Amazon Trends: How to Find What Is In High Demand?

Staying on top of trends might seem tedious, overwhelming, and not worth the effort. 

But whether you like it or not, to grow your business you need to stay ahead of the competition. 

There are millions of sellers out there trying to get a slice of the market. Therefore, you need to know what’s coming and how shoppers behave to have a fair chance in this competition. 

Although it might seem like a lot, let’s keep in mind that Amazon loves to make eCommerce easy for both the seller and the shopper, and researching trends on Amazon is no exception. So, don’t get discouraged, it is not impossible.

Before we dive into it, it’s essential to understand what trends are and how they really work.

Scroll down to learn more!

Did you know?

Benchmark your advertising performance against the trends in your category, marketplace, and ad format - with the free Benchmarker!

What Are Trends?

Trends are valuable pieces of market research that help us understand how different markets are behaving. This helps us plan for the future, keep the right stock, and veer our business in the best direction.

The rollercoaster that was 2020 brought many changes to our lives. But, as an Amazon seller, the changes you have faced are probably business-oriented. 

It is evident that many online retailers and eCommerce merchants were forced to grow rapidly during the pandemic. 

Everything we knew about selling changed in the past year, and consumer habits are different now. The types of products people buy now include items that, from our perspective, no one had on their general radar to this extent like masks and sanitizing products. 

Sellers have had to adjust their marketing campaigns, (see the Perpetua Study about Corona advertising trends) target audiences, and sometimes even business models. 

But how can you know when to change or what direction to take? 

How Can I Find Amazon Trends to Rise Above The Competition?

Trends are not hard to come by. 

Odds are that, if you’re involved in an industry, you might have a sense of what’s trending at the moment. Or at least you should be aware of the latest innovations and how the world is moving in regard to your niche. 

If you’re starting in a new area that you don’t know a lot about, here are a few tips to give you a boost:

Read Newsletters and Magazines

There are a lot of these out there; many of them are specific to certain industries. It is vital to stay current with what’s happening in your business environment. 

By doing this, you can stay sharp when noticing shifts in the consumers’ and the market’s behavior.

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Ask Your Suppliers

No one knows what items are being sold and which ones are left behind better than those who sell you your inventory. Remember, they provide for thousands of sellers like you, which means they have firsthand knowledge of market behavior, and they want you to sell more. At the end of the day, this translates into more business for them.

Keep a Healthy Relationship with Your Suppliers

Talk to them regularly to understand what’s moving, which are the hot sellers in your industry, and what is becoming a hit; not just in your country, but in other parts of the world. You might find a new trend that you can introduce into your market.

Browse Novelty Shops and Channels

There are many places where you can see upcoming or trending products that people are hooked on.

At some point in your life, you might have seen a Facebook post for a product so innovative you wish you had it in your hands right away. Probably just to find out if it was a prototype, Kickstarter campaign that never took off, or only sold in another county. 

Those are the types of content you need to be on the lookout for: What’s new, fresh, and blowing people’s minds? 

If the products are only sold overseas, good! You can introduce them into your market, as we mentioned above. 

If it’s just a concept product, you might be able to find a similar one that you can bring to your niche. 

Scout for innovation and it’ll pay off eventually. Some of the pages you can keep an eye on are:

• Wish.com

• AliExpress.com

• YouTube reviews

• odditymall.com

Check Amazon’s Trend Report

Source: Amazon Trend Report

A good rule of thumb is to check what’s trending on Amazon. Whether you sell on the platform or not.

Amazon’s trend report is not very extensive. However, it is the result of their analysis on sales in their own platform; so, ‘accurate’ is a good word to describe it. 

What’s Trending on Amazon in 2021?

Fitness & Exercise Equipment

According to the Amazon trend report, the most significant trend right now is Fitness. With the gyms closed for over a year and most sports being banned because of the risks involved with the COVID 19 virus, many people have taken to online workouts or home workouts. 

Since the pandemic started, there has been an increase in demand for gym equipment and sports equipment in general. 

People are taking online yoga classes, online fitness coaching, and all sorts of group fitness classes.

The Art of Following Trends

If following trends sounds like a lot of extra work, let us tell you why it is absolutely worth it. 

Let’s start by saying that keeping up with trends is not always an easy task. It takes research, time, and dedication. Plus, many trends are in fact fads.  

Your timing as a seller will be crucial to succeeding in getting a piece of the action. If done in the wrong way, you could miss the opportunity. Not to mention that a lot of sellers will be competing to get on that train that sucks you in faster than you might react. 

So, why go through all that effort? Here are a couple of advantages:

• Popular items will make big bucks fast. And since most customers want to stay current and relevant, they’ll pay top dollar to get in on the latest trend.

• Following trends is a good way to accelerate your business. If you’re a small seller this might help you turn a low investment into profit. It’s proven to work, you don’t have to wonder how well the item will sell, you already know people want it. 

If you play your cards right you can even get complementary items into your store to keep the trend going or expand into a bigger market.

Trends are an amazing opportunity to grow, and grow fast. But like any strategy, it comes with its disadvantages:

• Passing trends are not good for building a long-term business. Long term shops need items that people will always want. For example, there are a lot of sports retailers, some of them are big chains or brands, but have you ever seen a specialized fidget spinner store dominate the market? Neither have we.

• Competition can get ugly. Whenever there is a new trend sellers rush to get a piece of the cake. We’re talking about high volume competition. Everyone is out there trying to position their product. On top of that, many unethical sellers will use dirty tactics to take your listings down with fake reviews. You’ll need to be ready for fierce competition, small and inexperienced sellers might eventually not be able to keep up.

• Timing is everything. A bit too late and you’ll miss it! This will leave you with unsellable inventory, dead products, and a saturated market where people have tons of options and it becomes impossible to compete. You need to get there first!

Keep in mind that even if you’re selling trending items, that doesn’t mean people will magically find your listings; you need to promote like crazy. 

Did you know?

Benchmark your advertising performance against the trends in your category, marketplace, and ad format - with the free Benchmarker!

Last Words of Advice

The times when organic traffic was a common occurrence on Amazon is gone, even when talking about trending items. 

Here are a couple of extra tips:

• Set up a sales funnel. This is a process where your potential customers meet several scenarios that push them towards that final sale. It can start with a great piece of content like a video or an article that then prompts the consumer into signing up for a freebie that eventually makes them want more and ends up purchasing the full package or item. Find the best funnel flow for your business and implement it.

• Use the Amazon Influencer Program to give your product more exposure. You might think influencers are just flashy internet celebrities, but they’re incredibly powerful marketing tools as well. Find an influencer with good credibility to endorse your products and you are sure to drive your sales up.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that because you’re selling a highly sought-after product that means it’s going to sell itself. You need to put in the work by promoting it and attracting the right customers.

We hope you've found these tips helpful, and we wish you luck incorporating products that keep up with current trends.