically unpublish the product, or keep it published but automatically set the quantity to zero.

3. Shipping complexities

If you work with multiple suppliers—as most drop shippers do—the products on your online store will be sourced through a number of different dropshippers. This means you have no control over the supply chain.

Let’s say a customer places an order for three items, all of which are available only from separate suppliers. You’ll incur three separate shipping costs for sending each item to the customer, but it’s probably not wise to pass this charge along to the customer. And even when it does make sense to include these charges, automating these drop shipment calculations can be difficult.

4. Supplier errors

Have you ever been blamed for something that wasn’t your fault but had to accept responsibility for anyway?

Even the best dropshipping suppliers make mistakes fulfilling orders—mistakes for which you have to take responsibility and apologize. In addition, mediocre and low-quality suppliers will harm the customer experience via missing items, botched drop shipments, and packing or product quality issues, which can damage your business’s reputation<.

5. Limited customization and branding

Unlike custom-made products or print-on-demand, dropshipping doesn’t give you a lot of control over the product itself. Usually, the product drop shipped is designed and branded by the supplier.

Some dropshipping suppliers can accommodate your business’s product changes. Even then, however, the supplier has the most control over the product itself. Any changes or additions to the product usually require a minimum order quantity to make it viable and affordable for the manufacturer.

Start your dropshipping business with Shopify

Whether you’re interested in finding a side hustle, starting a new full-time enterprise, or changing the business model behind your existing online store, dropshipping may be the answer you’re looking for.

Getting started with an e-commerce platform like Shopify is easy:

• Set up your Shopify account: Go to Shopify’s website and follow the instructions to set up a new account. You will need to provide some basic information about yourself and your business.
• Choose a theme: Shopify has a variety of themes available. Choose one that fits your brand and products.
• Customize your store: Add your logo, create product categories, set up your navigation, and add any necessary pages like “About Us” and “Contact”.
• Setup DSers: Dsers is an AliExpress dropshipping tool that you can integrate with your Shopify store. Go to the Shopify App Store, find Dsers, and install it.
• Link your AliExpress account: You’ll need to connect your AliExpress account to Dsers so you can import products.
• Import products: Use Dsers to find products on AliExpress that fit your niche. You can import these directly to your Shopify store.

Yes, dropshipping comes with a number of built-in complexities you’ll need to address as an entrepreneur. But with careful planning and consideration, you can anticipate and resolve those issues to create a thriving, profitable dropshipping business

Why and How to Start Dropshipping in India as an eCommerce Business

Want to start an online business in India, but not sure where to begin?

If you’re someone who does not want to get into product manufacture and production or isn’t sure about what type of products to sell, there is still an opportunity for you – dropshipping in India.

And we’ll tell you why.

What is dropshipping?

Dropshipping refers to a retail business where a store is not required to keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, it acts as the storefront to sell a product, which then gets directly shipped to the customer when an order is placed from the supplier/ manufacturer.

As a result, you as the seller don’t have to handle the product directly or have to store inventory in warehouses.

What is the difference between dropshipping in India and standard retail?

Well, when you are dropshipping in India (or anywhere), you as the selling merchant don’t have to stock or own any inventory. Instead, the purchase gets made and fulfilled by a third party – usually, a wholesaler or manufacturer; while you act as the middleman.

Here’s how dropshipping in India works:

Why start dropshipping in India?

Dropshipping in India is a cost-effective way to start an online store or an eCommerce business.

It allows you to sell products online without having to worry about carrying, storing, and maintaining inventory of products. It also removes the need to take care of shipping and order fulfillment.

All in all, dropshipping makes starting an online store in India, a low-risk business model.

India’s eCommerce sales are projected to grow at an annual rate of 51%, making it the biggest opportunity for business owners. Dropshipping in India is the perfect way to test the waters, irrespective of the products you want to sell.

India also happens to be one of the biggest suppliers of raw materials and products across various industries. So when you begin dropshipping in India, you can actually choose to work with a local supplier or manufacturer, who will also ensure a good delivery time on orders.

