AliExpress is a well-known business-to-consumer (B2C) platform where vendors from all over the world sell millions of items.
And so it should come as no surprise that AliExpress is also a big supplier to the dropshipping industry. However, you shouldn’t waste your time and money on everything you see.
Because of this, if you feel overwhelmed by the options, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.
We’ll go over what makes the best products to dropship on AliExpress so successful, as well as what makes the worst products a bad investment.
Okay, let’s jump right in!
Characteristics of the Best AliExpress Products to Dropship
Having trouble finding what you need? Remembering these features will make your life much simpler:
High Profit Margin
Profit margins of 10-20% per item sold are common in the dropshipping industry. The profit you make on a product that costs $10 is, at most, $1 or $2.
Yes, we recognize the seemingly small amount. Because of this, selling expensive items is a great way to boost your bottom line. The going rate for high-priced items is often between $200 and $600.
If you sell a product with a $500 price tag and keep 20% of the proceeds, you’ll earn $50 every transaction, which is quite a little better than making only $1.
Therefore, if you have the necessary expertise, high-ticket dropshipping is something to think about. But if you’re not feeling confident, there’s no need to force yourself to.
Product Example: Tents
An inflatable tent for use on nature hikes is a terrific illustration of the kind of high-priced dropshipping goods you should be looking for. Because it deflates, it takes up very little space while being transported to your clients.
Meanwhile, you’re maintaining a healthy margin on every transaction. However, it might be difficult to attract customers to products with such a high price tag, thus this tactic is typically only suggested for more seasoned dropshippers.
Although tents are a terrific item to dropship, you can purchase cheaper tents for $50-$100 each unit.
Large Market
There’s no reason to avoid entering a “saturated” market. Oversaturation, in this frame of thinking, just indicates that demand for the product is great.
That’s why, despite the high number of sellers, the demand for the goods is even higher.
Therefore, if you have no idea what to dropship, it’s probably best to begin with products that already have a sizable customer base.
Product Example: Yoga Mats
It’s no wonder that yoga mats have become a popular dropshipping item, given the current interest in health and wellness.
This vendor has done a terrific job as well, with over 2,000 orders and a strong 4.8 rating to draw in new clients.
As a result, fitness-related products are generally a safe bet these days, whether or not they include a yoga mat.
Easy to Ship
In the absence of logistics expertise, we advise that you focus on shipping just lightweight items. If a product is compact enough, it will be less likely to sustain damage during transport.
For this reason, it is strongly suggested that newcomers to drop shipping start with less complex items.
Unless you’re shipping something extremely fragile in the package, the likelihood of dealing with unhappy customers complaining about a broken goods is quite low.
Product Example: Phone Cases
You can see this clearly in the above image with regards to phone cases and other phone accessories: they will never go out of style. The market may be oversaturated, but you should be able to carve out a nice niche for yourself.
Selling like hotcakes is a safe bet if you’re delivering value for the money.
In addition, the odds of it arriving damaged are low barring some sort of manufacturing oversight.
High Upsell Potential
You can do a lot to keep your store afloat if you find products with room for expansion in the form of upselling. Selling products with optional upgrades or extras is a certain way to build a loyal customer base and steady stream of repeat purchases.
Product Example: Gaming Headphones
Headsets for video games and other gaming peripherals tend to have a fair amount of room for profit maximization. Every month brings a new headset to market, and consumers regularly demonstrate an eagerness to upgrade.
Therefore, if you are interested in entering this rapidly expanding market, gaming headphones are a safe bet.
Hard to Locally Find
Many consumers continue to favor traditional storefronts. What if, though, it’s a commodity that’s hard to come by? That’s something else to think about while you’re searching for a product.
You can also ponder: What goods do you need but can’t readily obtain in your immediate area? Find out if it’s worthwhile to dropship everything that comes to mind.
Product Example: Power Tools
The popularity of woodworking and other do-it-yourself activities continues to rise. If there is a rising market for power tools, why not take advantage of it?
Since most people do not have a hardware store conveniently located near their house, they also meet the bill. Consider the data presented above. There are almost 15,000 orders for a cordless drill from just this one merchant.
Also, the pricing is reasonable, so you can expect to earn a respectable margin of profit from each transaction.
Reliable Manufacturers
Dropshipping presents unique challenges because of the reliance placed on the dropshipper’s source. Therefore, it is imperative that you exercise extreme caution and only do business with trustworthy individuals.
For more compact items like phone cases, this may not be as much of a concern. If you’re dropshipping larger items, though, you’ll want to be sure they aren’t prone to quality control issues.
We understand that as a dropshipper, you may find this to be a bit challenging to manage. However, in most cases, you can tell if the supplier is reliable or not by reading their customer reviews.
Product Example: Chairs
Unlike phone cases, chairs have higher chances of having a manufacturing fault. It could be damaged material, faulty craftsmanship, or anything else that might cause a defect to the piece.
