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Video transcript: 2020 has been quite a year, to say the least. The pandemic rocked the world and forced the closure of businesses, gyms, schools, and even restaurants. But there were a few types of businesses that skyrocketed in response to the new world order. One of those was dropshipping.
2020 was one of the best years for dropshippers and ecommerce business owners around the world.
If you were thinking about starting an ecommerce business this year and ended up watching countless YouTube videos with titles such as “best products to sell” or “sell this now,” but were left wondering, “Did these products actually make anybody sales?” Look no further.
I dug into the Oberlo data – yes, you heard that right – the real data, and I took a look at the best-selling products of 2020. Keep watching to learn the top 20 best-selling dropshipping products of 2020, why each of these products was so popular this year, and how to use this information to find winning products for your business in 2021.
If you’re ever wondering about what product cost and pricing strategy actually work the best, make sure you stick around to the end to find out. Let's not waste any more time and jump straight into it.
20. Paint-by-Numbers Kits
I know you all came here for a list of winning products, so let's just jump straight into number 20. The number 20 spot for the best-selling product of 2020 is paint-by-numbers kits.
Seeing paint-by-numbers on this list isn't a surprise at all. The average cost of paint-by-numbers for the business owners is $6 and they sell it for around $27. That's a huge profit margin.
On top of that, paint-by-numbers kits come in a multitude of different varieties from pictures of flowers, to pictures of famous artworks, to even scenery. One of the best things about paint-by-numbers is that when it comes to customer lifetime value, they are a God-send.
Once you finish a paint-by-numbers kit, you want to do more, you want to try different ones, and you absolutely get hooked.
While paint-by-numbers kits have actually been best-sellers for quite a few years, they've definitely seen a huge surge since the pandemic started. People were stuck at home, they didn't have much to do and paint-by-numbers was the perfect product.
If you're looking to jump on the paint-by-numbers trend and sell a different type of product, consider selling custom paint-by-numbers kits. Suppliers will allow you to upload custom photos, such as a family picture or a pet picture, and then they will create a paint-by-numbers kit for your customer.
19. USB Humidifier
Let's move on to product number 19, and that is a USB humidifier. I know, I know, I know. You probably see these humidifiers on every “best products to sell” list from videos on our channel and videos on other YouTubers’ channels.
The thing is, they do sell well. If you're worried about this product being too saturated, consider the fact that there's a multitude of different types of USB humidifiers that look very different, come in different shapes, different sizes, and different LED lighting displays.
There is always a new type of USB humidifier that is even cuter and smaller than the last one.
If you're looking for a quick marketing tip and want to sell these USB humidifiers on Facebook, I would suggest punching in interests that are companies that sell essential oils that you would use for these humidifiers.
Here's the thing. As a dropshipper, you can’t dropship essential oils. So instead, jump on the bandwagon of the popularity of those essential oils and sell humidifiers instead.
18. 5-in-1 Electric Shaver
Let's move on to number 18. This one should be no surprise, considering what the pandemic closed this year. And if there's any clue I can give you, I would suggest looking at my hair. Number 18 on our list is a 5-in-1 electric shaver. This 5-in-1 shaver can be used for facial hair for men for your beards, and also, it can be used to actually cut and trim your hair.
With salons and barbershops all over the world being the subject of closures, it's no surprise that this product skyrocketed in popularity.
One cool fact about this product is that the average cost from the supplier is $20, and most merchants who were successful in selling it this year sold it for around $60. That's three times as much as the cost.
Here's the thing. If my hair is any indication, barbershops and salons are still closed. So you can absolutely jump on the bandwagon and sell this product in 2021.
17. Sunflower Pendant Necklace
Product number 17 on this list might surprise you. It is the sunflower pendant necklace.
We actually wrote an entire success story on the Oberlo blog about a merchant who managed to take this product and turn it into a home run.
It's attention-grabbing, it's cute, it's the perfect gift.
And the best part is the average cost of the sunflower pendant necklace is $3, and most merchants were selling it for $19.99. You do the math, that's an amazing margin. When you open the sunflower on this pendant necklace, it says “you are my sunshine.” Super cute, right?
This is the perfect product if you are looking for something to sell for Valentine’s Day coming up in February.
16. LED Plant Grow Light
Number 16 on the list of top-selling products of 2020 is the LED plant light. This light is a fluorescent purplish light that you can use to help you grow your plants and herbs inside.
Here's the thing. Winter is super bleak. And if you want your plans to survive and actually thrive during this time period, you need to get an LED light – well, if you're in Canada, like me, or in another area of the world where it gets really dark and really cold in the winters.
So if you wanna sell the plant LED grow light, you can still do it. Winter is still gonna be going on for a couple of months in a lot of different areas of the world. Don't sleep on this trend.
15. Men’s 2-in-1 Running Shorts
Number 15 on the list didn't really come as a surprise for me, but it's still interesting that it's here. It’s the men's 2-in-1 running shorts. These shorts are two-in-one, and the inner lining of the shorts have small pockets that allow you to put your phone and keys while you're working out.
