The ecommerce space is growing at an ever-increasing rate. While such growth introduces a wealth of opportunities for you to build your brand, you must find a way to stand out in order to create a profitable ecommerce business, which means choosing the right online business idea.
This post will provide a list of unique ecommerce business ideas you can capitalize on in 2023. Lucrative niches include:
The smart home products market is one of the fastest-growing industries. According to recent estimates by Oberlo, the market is expected to reach a total global revenue of approximately $195.2 billion by the end of 2026.
If you pursue this ecommerce business idea, you’ll have the freedom to focus on individual products or offer a full lineup of smart home devices. For instance, you could provide smaller devices like thermostats and smart displays or offer a full line of interactive products, including whole home Wi-Fi mesh systems and more.
Latitude like this makes it easier to capitalize on the ever-growing smart home product space and build an ecommerce business that stands out and provides profits.
2. Online education and courses
Online education and training courses have experienced a surge in popularity since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
While the world has almost returned to normal, organizational leaders in almost every industry have realized the value of offering digital training to their employees. Online education and training courses are generally more cost-effective and convenient than in-person alternatives.
Similarly, the rising popularity of online courses is evidenced by the positive outlook for the eLearning market. Technavio predicts that the corporate eLearning market will increase in value by $44.9 billion between 2022 and 2027, a figure that represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%.
If you are passionate about a particular space, such as outdoor products, candles, home decor, or others, the subscription box industry might be an ideal ecommerce business for you. As a subscription box retailer, you can curate unique monthly kits for your members. You can even offer different tiers of subscriptions in order to appeal to a wider audience.
Although the subscription box industry has been around for several years, it’s still going strong. According to Benzinga, by the end of 2021, it reached a market size of $22.7 billion, and the IMARC Group expects it to continue gaining steam to a value of approximately $65 billion by the end of 2027.
4. Online coaching or mentoring
Not to be confused with the eLearning space, digital coaching and mentoring make up another incredibly popular ecommerce business option. Whereas the former focuses on formal training and education, online mentoring services are geared toward helping customers achieve personal or professional goals. Online coaches might provide fitness advice, nutritional guidance, career counseling, or general mentorship.
Although the online mentoring and coaching market may sound relatively specialized, the industry is experiencing healthy growth. Based on Verified Market Research’s report the market size was valued at $1.9 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach a value of approximately $4.56 billion by 2028.
If you are passionate about helping others make their big day picture-perfect, the wedding products and services space represents a rewarding ecommerce business. You could offer wedding planning and logistics support, provide specialty products like gifts and tableware, or offer a combination of these services.
Cumulatively, the wedding services industry boasts a market size of $61.9 billion according to IBISWorld. This is a well-established industry and is expected to experience growth of 3.8% in 2022. While a lot of wedding services are not digital, ecommerce options include planning, invitation design and printing, and products for decor or gifts.
6. Smartwatches
When they were initially released, smartwatches were cost-prohibitive, causing the industry to be particularly niche. But as smartwatch technology has become more advanced and accessible, the industry has grown significantly. Today, Grand View Research values the smartwatch market at $30 billion.
You can become a part of this lucrative industry by offering smartwatch accessories, such as protective cases and bands. If you decide to invest in this ecommerce business idea, you could target a specific audience segment like outdoor enthusiasts. Alternatively, you could create multiple watch band lines to connect with a broad range of customers.
7. Natural health and beauty products
While the cosmetic industry has long been a highly profitable space, modern consumers have shifted their preferences and are now seeking out natural health and beauty products. This is because they typically include fewer ingredients, omit substances that may be allergens or potentially harmful, and are more environmentally conscious.
The natural health and beauty product space is experiencing rapid growth. According to ReportLinker, the organic skincare market alone was worth $8.9 billion in 2021 and was expected to grow to $9.78 billion by the end of 2022. With the global market for natural and organic cosmetics being valued at $29.92 billion in 2021 based on businesswire’s report. These projections indicate that there is plenty of market share to support newcomers to the natural health and beauty space.
According to a Gallup poll, approximately 6% of Americans say they’ve vaped within the last week. By adopting this idea for your ecommerce business, you will serve a growing market of electronic cigarette users. You could offer vaping supplies such as cartridges, liquid refills, and chargers or sell electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices themselves.
As a vape supplier, you could eventually open a brick-and-mortar location as well, but you should research your market to determine whether there is demand for a physical vape supply shop or if you would be better off selling supplies exclusively online.