This is why if you’re dropshipping a product like this, then be sure to stick with suppliers who have a rating higher than 4.5. If it’s below that, then thoroughly check their reviews to learn more about the complaints of the buyers.
Triggers Impulse Purchase
Every one of us has made an unnecessary purchase on the spur of the moment. Good marketing deserves credit for that success. The use of a “hot discount” to generate interest in a product is a popular sales strategy for this category.
For lack of a better expression, you need not always seek out novel solutions. Any product, no matter how mundane, can be sold if only the right people are exposed to it.
Product Example: Shoes
There’s a good possibility you’ve placed an order for a pair of shoes after seeing an ad for them online.
You did make a hasty buying decision, and it wasn’t because you were impressed with the design.
Because of this, you can select various casual everyday things outside shoes, including apparel, watches, and even socks.
Great for Daily Use
Showing potential customers things they may actually use is another effective strategy for attracting their attention. At heart, you’ll want to cater to your clients’ ever-evolving wants and needs.
Don’t fret even if the marketplace is completely saturated. If individuals regularly make use of it, then demand is likely to be high. As a result, you’d have an easier time making sales.
Product Example: Water Bottles
We’ve already established that water is a must-have, so coming up with a novel way to market it isn’t necessary. but if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish a lot.
The inspirational labeling on this bottle is what sold us. This water bottle is a terrific way to keep track of how much water you’ve consumed, whether you’re at home, in the office, or at the gym.
Budget Friendly
Another winning tactic is to zero in on things that fit your price range and provide a practical purpose.
You would need to perform some creative thinking to come up with a good solution for this trait.
One piece of advice is to keep an eye out for low-priced things that you might live without but would buy anyhow.
Product Example: Back Massager
This is one you definitely didn’t see coming, but we all know how annoying it is when someone scratches their back. One example of an item that many people would buy if they saw it but never considered buying is a back massager.
Follows Current Trends
Attempting to cash in on the latest fads is a tried and true method of generating quick revenue. However, short-term trends aren’t the same as long-term ones. Only purchase items that are aimed at the latter, as they are the ones we recommend.
Product Example: Temporary Tattoo
Getting a tattoo is a permanent change in one’s appearance and lifestyle. We’re aware that modern surgical methods exist for their removal, but they’re not without drawbacks, including high costs and a high potential for discomfort.
Therefore, these tattoo stickers are a potential profitable dropship item. You can use these tattoo stickers to get a feel for how a design would look on your skin before committing to a permanent inking.
Characteristics of the Worst AliExpress Products to Avoid Dropshipping
If you have a long list of potential purchases, eliminating some of them may help you get to the one you want faster. Here are some indicators of the worst products for dropshipping:
Highly Fragile
Because you aren’t storing any inventory and your supplier handles shipping, dropshipping is often seen as a low-risk way to start a business.
However, this strategy can backfire if you’re looking for fragile products because you won’t have any say in the logistics involved.
Some consumers may receive faulty goods. This will undoubtedly occur on occasion and will be terrible for your store’s reputation.
Product Example: Glass Storage Case
This storage situation perfectly illustrates the potential disaster that might occur while exporting fragile goods.
Even though they are just 6, they have an average rating of 3.8 on the store’s page. The clients may have received a faulty product, which is why they are unhappy.
Costly to Source
Again, this quality wouldn’t be relevant if you’re only interested in high-priced dropshipping. Unless it’s a really delicate and valuable item.
The two together are about as bad as it gets. That’s because you’ll have to pay for a refund out of pocket if the supplier is uncooperative and the merchandise is damaged in transit.
Product Example: Dressing Table with Mirror
The discounted price of this vanity set is merely $64 however the sourcing cost was quite expensive and they only received one order. Things clearly haven’t gone well with that, either.
The only appropriate response is “ouch.” Getting a one-star review on their very first sale has to hurt.
Consider this an illustration of why it’s best to avoid purchasing expensive, easily broken items.
Too Big to Ship
We don’t suggest dropshipping furniture or other large products until you have a firm grasp on logistics.
Even if the profit margin appears attractive, fulfilling orders will be a nightmare for a new business.
Product Example: Luxury King Bed
If executed properly, the high price point of this product can enable you create a massive profit. According to the score, this vendor fell short in some important way.
Dropshipping a product of this size is challenging in and of itself, but if you’re inexperienced, you could end up with some unhappy customers.
Low Upsell Potential
If you’re an entrepreneur opening a store that sells only one item, you won’t need this feature. You need to discover a technique to acquire repeat business as your product selection is limited.
If that’s the case, you should search for products that have upgradeable features. The gaming headphones we mentioned above are an excellent illustration of this.
Product Example: Household Items
One goods store could do well by selling guitars and other musical instruments. Although strange items such as this automatic toothpaste dispenser fall short. What’s the point of trying to sell this item at a higher price?
These items could be a good fit for a store with a focus on dental hygiene. If not, maybe a store where you can sell just about everything.