To summarize, here are the benefits of dropshipping in India:

• Less upfront capital investment
• Easy to get started with
• Low overhead as compared to other models
• Flexible location
• Wide selection of products to sell
• Easier to test out different markets
• Easier to scale

With Shopify, thousands of entrepreneurs have been able to start dropshipping in India. Get started today.

Now if you’re exploring starting a business, you would have heard about wholesale in India. So let’s quickly go over why dropshipping in India is a better business model than wholesale.

How profitable is dropshipping in India?

Dropshipping is one of the most profitable business models across the globe. Since you are not responsible for the costs of product manufacturing and shipping, you can start profiting from every sale you make very early on.

Although, you do need to ensure you’re selling a product that people really care about and need, and have the right supplier by your side.

Not sure where to begin and what type of products you can start dropshipping in India? Fret not, we have a list.

How to start dropshipping in India?

1. Find your niche

The first step to building a dropshipping business is figuring out what you want to sell and who you want to sell to.

Choose a niche that you’re genuinely interested in and passionate about. But at the same time, also make sure that the niche and the product are in demand in the market.

You can start off by first creating a list of products you’d like to sell and how your potential customers could be searching for them. For example, keywords like “yoga pants”, “kitchen basket”, etc.

After that, look into how these keywords have been trending over the last few months. The goal is to understand if the interest in these products is sustained or tends to drop every now and then. A good way to do this is to type in the keyword in Google Trends and check for the last 3 months.

2. Identify a profitable product

While dropshipping gives you the flexibility to sell almost any product on your store, it is important to find products that are profitable.

Take into account the cost of doing business (running your store), shipping fees, marketing and the cut you will need to give to suppliers/ manufacturers. Make sure that you have healthy margins of about 40-70%, if not higher.

So in general, you want to look for low-cost products that you can sell at a premium price.

3. Set up your Shopify store

You need to give your business a name, identity, and address to begin selling drop-shipped products.

Set up a store on Shopify and get started with dropshipping in minutes. It provides you with an easy-to-use eCommerce platform that is packed with features.

Right from features that will help you design an impressive storefront to integration with dropshipping apps, payment gateways and more, Shopify makes it all a matter of a few clicks.

You can even get started with a free trial and then choose a plan that suits your business plan the best. Sign up here.

How does dropshipping work on Shopify?

Typically, you would have to first identify products you want to sell and then seek out a supplier in your location. Then you would have to find a way to integrate and connect your Shopify store to those suppliers to fulfill the demands of the orders you receive on the storefront.

But Shopify makes dropshipping in India easy.

All you need to do is set up a storefront on Shopify and then install a dropshipping app on your store.

Explore some of the apps that you can use for dropshipping in India here.

Once you install an app, you can browse through thousands of verified suppliers registered on the app based on products, location, price and other parameters.

Import the products you want to sell on your Shopify store. And you’re done!

All you need to ensure is that you have complete information about the products, including sizing guides, descriptions, care, etc. to display on your storefront. You will still need to help the end customer make an informed purchase to get a sale.

But when a customer does make a purchase from you, you’ll be able to fulfill their order with the dropshipping app you choose. The supplier you choose will be notified automatically when you receive an order and will take care of shipping and fulfilling the order placed.

What are the best products to dropship in India?

The demand for products continually varies based on seasonal trends and other factors. So make sure you validate the product’s interest by using tools like Google Trends and analyzing the market in general.

But here is a list of the 33 most trending products to sell online in 2022 as per our research:

Electronics & Accessories

• Wireless charger
• Power bank
• Laptop cover
• Smartphone videography equipment

Fashion, apparel, and accessories

• Scrunchies
• Nail extensions
• Shapewear
• Tote bags
• Slip-on shoes

Beauty and self-care

• Beard grooming kit
• Personal hygiene essentials
• Posture corrector belt

Nutrition

• Ashwagandha fortified consumables
• Protein bar
• Multivitamins

Home Furniture & Decor

• Workspace furniture
• Kitchen furniture
• Sofa bed
• Blankets
• Rugs

Home and Kitchen

• Air fryer
• Vegetable chopper
• Planters
• Air purifier

Exercise and outdoor

• Resistance band
• Bicycle
• Yoga mat
• Tent
• Fitness band/watch

Other

• Pet food
• Jigsaw puzzles
• Reusable water bottle
• Customised gifts

If you’re not able to niche down to an industry, you can also sell different types of products in your store. When you choose dropshipping, you get the flexibility to sell a wide range of items, including and excluding products based on demand easily.

