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Get Inspired by 8 Profitable eCommerce Business Ideas

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Searching for eCommerce business ideas can be exhausting. You could sell almost anything, but what’s actually profitable? How do you make a business that will last?

Read on if you want to be inspired by an idea you haven’t thought about yet.

We’ve put together 8 of the best eCommerce business ideas to fuel your fire. So pick one, build an online store, and get selling.

What will you achieve?

Fashion

Launching an eCommerce business in fashion might sound like an outdated plan.

Consumers are being swamped with information about the damage clothing is doing to the world. Fast fashion is, well
 very unfashionable.

But there are some business ideas in this industry that are really transformative. 

1. Garment rental

The sharing economy isn’t new, but it is booming.

Thanks to technology, people are able to rent a whole host of products and services. From movies to cars to homes, the main sharing sectors are estimated to be worth $335 billion by 2025.

If you want a slice of that pie, garment rental is a great online business idea.

Find your niche – the business of sharing clothes isn’t untapped. You could specialize in:

  • A handful of cult brands. Make sure you agree with their guiding principles.
  • Wardrobe swapping. Help people find and network with like-minded shoppers to save on clothing costs.
  • Accessories over outfits. Make your website a destination for beautiful finishing touches.
Sustainable Fashion Clothing Shop

2. Sustainable clothes

Are you a maker? Do you have a network of talented designer friends?

Starting an eCommerce business that’s centered around sustainability is guaranteed to drive excitement right now.

You could fill your store with:

  • Locally-made products. Get ahead of the game and shrink your supply chain.
  • Simple clothing. Stop chasing trends and offer garments that are timeless and durable.
  • Innovative fabrics. Did you know there’s now leather made from cactus plants? Appeal to the vegan crowd.
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Niche products

Want to start an online store that sells oddly-specific things?

If you find a niche that looks promising, now is a great time to turn that niche into your new eCommerce business.

Try to not limit yourself with a micro-niche, however. These appeal to a small number of people from a broader market; don’t specialize in pink barbecues instead of all barbecues, for example.

Instead, think future-proof and give your niche room to grow.

Vegan Label on a Blue Plate

3. Free-from foods

Food catered towards specific dietary needs is in high demand. Luckily for people with real intolerances, there’s now a huge variety of free-from foods that they can eat.

The trouble is finding it.

While it’s easier than ever to find specialist food in the supermarket, there’s only so much pale bread and boring cookies that people can handle.

Do shoppers a favor and start an online grocery business selling:

  • Fresh or freezable pastries. It’d be perfect for all those celiacs who are missing out on delicious croissants.
  • Nut-free treats and sauces. Create an appetizing online store for allergy sufferers.
  • Familiar foods made in alternative ways. Chickpea pasta and non-dairy milk, anyone? Ease people into alternative ways of eating.

4. Personalizable goods

It isn’t unheard of for stores to offer a monogramming service, particularly around the holidays.

People want their names and faces all over everything right now, and you should jump on that trend.

There are some niche ways to profit from personalizing your goods:

  • Sell custom candies. These are perfect for birthdays, weddings, and baby showers.
  • Sell faces on phone cases. Appeal to influencers and wannabe influencers alike.
  • Sell personalized puzzles. Take advantage of the surge in demand for board games with custom versions.

Creative outlets

Sometimes you just need to harness your talents and make money from them. But it can be tricky finding the right route to success with a personal passion.

Fear not: there are plenty of business ideas for people looking for a creative outlet.

Remember that there are customers for almost everything online, so it’s likely you’ll find demand for your skill set.

Bicycle painted like a watermelon parked on street

5. Creative services

Often, the best eCommerce business ideas aren’t based around selling products at all.

Creative skills are particularly valuable to other businesses and you can make some serious money by sharing your knowledge.

There are loads you can do to monetize your creativity – here are some examples:

  • Graphic design. You could be paid to design logos, typography, or brand guidelines.
  • Copywriting. You can find writing gigs in all kinds of industries, like marketing and retail.
  • Interior design. You could appeal to both business and personal needs.
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6. Your passion

There’s a lot to be said for just following a path that makes you happy.

Sure, it should be a path that leads to commercial success. But it’s possible to turn your hobby or burning passion into a thriving eCommerce business.

Take a look at what drives you – it could be:

  • A professional skill that you want to monetize. Maybe even the job you’re in right now. 
  • A social issue. Do you really care about the impact of plastics on the ocean?
  • A hobby that you enjoy. Turn your crafty pastime into an eCommerce success.

Self-improvement

If your passion is helping others or if you’re just super organized, this is it right here.

Self-improvement is big business. It appeals to all generations, but 94% of millennials were once surveyed as being committed to improving themselves.

And this is something that people will spend money to achieve. 

Two people drinking coffee top view of table and arms

7. Coaching

Are you an absolute pro at something? 

Shaping your eCommerce store around coaching could be a clever business idea. You can command high rates, select your clients, and share your wisdom.

Here’s how you could profit from one of the more niche eCommerce business ideas:

  • Be exclusive. Choose which clients you want to work with and create a client base that sticks around for a while.
  • Make your rates competitive. Be sure to offer something valuable for the money.
  • Create your personal brand. You’ll have to sell yourself as a top expert.

8. Online courses

So you’re one of the best in your field, but you don’t have time for coaching.

This is a great business idea for experts who want to have a much bigger audience. If you make your courses downloadable, you can have a global reach.

With online courses, you can:

  • Create a thriving online store. Make your courses into digital downloads and let people access them offline.
  • Appeal to a broad target market. People are looking to learn about anything.
  • Scale your company. There will always be space for your online course business growth.
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Written by

Author avatar

Olivia

Olivia is a writer for Zyro and an eCommerce know-it-all. Having spent many years as a retail buyer, she loves writing about trend forecasting, brand building, and teaching others how to optimize online stores for success. She lives in London and spends a lot of time exploring the city’s parks with her whippet.

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