Every Tuesday, we talk about five winning products that you should consider selling in your dropshipping store. Whenever I'm digging into the data, I always see these shorts on the list. Here's the thing. I don't particularly think that they're that interesting, but customers seem to think otherwise.
If you have a fitness door or any sort of store that is catered toward health or anything like that, definitely consider selling these shorts, especially because January is right around the corner when most people are starting their New Year's resolutions.
14. Non-Slip Sofa Cover
Okay, I'm gonna be honest. Number 14 on the list completely surprised me. It is a non-slip sofa cover.
Here's the thing. Normally when we suggest winning products, we suggest a product that really catches your customer's attention. Now, these sofa covers are not particularly pretty or interesting.
But what really catches customers' attention is how much they can help fix a problem.
If you have an expensive sofa or if you have a sofa that you want to refresh without buying and lugging in an entirely new sofa, this is the best way to do it. Why spend $400 to $500 on a new sofa plus a few hundred dollars to get it shipped and carried into your house when you can spend $40 on an anti-slip sofa cover?
And there you are, I just wrote a Facebook ad for you.
13. Double Cat Bowl
Number 13 on the list for this year is a double cat bowl. This is a very cute little bowl that you can use for cat food or dog food.
Here's the thing, it’s not particularly interesting, but it's very cute. And if you know anything about business, you'll know that people spend almost as much money on their pets as their babies.
And with the pandemic this year, more and more people have actually been getting pets to keep them company at home.
12. Dog Hair Trimmer
Number 12 on our list is actually also in the pet category and it is a dog hair trimmer. Remember when I said that salons and barbershops were closed? Well, also any place to groom your dog has also been closed because of the pandemic.
When I type in “dog groomers” into Google, the very first link is a complete guide to how to groom your dog at home.
Yeah, this is the perfect product to fill that need in the market.
And here's the thing, dog grooming is very expensive. So if you can convince someone to get this dog hair trimmer now and actually teach them how to use it, I would definitely suggest writing a blog or even making a video. They'll be much more likely to continue doing so after the pandemic because there will be huge cost savings.
11. Pore Vacuum
Number 11 on the list of the best-selling products of 2020 is in the beauty category, and it is the pore vacuum. I'm gonna be honest with you. Any stuff to do with pores or skin like that totally freaks me out.
But a lot of customers really love it. I've seen this product pop up on dropshipping YouTube videos everywhere over the past year, and for good reason. There are a lot of customers out there who are obsessed with getting all the junk out of their pores, and this is the perfect product to sell to them.
10. Massage Gun
Number ten is a product that we've actually been talking about in our Tuesday live streams – hint, hint, please join in – and it is a massage gun. Depending on what country you’re in, massages can be very expensive, ranging from $100 to $200 per session.
The massage gun normally costs around $50 to $60 from the supplier and most stores that are selling it sell it at around $100.
To sell this product, all you need to do is remind customers that a massage costs at least $100 to $200 for 45 minutes to one hour. If they use that $100 to invest in a massage gun, they can have as many massages they want and for as long as they want.
In addition to the fact that during the pandemic, people are a little iffy about getting close to others, even if it is for a service, so this is an amazing product to sell.
9. Back Stretcher
The number nine best-selling product of 2020 might just be the new back posture corrector. It is the back massager back stretcher.
This product is super simple, it's just a few pieces of plastic that you put together and you adjust yourself. Once you lay back on it, it helps you to stretch your back.
Now, I'm gonna be honest, for someone like me who doesn't really have back problems, I don't really see a need for a product like this. However, there are clearly many customers that do.
If you're looking for effective ways to sell this product, I would say just jumping on to Facebook and typing in “back stretcher' or 'back massager.” You'll instantly see tons of ads from very successful businesses selling this product.
Now, I would not suggest copying any of these ads.
However, you can use them for research and use them as inspiration for your own ads. Look at the problems that they are targeting towards customers and you'll instantly know how to angle this product
8. Women’s Simple Canvas Backpack
The eighth best-selling product of 2020 was a little bit of a surprise for me to see on this list. However, the data speaks for itself. The eighth best-selling product was a simple women's canvas backpack.
Now, normally, when we suggest picking perfect dropshipping products to sell, we suggest ones that evoke a lot of emotion in customers and are sometimes pretty flashy. However, if this is a clear example that not all winning products will fit all the criteria all the time.
If you have a women's fashion or accessory store, I would definitely suggest selling this product.
7. Inflatable Hiking Sleeping Pad
The seventh best-selling product of 2020 should be no surprise to anyone. It is the inflatable sleeping pad.
This inflatable sleeping pad is one that you can roll up and easily carry around with you. It is super light, easy to blow up, and easy to deflate. Gone are the days of carrying around huge, heavy air mattresses when you go hiking or camping.
The pandemic made most hobbies and sports and inaccessible to people, except for one: spending time in the great outdoors. If you have an outdoor store or store that’s catered towards hiking or tactical gear, I would definitely suggest selling the sleeping pad.