Counterfeit Products
It goes without saying that fake goods should never be purchased. On AliExpress, not only are they unlawful, but the quality is usually rather poor. Your online store could be banned from the marketplace if that happens.
Product Example: Shoes
You’ll see shoes again, but this time they serve a higher purpose: raising awareness. One of the most widely available types of counterfeit goods on the web is shoes.
Especially on Instagram and other social media platforms, you’ll find many vendors peddling knockoffs of well-known brands at reduced prices.
Although these aren’t a name brand, I wouldn’t recommend them based on the reviews I’ve seen.
Temporarily Trendy
You, as a business owner, need to be able to tell whether a certain fad is just that or if it will be around for good.
Even while it’s tempting to ride the wave of popularity, it’s not worth it to base your business on a product that will be forgotten in a matter of weeks.
Do not waste time on fleeting fads unless you are constructing a store selling a wide variety of products.
Product Example: Fidget Spinners
The popularity of fidget spinners peaked, and then quickly declined, before our own eyes. And despite the high ratings and volume of orders, this is not a good product to dropship.
Fidget spinners were all the rage for maybe a month or so, but nowadays, nobody gives a damn about them.
Toys today are far more varied and exciting. Furthermore, hundreds, if not thousands, of vendors purchased up an abundance of fidget spinners before their popularity petered out.
This demonstrates the peril of jumping on fleeting fads in business.
Potentially Dangerous
Products like pocketknives and hunting rifles are banned as well.
The reason for this is that different nations have different laws, and buying certain things may necessitate obtaining a special permit.
Considering how many other choices you have, we don’t think it’s worth the trouble.
Product Example: Hunter Knives
There’s no doubting that this knife is well-made and sturdy.
However, importation of tactical equipment presents a legal challenge because of the need for familiarity with local regulations.
Some of these countries might even change their laws to limit the import of such goods.
Thus, we are not totally against these products, but we also do not advocate them.
Although knives for the kitchen can be safely ignored, we’ve compiled a list of reliable producers for your convenience.
Cheap Quality
The goal of any product search should be to locate a solution that meets the needs of both the target market and the seller.
Many shopkeepers dabble by offering a cheap, low-quality goods at steep discounts.
The problem is that even then, customers would still provide bad feedback, so it’s not a good tactic.
Product Example: Earphones
Don’t get me wrong, the earbuds’ rating isn’t terrible. Although 4.3 is deemed above-average, it is still considered low when compared to other options in this competitive market.
Perhaps the earphones’ subpar audio quality was to blame for their poor sales performance. However, they completely ignored its low pricing before writing their evaluation, which we do believe is a bit unjust.
Overall, though, it’s a prime illustration of why you shouldn’t put too much stock in the seemingly attractive mix of low price and mediocre quality.
Health Related
It’s best to stay away from anything edible or that could cause an allergic reaction.
You have no idea what ingredients your local supplier is using unless you are dropshipping straight from a recognized brand or sourcing service.
The worst case scenario is that you get in problems with the law.
Product Example: Supplements
Dropshipping consumables such as vitamins and personal care goods carries a high degree of danger. If they result in any sort of medical problem, you could be in some serious trouble.
Also, a few negative comments might severely damage your reputation.
We don’t know about you, but if a supplement vendor had a 4.0 rating, we’d have a hard time trusting them, even for this product.
Limited Advertisement Potential
Products with low advertising potential or that are difficult to promote should be avoided. Indeed, successful advertising is the key to any successful dropshipping business. And if you can’t do it without being judged, you might want to rethink your specialization.
Product Example: Sex Toys
There is a small but significant market for sex toys. They may be common, but they aren’t worth dropshipping because of how little they can be advertised.
Social media sites like Facebook have banned the advertising of sex devices altogether. As we said up above, a product has no place in a dropshipping store if you can’t sell it.
FAQs about Dropshipping AliExpress Products
Is It Legal to Use AliExpress Product Photos for My Store?
Using the same product photos as your supplier should not be a problem. Simply delete their branding and, if you’re still wary, contact them for approval.
Yet, if you want higher search engine rankings, the best thing you can do is to use photographs you’ve taken yourself. For the most part, but especially if your supplier hasn’t done a great job.
Can I Dropship Any Product from AliExpress?
You can negotiate shipping terms with the manufacturer and arrange drop shipping for the vast majority of AliExpress’s offerings. But the real issue is whether or not you should. No.
Researching the market and the supplier’s reputation is essential prior to beginning the dropshipping process.
You’ll be wasting your time and money if you try to dropship anything you come across.
Is Dropshipping AliExpress Products Profitable?
Many Amazon sellers do in fact get their merchandise from AliExpress. The reason for this is because the platform offers some of the most competitive prices for goods and services.
The product’s profit margin increases as its price decreases. Thus, it can be concluded that selling goods purchased from AliExpress through dropshipping does generate a profit.
Final Thoughts
AliExpress, without a doubt, has a huge selection of potential dropshipping items. That’s why it’s so simple to make mistakes, though.
This is why it’s important to determine which category a product fits