9. Fashion resale
The secondhand goods and consignment industry has largely transitioned away from brick-and-mortar sales. Today, the fashion resale space is thriving in the digital marketplace. According to Statista, the global market value of the resale and secondhand apparel industry is expected to reach $218 billion by 2026.
As a fashion reseller, you would purchase secondhand goods from customers around the nation, evaluate the potential resale of these items, and then list them as items for sale from your ecommerce business. You could focus exclusively on clothing items or branch out to other categories, such as antique furniture and home goods.
10. Sustainable products
Modern consumers are more conscious of their impacts on their environment. As part of this commitment to safeguarding natural resources, many consumers are seeking out brands that offer sustainable products, including merchandise that incorporates recycled materials, as well as products that are manufactured using ethical sourcing practices.
In order to leverage this online business idea, you must find a sustainable product niche and offer either direct-to-consumer (D2C) retail services or position yourself as a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) partner.
Identifying yourself as a D2C retailer will go a long way in differentiating your business from potential competitors. According to Insider Intelligence, 60% of consumers purchased products from a D2C retailer in 2021, and a reported 65% plan to do so this year.
If you’re not manufacturing products, you can carve out a niche as a B2B2C partner to expand business for your vendors and provide convenience for consumers.
The video game and VR product markets comprise one of the most profitable and diverse entertainment sectors. Through a gaming-oriented ecommerce business, you’ll gain the ability to target a specific audience, like mobile device gamers, or enter multiple domains at once, such as PC, console, and mobile gaming.
Statista shows the mobile game market alone is projected to reach a value of $285 billion by the end of 2027. While the mobile game market is the most lucrative, PC, console, and VR markets are also experiencing strong growth.
12. Natural hair care products
The natural hair care market has long been underserved both domestically and abroad. Fortunately, it’s finally gaining the focus it deserves. Your ecommerce business can concentrate on providing products designed specifically for natural hair, accessories, or even hair style consulting and scheduling.
If you decide on selling Black hair care products or accessories, consider dropshipping to reduce your initial investment and avoid warehousing items. Natural hair has a wide range of textures and styles so offering a wide range of options will help you serve a diverse customer base.
The Black hair care products space reached an estimated value of $1.6 billion in 2021, according to Mintel. It’s projected to experience strong growth over the next decade.
13. Lounge-erie
Lounge-erie, or lounge lingerie, is a genre of nightwear that combines style and comfort. The options are endless as long as the garments are comfortable and make the wearer feel elegant.
The lounge-erie space is incredibly niche, but it also has a strong customer base that is steadily growing since the pandemic. Relevant searches are on the rise on platforms like Pinterest.
As a lounge-erie retailer, you would have the opportunity to provide clients with stylish yet comfortable sleepwear. It’s not just for female consumers either. Male customers have taken to this emerging market quite well, which means that you would have a wide potential audience should you choose to adopt this idea for your ecommerce business.
Grand View Research expects the pet care product market to be valued at $236.16 billion by 2030. This market provides pet owners with access to quality goods, like toys, accessories, food, treats, and more.
Typically, pet product retailers offer a specific lineup of products, especially in their early days. This could mean focusing on particular types of animals, such as dogs or cats. As your ecommerce business grows, you can expand your product lineup or begin offering items for other animals as well.
15. Kitchenware
Kitchenware encompasses everything from coffee mugs to cooking utensils and a multitude of items in between. As with many other ecommerce business ideas, this option gives you plenty of flexibility to take the company in a direction that aligns with your goals.
For instance, you could focus on providing affordable drinkware and silverware or lean into curating a line of sustainable products, like wooden cooking utensils. Another approach might involve offering a diverse range of products so you can effectively serve multiple audience segments. While managing a dynamic inventory could prove challenging, it also maximizes your opportunities to generate revenue.
16. Altbash supplies
If you have never heard of altbashes, you’re certainly not alone. Altbashes are “alternative bashes” — parties or gatherings for occasions that are not traditionally celebrated. A few examples of altbashes include pet birthday parties and divorce parties. Relevant search terms grew throughout 2022 and show no signs of slowing as people look for reasons to get together and celebrate post-pandemic.
In order to succeed as an altbash supplier, you would need to offer a line of fun, kitschy party supplies. Your supplies should incorporate puns, innuendos, and other jokes to lighten the mood at events that may normally carry a serious tone.
