What to sell online? What is profitable to sell via an online store What is profitable to sell via the Internet now.

What to sell in an online store: TOP-5 categories of goods in the Russian Federation + studying demand and choosing a niche + 5 tips from sales experts + 4 steps to start sales.

The popularity of the internet has skyrocketed in recent years! We spend a lot of time at the computer monitor and other gadgets.

Most people just relax: watch movies, listen to music, chat with friends.

For others, the World Wide Web has become a place of work that brings excellent earnings.

There are many options, but the bulk of people on the Internet are engaged in sales.

What to sell in an online store to earn real income? And how to build a successful business on this?

What to sell in an online store: rating of popular products

The first step is to study the statistics of products that are most often bought in online stores.

Statistics show that the most popular are firms selling real estate, as well as clothing, footwear and children's accessories stores.

Of course, working with real estate is an area for professionals and owners of large investment capital. But selling souvenirs or clothes for women is an activity available to anyone with an Internet connection.

When you are just starting to "know" the field of online stores, it is best to start selling one type of product.

It will be easier and more interesting if you choose an industry that is closer to you in terms of type of activity or lifestyle. For example, young mothers will be interested in selling children's clothes or toys.

What categories of goods are more profitable to sell in an online store?

A novice businessman should direct sales to his hometown and region.

Think about what people are missing. You may not have a good sportswear or outdoors store in your area.

Walk through supermarkets, study the assortment, interview people (yes, at least your neighbors), listen to their opinions.

The products that you want to sell to customers must be in demand, be relevant today, and have a target audience in your region.

Let's say you decide to sell souvenirs, but a similar store already exists in the city. It is unlikely that in this case they will order products from you. Indeed, in an online store it is impossible to touch a thing, to study its shortcomings and advantages.

On the other hand, if the cost is an order of magnitude lower, then buyers can make a choice in your favor.

So what to sell in an online store?

  1. Real estate.
  2. Clothing and footwear.
  3. Childen's goods.
  4. Digital and home appliances.
  5. Recreation and sports.

These are the most demanded product groups today throughout Russia.

In order to decide what exactly you want to do, you need to consider each of the options separately.

No. 1. Property For Sale.

A very profitable undertaking is to create a website about real estate. This category includes the sale of cars, apartments, houses, land, etc.

Of course, for this kind of employment it is good to have experience as a realtor, or at least elementary concepts about this profession.

Since the price for this category of goods is high, the income of the owner of such an Internet project will be considerable.

A real estate office that works online places all ads for the sale or purchase of real estate, most often for free. Income will be accrued to the owner from the placement of the accompanying, and most importantly, from completed transactions.

You can increase profits by hiring 1-2 realtors in your mini-staff who will be able to travel to properties and sell real estate.

In addition to the site, you can also create pages on social networks to increase the reach of potential customers.

No. 2. Online clothing and footwear store.

Increasingly, people began to order clothes and shoes via the Internet. On the network you can find many different models at a lower cost than in regular outlets.

There is a risk of making a mistake with the size or facing poor quality service in the online store. However, people continue to buy their new clothes online.

If you decide to start selling clothes, then decide on your target group. You might want to sell menswear or plus size clothing.

The next step is to conclude a deal with the supplier. In the course of cooperation, he will send you photos from the collection, which you will post on your page on social networks or on the website.

We remind you! Analyze the pricing policy of other online stores, as well as clothing markets. Your price should be slightly lower than your competitors, but you should still make a profit.

No. 3. Childen's goods.

Young mothers simply do not have enough time to go shopping to buy clothes or toys for their baby. For help, they turn to all the same online stores.

If you have children, then you can sell used items for your baby along with new products. Online commissions have become especially popular in recent years due to the crisis in the country.

You can get friends and relatives to sell, who in this way will be able to both themselves and you (for example, on the condition of selling "at a percentage").

No. 4. Digital and home appliances.

On the Internet you can find many offers for the sale of digital and home appliances. The competition is strong, but the profit will also be high.

To get into the leaders in sales of equipment, you need to spend a lot of time and your own resources.

Opening such a project will not be easy. It is imperative to hire a consultant who knows all the nuances of selling equipment and understands technical innovations.

He should always be in touch and be able to answer all the questions of buyers.

Due to the oversaturated market of digital and home appliances, it is unrealistic to quickly become a successful entrepreneur.

No. 5. Recreation and sports.

Goods for outdoor activities and sports are popular. As a rule, products of this category are much cheaper on the Internet than in ordinary stores.

As for provincial cities, they often lack crazy quality sports and leisure products.

In such an area, if potential buyers have the opportunity to purchase such products, it will be very useful to open a specialized online store.

How to start selling online?

