7 Best things to sell on Etsy for a more profitable business

Etsy is undoubtedly a great platform to build a profitable ecommerce store. Whether you have homemade products on hand or are using a print on demand business model, top sellers on Etsy swear by the marketplace environment to make money online.

It can be tricky to understand what factors make the top-selling items on Etsy do so well, and that's precisely why we wrote this post.

You may already know what you want to offer as an Etsy seller, but it's essential to understand your market, the competition, and consumer demands. This information will guide you in determining which popular categories you'll compete in and (hopefully!) offer the best-selling items.

• Home decor and apparel are the two most lucrative categories for Etsy sellers to compete in.

• Offering customization and personalization options in your Etsy store will drive sales and increase customer retention.

• Product research and customer feedback are critical in determining what best-selling items you should offer.

• You can expand your product offerings and designs with minimal cost by partnering with a print on demand provider like Gelato.

Determining what items you will offer in your Etsy shop is a critical first step for selling online. Here you'll find the best-selling items on Etsy that can be easily customized and tailored to meet the demands of your target audience.

1. Wall art

From 2022 to 2027, the wall art market is estimated to grow annually at nearly 8 percent, increasing by over $9 million in just five years.

These projections show how lucrative the custom wall art market is and how it will grow in the coming years. From digital art pieces to personalized items to hang in any room, online sellers can make impressive profits from offering wall art in their Etsy store.

We can attribute the popularity of wall art to the ample customization options and the wide variety of products within this category; from posters, canvas prints, wood, and acrylic prints to ready-to-hang framed posters, wall art casts a wide net and is a great product to sell on Etsy if you have designs, photographs, or other graphics to offer. Some Etsy sellers provide digital downloads of their art so customers can print their purchases at the print shop of their choosing, while other sellers ship custom prints or use drop shipping.

Wall art is one of the most profitable items to sell on Etsy because it's easy to produce. If you partner with a print on demand supplier like Gelato, you don't have to worry about printing orders, fulfillment, or shipping any items. We handle it all!

2. Apparel and accessories

The apparel market reached $1.53 trillion in 2022, ensuring that clothing and accessories remain a hot commodity for consumers globally.

Etsy sellers find major success in the custom clothing, apparel, and accessories categories on Etsy because of the versatility they can offer to customers.

There are ample categories within apparel on Etsy; you'll find shops selling items from custom band sweatshirts to personalized gifts and handmade jewelry, hats, tote bags, and much more.

By selling apparel and accessories, Etsy sellers can flex their creativity while offering handmade items that consumers want and can't find anywhere else.

Whether selling vintage clothing or printing unique designs on custom hoodies or t-shirts, apparel is worth selling on Etsy. The demand is always high, and you can cast a wide net with customization options or drill down your niche to a more focused audience that is ready to buy.

3. Children's and baby clothing

When shopping for personalized gifts for babies and children, many consumers head straight to Etsy to dress their kiddos to the nines.

The Etsy marketplace is known for sellers selling printed and handmade products in the baby and kids category, from onesies with clever phrases to adorable custom t-shirts for siblings.

Whether it's for a birthday party, special event, or daily wear, baby clothing is one of the top-selling items on Etsy, and personalized items in this category will fly off the shelves.

You may have specific designs in mind, or you want to offer customization for your customers to add their baby's name, photographs, or cute phrases.

As you sell on Etsy, you'll learn how powerful customization is when selling items in the baby category. New parents and families love adding their spin on the things they buy for their kids.

It's a digital world we're living in, and most people need electronic accessories in their lives.

From laptop storage sleeves and camera bags to custom phone cases, selling items designed to fit various electronics will expand your shop's reach and who you can serve.

In 2022, the market for consumer electronic accessories was valued at $47 billion; we know the demand for gadget accessories on Etsy and other platforms is substantial.

To create best-selling items in this category, offering personalized products where shoppers can add their business name, monogram, and other details to tech accessories will help you stand out against the competition.

Home decor is hands down the most popular niche to sell on a marketplace platform like Etsy. In 2020, homeware and home goods generated $3.2 billion in sales on Etsy. Those numbers don't lie; selling items in the home goods category is a smart business move for any Etsy store.

Many of the best-selling products on Etsy are in this category, with millions of shoppers browsing the home section each day. Etsy sellers offer home goods items, including dishware, vintage goods to decorate the home, linens, pillows, prints, and more.

Consumers love expressing their unique styles through home decor, meaning you can sell products that are easily customizable to cast a wider net and drive more sales in your Etsy listings.

From beautiful wallpaper to custom calendars and photo books to display in the home, personalized items are worth selling because they aren't a one-and-done purchase. Shoppers will return to your Etsy store, knowing you offer something unique and special for their homes, and they'll quickly become loyal customers.