Altbashes are all about showing any milestone is worthy of celebration. So don’t be afraid to lean into niches because you never know where you’ll find a kindred spirit.
The online grocery industry reached a market size of $32.7 billion in 2022 according to IBISWorld. This market is unique in the sense that direct-to-consumer sales are generally not an option. Most groceries are still delivered to local stores and then delivered to, or picked up by, consumers.
Despite this, there is still plenty of room for new players in this industry. You could get involved by offering grocery delivery services and partnering with local retailers. Or you could sell goods with long shelf lives directly to consumers. Keep in mind that the latter approach requires significant start-up costs.
18. Drones
Dronelife shows that the civilian drone market has reached a global value of $30.6 billion as of 2022. The market consists of casual drone pilots, avid enthusiasts, and virtually everyone in between.
When pursuing this ecommerce business, you could take a B2B2C approach or supply drone accessories and replacement parts. The broader your product selection, the easier it will be for you to establish a foothold in the market.
19. Home office supply
The number of individuals that work primarily or exclusively from home tripled between 2019 and 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which translates to approximately 27 million people. Some offices are opening again, but most are still offering hybrid schedules so employees are still working from home at least part of the week.
The major shift toward remote or hybrid work has fueled the growth of several markets, including the home office supply space. As a home office supplier, you could tap into this tremendous market, offering a full suite of home office furnishings or focusing on a few niche products to support remote workers. If you’re technically savvy, you might also offer online, third-party tech support.
20. CBD products
CBD (cannabidiol) products are legal in all 50 states and widely available throughout Canada and several other nations. It’s no surprise that the CBD market was valued at $4.9 billion as of 2021 according to Linkedin.
As a CBD retailer, you could offer a wide range of products like tinctures, oils, salves, and creams. Before you attempt to chase this online business idea, though, make sure to review the laws in your jurisdiction, as well as those in any other areas you intend to market in.
You’ll also have to do some research into ecommerce platforms as some platforms might have hurdles you’ll need to work around to market and sell CBD products through their solutions. You can always build your own ecommerce website, but that will take more work than using an ecommerce website builder.
In response to the current economic climate, millions of consumers are tightening their budgets. Help people stretch their money while also establishing a successful business by launching a discount goods business.
The basic premise of an ecommerce business like this is simple. You purchase consumer goods in bulk from manufacturers, and from there, you resell those goods individually or in small quantities. You turn a profit while still providing your customers with a product at a reduced price.
22. Dash cams
Millions of consumers have invested in dashcam technologies to protect themselves from liability in the event of an accident. The surge in demand has caused the dashcam market to grow. Fortune Business Insights expects the market to quadruple in value, reaching a valuation of roughly $16.8 billion by 2029.
As a dashcam retailer, you can provide consumers with dashcams, chargers, cables, mounting devices, and other accessories. This market could also lead your business into selling other car-related accessories as you grow. Since this segment is not limited to a single niche you have the ability to remain flexible as consumer demands shift.
23. Baby clothes
The baby clothes industry provides a variety of clothing and apparel to parents of newborns, infants, and toddlers and is projected to grow to a market volume of approximately $47 billion by 2027, based on Statista’s data. Baby clothing is never out of style, which makes this ecommerce business a particularly profitable prospect.
If you want to maximize the efficiency of your business, you might use print-on-demand and dropshipping services, which both allow you to serve clients without having to manage a huge stock of inventory yourself.
Choosing the perfect ecommerce business idea
Leveraging any of these online business ideas can help you tap into a national market of potential customers and build a successful brand. But it’s critical that you pursue online or ecommerce businesses that mesh with your goals, needs, and objectives.
If you are working independently or are in charge of a small team, focus on ecommerce ideas that align with your passion when determining what to sell. If you are an executive or industry leader interested in branching out, start within an industry whose audience overlaps your existing consumer base.
Once you have settled on an ecommerce business idea, you will need to select a platform to oversee and manage your new endeavor. Adobe Commerce is the world’s leading digital commerce solution for international brands, growing merchants, and independent entrepreneurs alike. From B2B to B2C, this dynamic platform can empower you to reach customers and achieve your sales goals.
Watch overview video or take a product tour to learn how you can take advantage of AI and advanced data sharing technologies in a single, flexible platform.
Use these ecommerce business ideas to start a profitable online business this year. Trends like smartwatches, natural health products, and more can be great starting points for ecommerce businesses.