Usually the workflow looks like this:

  1. You are looking for a good supplier who will supply products in bulk at the lowest possible price.
  2. Create your online store based on social networks, marketplaces or as a separate website.
  3. Next, you will exhibit the goods on the site already with a “wound” price. This difference in cost will be the income of the store.
  4. After your business starts to develop, you can add some more product categories to your assortment (for example, accessories will become a good “party” for women's clothing).

Note! Before you wind up the price, study the policies of competitors.
To attract buyers, it is important that the price for the same product is slightly lower than that of your “rivals”.
Reducing the cost of even 5-10 rubles can make a difference.

Often people, daydreaming about how much money they will make, open a business without a business plan. This is a gross mistake!

A well-designed business development plan is the key to success, even if you just want to sell jewelry online.

An approximate structure for creating a business plan looks like this:

If, after a few months of operation, the business is not profitable, think about where you made a mistake. It may have been a bad promotional campaign, or your range may simply not be marketable in a particular region.

To draw up a business plan, as well as determine the vector for the development of your online store, answer yourself the following questions:

QuestionAnswer
How much will you have to invest in the project? Decide how much money you have. It is not possible to open a store without money at all. You need to spend the first months on the purchase of products + the creation and promotion of the site. Only after “things go”, you will be able to make a profit and direct it to the development of the business.
Where do you plan to sell your products? Decide for yourself with which regions of the country or maybe the world you expect to cooperate. It is better to start from your city and regional center, and then expand and sell products throughout the Russian Federation + abroad.
Do you have experience in sales or website promotion? If you are new to this business, don't worry. There are many useful tutorials and seminars on the web that will help you understand the basics of online trading.
Will there be demand for products? Analyze the rating of goods that are sold through the worldwide network. It’s better not to take risks, but to follow the proven path (at least when this is your first business, and there are no unique ideas).
How about delivery? Decide how you will send packages to customers. This is one of the most important moments for any online store.

What to sell in an online store so that the business is profitable?

When choosing a product that is profitable for the sale, let's turn to 5 tips from successful owners of online stores:

    If you have a limited budget, it is better to sell inexpensive products.

    This requires less + they will be cheap to deliver to the buyer.

    It is worth comparing the pricing policy of online stores and markets in your area.

    Every seller understands that a customer on the Internet is looking for something that is cheaper than in a regular store.

    During a crisis, it is worth selling mid-priced goods in an online store.

    After all, those who have money will buy anything in an expensive boutique. Middle-income people (there are many more of them in our country) will look for where to buy cheaper.

    It is best to sell products that you understand.

    If you can easily give advice to your buyer, this will be a significant competitive advantage.

    If your online store sells only in a specific region, then conduct a survey on the topic: “What can not be bought in our city?”.

    Based on the results of a survey of people, add to your product grid the products that many potential customers in your city are looking for.

If you decide to open a store on the Internet, then feel free to start acting. Do not be afraid that there are already a lot of projects on the network.

Statistics confirm that the number of online shoppers in the world is only increasing, so there is and will be demand.

How much can you earn from online sales?

It is difficult to name a specific figure that you will receive from your online store.

Income depends on such factors:

    Project scale.

    The larger the range, the higher the income will be.

    Contribution of own funds to the business.

    Owning a business is always a risk. It happens that an entrepreneur invests a large amount, and the business idea “burns out”.

    It is better not to act so recklessly at the initial stage of opening an online store. Develop the project gradually.

    Website traffic.

    Unfortunately, many people are still afraid to order online, especially in new stores. According to statistics, out of 500 people who visit the site, 1-2 people make a purchase.

It's one thing to answer the question what to sell online and another is to make sure that buyers appear.

What is better to sell in an online store?

Find out what's in demand right now:

At the initial stage, on average, earnings will be equal to 5,000-7,000 rubles. Successful projects that have been working for years can already bring profits in the millions, but for this you need to work hard and invest effort and money.

The dynamics of the development of the modern economy in the Russian market has abolished the term "deficit". At a time when the country was at the stage of changing the previously existing economic system, imported products were mostly presented on the domestic market, in addition, this trend even affected the food products sector. However, over time, the situation returned to normal, Russian enterprises rose from their knees, and today they produce quite competitive products, which are characterized by high quality.

The windows of modern stores are strewn with a huge variety of different goods, which is why it is quite difficult for a novice entrepreneur to decide in which direction of trade it is better for him to open his business. The market economy today involves the work of a businessman in conditions of fierce competition, when the entrepreneur who organizes the sale of products at the most affordable price wins.

Moreover, it is important to make the right choice regarding the specialization of the outlet being opened, otherwise there is a high risk of failure. Therefore, the entrepreneur must first analyze the demand in the consumer market and decide what is profitable to sell today and right here.