Although, we do recommend following these tips on how to choose products to sell:

• Identify products people are looking for to solve a problem
• Find products that people (and you) are actually passionate about
• Find products that have a branding potential
• Keep a tab on market trends
• Find products that are impulsively bought Identify and serve niche segments

Why is dropshipping in India better than wholesale?

Wholesale is a model that has been running in India for years. But wholesale in India can end up costing more upfront investment in goods or products, added cost of shipping them, and employee costs to manage the processes.

Now in the wholesale model, the cost of goods is high because a consumer needs to make a purchase in large quantities to get a good price. So you will have to stock up more inventory, without any guarantee that they’ll be sold.

When you do sell and you need to ship the order, you also have to incur high shipping costs as you may not have government deals such as ePacket.

On the other hand, starting dropshipping in India let’s you focus only on tasks like marketing your brand and offering good customer service to those who buy from you. The rest gets taken care of by the supplier/ manufacturer.

Start dropshipping in India with Shopify

Ready to get started with your online business?

It’s time to explore Shopify for dropshipping in India to open a business without the hassle of managing, packaging or shipping.

Step 1: Create an account on Shopify

The very first step you need to take is signing up on Shopify. Don’t worry, you start with a free trial and are not charged until you’re ready to take your business live.

Step 2: Fill in more information about your business

After signing up, you will be asked a few questions about your business. Start using the dropdown and provide your information to Shopify accurately.

Once you have completed the signup process, you will receive an email from Shopify with your admin login information and URL. It will be in the format of your-store-name.myshopify.com/admin. Make sure you save this information safely.

Step 3: Add a dropshipping app

Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll be taken to your Shopify dashboard. If you have a new account, you will not see a dropshipping app just yet.

To install one, follow these steps:

• Find a dropshipping app to install from the Shopify App Store
• Click on Add App
• In your Shopify admin, to authorize the use of the app, click Install App

Step 4: Add products from the dropshipping app

After installing the app, you will be able to add products to your storefront by following these steps:

• From your dashboard, click “Products” on the left-hand side
• Select “More actions” then click “Find more products to sell”
• Click the dropshipping app you installed

You will then be taken to your dropshipping app’s interface, where you can search for products and suppliers.

Go through the results carefully and select the products you want to add to your Shopify storefront.

Step 5: Enter the retail price

On the product page, you’ll see the supply and shipping cost, along with a pricing field in which you need to enter your retail price of the item.

Click “Add product” when you’re done, and the dropshipping app will add the item to your Shopify store.

Step 6: Edit product details

Based on your target audience, make sure you tailor the product description to help them make an informed purchase decision.

Add a product title/ name, description, sizing guide, material information, and more. Ask the supplier for more information if it is not already available.

Step 7: Set up and design your Shopify store

Once you have the essentials ready, move to the next step – designing a good storefront.

Go to Online Store -> Themes from the left-hand side of your Shopify admin dashboard.

From here, you will be able to select free Shopify themes or even pick a more premium theme for the look and feel of your store.

Make sure you customize the theme by adding your logo, brand colors, and more!

Step 8: Set up payment gateways

Before taking your store live, you will need to ensure you offer payment gateways that Indian customers are comfortable transacting on.

From online payment gateways to third-party gateways like PayU, Razorpay, Cashfree, and others, cash on delivery, and popular wallets, Shopify supports them all. Learn more about payment gateways here.

You do not have to worry about setting up shipping in this case as the supplier you choose using the dropshipping app, will take care of the fulfillment.

Step 9: Choose a plan and go online!

With everything set up, the next step for you is to choose a plan. This will remove the password from your Shopify store and make your storefront public.

Now your customers can come to the store and make a purchase easily!

Easy, right?

Don’t think of another day and miss another opportunity to start your online business.

Sign up on Shopify to get started with dropshipping in India today!