6. Adjustable Laptop Stand
The sixth best-selling product of 2020 was a little bit of a surprise to me, and not for the reasons that you might think. It was the adjustable laptop stand. This laptop stand allows you to use your laptop anywhere you like from the bed or the couch.
Now, you might be thinking, “Magda, why were you surprised to see it? The pandemic has forced everyone to work from home and be inside. Of course it's popular.”
Well, the reason that I was apprised to see on this list is that normally one of the biggest challenges for dropshippers is that they don't wanna sell products that are easily available on Amazon or other big-box stores.
And yes, the adjustable laptop desk is easily available from multiple stores. However, the data clearly shows that just because it's easily available doesn't mean you can't make a lot of money with it. This is a great learning lesson for anyone in business.
Just because you have a product that's available elsewhere doesn't mean you can't sell it and you can't make huge profits.
5. Waterproof Dog Seat Cover
The fifth best-selling product of 2020 should be no surprise as it’s been featured multiple times in our YouTube live streams as well as our blog. It is a waterproof dog seat cover.
The waterproof dog seat cover is a light and easily carried cover that you place in the back of your car. So whenever your dog jumps in it, it's not gonna get dirty or wet.
This product absolutely exploded this year. Now, people have always been taking their dogs to parks at all times of the year. But because of the pandemic, more people have pets than ever before. This means way more trips to the park and way more dirty car seats.
And there's nothing that evokes emotions better than seeing a dirty car seat. That's the perfect way to start out your product video ad and get someone to stop scrolling and pay attention.
4. Resistance Bands
The fourth best-selling product of 2020 should be no surprise if you watch our live streams or are subscribed to our email list. It is resistance bands. I know, I know you've probably seen this product everywhere, and for good reason.
Dropshippers have made so much money selling resistance bands this year. But why are resistance bands the “it” fitness product right now? Well, one of the biggest reasons is that they're lightweight and super easy to ship.
I'll give you a real-life example. I love to work out at home. And recently I was looking into getting some dumbbells for my little home gym. I was shocked to see that a pair of dumbbells can easily cost me up to $100.
Resistance bands, on the other hand, are extremely effective and lightweight.
Also, when you buy resistance bands, they normally come in a pack so that you can use the easier ones first and then start upgrading to the harder, more difficult ones to use.
If you're a new dropshipper and you think it's too late to sell resistance bands, hold your horses. Just because they were the most popular product of 2020 doesn't mean they're not gonna be super popular in 2021 as well.
Here's the thing, January is right around the corner, and January is when everyone makes new year’s resolutions. This is the perfect time to jump on the bandwagon and sell resistance bands.
3. Ab Muscle Trainer
Let's move on to the third best-selling product of 2020. This one I have seen before on top-selling lists. But I will be honest: I was really surprised to see it here.
It is the ab muscle trainer. Yes, that ab muscle trainer that you've most likely seen in Facebook ads and Google ads all over the internet. It's this little attachment that you put onto your stomach or other areas, turn on and get shredded, supposedly.
I will be honest, I was not expecting to see it here today. But this just goes to show that just because the product was popular one year ago doesn't mean it's not gonna be popular this year as well.
Now, just a quick tip: If you wanna sell this product, I would not suggest putting before-and-after pictures on Facebook because that might get your Facebook ad account banned.
If you need any help with ensuring that your Facebook ad account doesn't get banned or you don't break the rules, make sure to check out the last video on our channel.
2. LED Bonsai Tree
Let's move on to the second best-selling product of 2020. This one totally came out of the left field and completely dominated sales this year.
It is the LED bonsai tree. Yes, that bonsai tree that you've most likely seen in the background of YouTube videos, TikTok videos, and Instagram pictures. This LED bonsai tree just exploded this year and it's definitely one of the hottest-selling products.
1. Bluetooth LED Strip Lights
Let's move on to the best-selling product in 2020. The best-selling product of 2020 was Bluetooth strip LED lights.
If you watch dropshipping videos or best-selling product videos, you probably will not be surprised to see this on the list, and especially at the top.
The Bluetooth LED strip lights have been everywhere. Similar to the bonsai tree, if you watch any sort of content online, whether it's live streaming on Twitch, YouTube videos, or TikTok videos, you've most likely seen these strip lights in use.
Not only are they super cheap, but they make such an impact and completely transform your space. On top of that, you can also adjust the light to suit your brand. If you have any sort of tech or gadget store or a store that's catered towards content creators, you need to be selling these lights.
However, get creative with the audience that you target these towards. Just because I said content creators before doesn't mean that someone who plays video games wouldn't appreciate these behind their TV whenever they're playing their new PS 5.
Bonus Tip: Pricing
And that's the end of the list. But hold on, before you go anywhere, I have one more bonus tip for you.
I dug into the data and looked at the product cost of every single one of these products and what the average selling price of all these products was. While some products don't match this, I saw a clear trend.
The best-selling products of 2020 have an average cost of $15 from the supplier and they're being sold for an average price of $29.99.
So if you've ever wondered what the best product cost is and what the best range to price products is, use that as your North Star.
And that's the end. Were you surprised to see any of these products on the list? Please let me know, and until next time, happy hustling.