6. Office supplies

The global office supplies market is projected to reach $149 billion by 2028. Office supplies aren't quite as lucrative as apparel or home decor, but this doesn't mean you can't create and sell the best-selling items in this category!

From personalized pens and desk decor to flyers, brochures, and business cards, selling items in the office supplies niche is an effective strategy. You can target the work-from-home crowd (new data suggests this is over 27 million people) who need stationery, notepads, and writing utensils.

Offer personalized gifts and supplies like custom stationary or letterheads, or lean into the event planning niche and offer handmade invitations, bumper stickers, wedding invitations, and other paper products.

Etsy shoppers aren't looking for paper goods or supplies that are mass-produced; they want to spend money on something unique, handcrafted, and special. The office supplies category creates a great opportunity to personalize a particular item for shoppers that they can use during the workday, which sparks joy.

7. Drinkware

From bachelorette party wine tumblers to personalized water bottles for every family member, there's plenty of demand for drinkware on Etsy.

Everybody needs a beverage at some point in their day, and Etsy sellers can offer cute and memorable drinkware options for friends and family to share.

Drinkware offers exciting personalized gifts for various events, holidays, and other special occasions. Consumers are consistently browsing for party supplies and favors, often including mugs, water bottles, and barware. Once you solidify your shop as a go-to for quality custom drinkware, customers will return in droves whenever they host or attend an event.

With the best designs and quality products, drinkware is one of the most profitable things to sell on Etsy. Your shop can sell handmade products in this category, but many top sellers use print on demand once they've determined how well an item sells, so they can streamline their fulfillment and shipping processes.

While the Etsy marketplace is a highly competitive place to sell, there are a few strategies and tips you can utilize to find the top-selling items that will give you the best bang for your buck on Etsy. Keep reading for a few ways to find success selling online with Etsy.

Etsy offers a few handy tools and resources you can use as you research best-selling items and what you want to offer in your shop.

Explore the Trending Now section, where you'll see Etsy's top-selling items in various categories. This changes regularly depending on what people are buying, but typical items include digital downloads, t-shirts, mugs, wall art, and wall stickers.

Google Trends is another helpful resource that provides extensive information on the search terms that consumers are searching and shopping for daily, weekly, and monthly.

You can discover popular search terms with low competition and base your product offerings on this data.

For example, if you are selling handmade jewelry, Google Trends can tell you what shoppers are typing in the search bar when they shop for jewelry during a particular season or in specific locations. With this valuable data in your back pocket, you can adjust your product listings and create best-selling items.

Creating best-selling items doesn't happen overnight; it takes time, research, feedback, and modifications along the way.

An effective way to discover the most profitable items to sell on Etsy is to request feedback from your community.

Whether polling fans and followers on your social media platforms or asking friends and family for their opinions, you can be sure that this feedback will help you create captivating, in-demand items that sell. Additionally, asking for feedback can help you build relationships with your target audience, which is an added bonus!

If you already have items ready to sell, try hosting a presale event where shoppers can purchase items at a discounted price so you can gauge interest in your products. Doing so will allow you to connect with your audience and gain insight into their pain points and what they're shopping for.

The Etsy marketplace was designed as a space for sellers to showcase their handmade items to shoppers who want unique, one-of-a-kind products. Keep this in mind as you evaluate what other sellers offer in their Etsy shop and how you can fill in any gaps in the market.

Say you're going to start selling handmade jewelry, one of Etsy's more popular categories. How can you sell a unique or different product? You can offer more customization options in your Etsy store, better bundling options, or position yourself as a jewelry shop for kids and adults.

The best investment you can make in your Etsy shop is by selling products that are made from high-quality materials. Quality is key when selling custom clothes, wall art, tote bags, or any other product in your Etsy store.

If your product listings are printed items, choosing a reliable supplier is essential to ensure your items are consistently high quality and meet your customers' expectations every time.

By partnering with a reputable print on demand service like Gelato, you'll have access to high-quality products to print your designs on, exceptional customer service, sustainable printing practices, and reliable shipping and handling.

Competing in a top-selling category on Etsy is a challenging feat; for many sellers, it takes months or even years from when they joined Etsy to reach this achievement and start enjoying the boost in profits from selling on Etsy.

However, expanding into new product offerings is easy when you integrate your Etsy shop with a print on demand provider like Gelato. Because POD products are created on demand, you can easily test out new designs and products without the risk of unsold inventory. The best part? You only pay for the products you sell.

Start your journey to becoming a top Etsy seller by offering custom products with Gelato's top-tier print on demand services.