Selling on Amazon is part art, part science, and we covered the basics in this blog. But once you’re ready to take the next step, the big question becomes: What should you sell?
So, if you’re wondering how to find profitable products to sell on Amazon, wonder no more. Here, we’re going to zero in on the most profitable items to sell on Amazon. Specifically, we’ll explore how the Amazon FBA program can help you tap into these categories to grow your business — all while simplifying logistics.
The Amazon FBA initiative allows sellers to outsource packing and shipping to Amazon for a fee. as opposed to the fulfilled by merchant (FBM) model. This model is appealing to a lot of buyers who don’t want the hassle of shipping orders, and it’s got the added benefit of potentially boosting your chances of winning the Buy Box.
So, let’s take a look at the most profitable items to sell on Amazon, starting with the very first product that Jeff Bezos sold when he launched Amazon back in 1994: books!
1. Books – Yep, the Kind Made of Paper and Ink
Raise your hand if you’ve heard that books are dead! Yes, over the years, every invention from radios to e-readers to high-tech gadgets have been to blame. But guess what? Books are more popular than ever. It’s how Amazon got started, books are still one of the most profitable items to sell on Amazon, and you can use them to carve out a pleasingly profitable niche on the marketplace.
Know how?
Simple: a huge profit margin. If you can pick up books in bulk for a dollar or so, give or take a bit in either direction, you can turn around and sell them on Amazon for ten times their original price – especially when you use competitive pricing strategies. This makes books an excellent example of products with high profit margins.
While this isn’t a guaranteed formula all the time (see: unlucky arbitrage times, like a big box clearance sale) and you probably shouldn’t base your entire business on this premise if your goal is to maximise revenue, it’s a wise way to diversify your inventory. Books most definitely deserve their own solid corner in your shop.
Related: How to Sell Books on Amazon: Tips and Secrets for 2024
2. Cleaning & Cooking, All Things Home & Kitchen
Let’s be honest, we all love getting the newest and latest accessory that helps make the best air-fried chicken parmesan that you’ve ever had or the ultimate vacuum cleaner that cleans your carpet as if you just bought it from the store. The Home and Kitchen category is the top Amazon category for SMB sellers and grew in sales by 6% during 2024.
Pro tip: Focus on profitable products to sell on Amazon by niching down. Specialize in a subcategory, like portable vacuum cleaners or air fryer accessories. Product bundling can increase your Average Order Value (AOV) too. For instance, if you sell portable vacuum cleaners, you could also sell car detailing products, as the majority of people who purchase a portable vacuum cleaner would use it to clean their car.
3. Beauty and Personal Care
The beauty and personal care category continues to see remarkable growth with consumers increasingly turning to Amazon for their skincare, cosmetics, and grooming needs.
This figures from SimilarWeb’s report make this impressive ascent impossible to ignore, with over 70 million units sold in 2021. This category is without doubt one of the most profitable categories on Amazon, with 30% of sellers achieving margins over 21%.
Amazon is expected to double down on the Health and Beauty categories which is expected to see sales equalling 79.4 billion US dollars by 2027. So, if you’re looking for products with high profit margins, this category offers tons of potential.
4. The Population Keeps Growing, and That Includes Things for Babies
Our next profitable Amazon category is babies. As families grow, so does the demand for baby essentials, making this one of the most profitable items to sell on Amazon. And because babies don’t stay the same size for very long, this means they need a lot of stuff.
The bonus of selling baby items is they’re inexpensive for you to pick up, lightweight, (fairly) durable, and always in demand. For sellers looking for products with high profit margins, baby gear offers consistent opportunities to meet evergreen demand.
Pro tip: Focus on first-time parents who tend to splash out on premium baby products. By the time Baby #2 comes along, parents are more inclined to reuse or shop second hand. (If you’re not the firstborn in your family, you’ve probably felt this — maybe even talked about it in therapy!)
5. All That Glitters Just Maybe Gold
Gems, baubles, precious metals — what these jewellery items have in common is they’re consistently in hot demand. But…you’ve got to be super diligent in how you advertise your wares because the market is pretty saturated with jewellery.
While the profit margin can be a staggering 50%+, you’ll need to work for it. Specifically, to stand out you’ll need to take advantage of unique long-tail keywords. If your items can only be described in generic single-ish keywords, you’ll face some extremely tough competition. Niches, on the other hand, can increase your chance of success.
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6. Exercise Clothing for the Fitness Freaks…and Everyone Else Too!
Workout wear is a consistently profitable category on Amazon. As a bonus, most people out there want to buy their clothing brand new. (Spoiler: No one wants to put on used swimming trunks, eww!)
The beauty of exercise clothes is they’re loved by everyone, from gym addicts to couch potatoes. What’s more, with the rise of remote work, athleisure has become the go-to uniform for so many of us. It’s no wonder exercise clothing is among the most profitable products to sell on Amazon.
7. Electronic Items and Their (Mountain of) Accessories
Okay, as mentioned earlier, techy gadgets may have failed to eject books from the top sellers club — but don’t be fooled: They are firmly in the spotlight.
In fact, electronics are among the most profitable items to sell on Amazon thanks to the steady demand and high profit margins.
Here’s what’s in it for you:
- Lower Amazon’s commission fees (8% versus 15% for other categories)
- A plethora of choices and subsets within each category
- Constant innovation, with a variety of new devices released frequently
- Wide appeal to a variety of audiences through brand differentiation
- Excellent retail arbitrage opportunities, sometimes as often as each week (hello, Best Buy!)
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Could you be the next Amazon success story?
If you’ve been wondering how to find profitable products to sell on Amazon, start with these high-margin categories — and watch your FBA business grow.
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