Category of goods "increased demand"

Most businessmen who have ever dealt with trading know the main law: an increase in supply is accompanied by an increase in demand. That is why the vast majority of organizations are taking all possible measures to debug the production of goods that are in high demand among consumers. The trend of such a plan also extends to the trade specialization of the store, since every entrepreneur wants to plan the work of a company whose goods will be profitable to sell on the territory of the Russian Federation.

The task of determining a profitable direction in trade is not easy enough. The high level of competition, as well as the abstractness of the issue together increase the risk of making the wrong choice. However, the final result of sales is influenced not only by the demand for the product, but also by the ability to present it to the buyer. That is why a businessman must take care, regardless of the chosen direction of trade, that only highly qualified sellers serve the customers of his store. Tips for a beginner businessman.

The following items are considered the most popular categories of goods today:

  1. Food products. You can open a personal business specializing in the sale of food products if the premises of the future store are located at the intersection of crowded streets, near bus stops or large enterprises. In places with high traffic, competition is not so strong.
  2. Hygiene products and clothing are in second position in the popularity rating. The high demand is explained by the fact that every average bang uses a huge variety of different hygiene products every day, therefore, the need to purchase appears often. The category of essential products also includes clothing, which each person purchases approximately two to three times per quarter.
  3. Household goods and household appliances are used and bought somewhat less frequently, but they are mandatory in every home.
  4. Electronics, for example, tablets, mobile phones, laptops, are in high demand today. This direction is considered quite profitable, although competition in this area of ​​specialization remains consistently high. This is explained by the fact that most consumers, in pursuit of the technical process, constantly buy new clothes.

What is profitable to sell today: online trading

Almost every modern consumer has access to the Internet. The daily operation of the electronic information system has pushed the development of the online market.

In such sales, there are practically no restrictions regarding the range of goods, therefore, you can sell the same products as on the shelves of traditional, stationary stores.

However, it is still possible to single out several categories of goods, the sale of which already from the first days brings a fairly high profit. With a high margin on the Internet, you can profitable to sell:

  1. Radar detectors, various models of video recorders, navigators. This category of electronic products is quite popular today, Russian residents buy it quickly with a 100% trade margin. On average, the purchase price for an average model is 500 - 700 rubles. You can start trading with ads posted on the pages of Avito or other similar resources.
  2. Shoes and clothes are one of the main selling goods on the Internet. You can earn quite a lot on online sales because they cost a penny on Chinese sites.
  3. Car cosmetics and accessories for cars are all kinds of brushes, cleaning products, polishes and other care procedures. This category also includes various seat covers, pillows, rugs and so on. In the domestic automotive market, prices for goods of this kind can be 3 times higher than the purchase price.
  4. Unusual gifts are also bought quite often. For example, the recent "boom" - a talking hamster, a knife - a business card, thermal mugs with a creative design, and so on. The margin in this case can be one hundred percent or more.
  5. Various accessories for men and women, such as belts, umbrellas, bags, scarves, glasses and other items.
  6. Home textiles, bathroom products and furnishing details for other rooms. Things are purchased for each home, so they are in consistently high demand.
  7. Phones and tablets from Chinese manufacturers in most cases are not inferior in quality to other manufacturers in other countries, but they cost much less. Therefore, in Russia they are often bought.
  8. Mobile accessories, such as cases, screen protectors, glasses, and so on. The mark-up to the purchase price for such products can be 300 - 400 percent, which allows you to quickly get the desired income.

What is profitable to sell today? This question is always relevant for any seller, the information is provided, and it is up to you to draw conclusions.

And if you are still in doubt about what to sell, think about opening a franchise business of a well-known brand.

E-commerce is a promising area that is currently popular among start-up entrepreneurs. Everything is justified - relatively low costs, the possibility of organizing business in the most profitable areas. And in order for all the expectations of a businessman to come true, it is important to choose the right product for further sale. But how do you know what sells best on the Internet, because this niche is literally overflowing with offers?

High competition is the main disadvantage of the direction. Thanks to the introduction of the simplest and completely free online tools that allow you to organize trade, a lot of online stores, large and not very large, have appeared on the Web.

Having decided what is better to sell in an online store, you can create a unique project that offers customers a sought-after product - original and high quality. But if you do not think over this moment, the online platform will simply get lost on the Web among the abundance of the same "gray" sites.

How to determine if a product will be in demand?

It is impossible to unambiguously answer the question of what is better to sell via the Internet - a lot will depend on third-party factors. Therefore, having decided, the first thing to do is to analyze the market.

Drawing up a business plan is important even when organizing an online store, especially when it comes to a large-scale project in which you plan to invest. It describes not only the main costs of starting a business, but also the further strategy of the business.

To determine which product is better to sell on the Internet in a particular region and on a particular site, you need to pay attention to the following important points:

  • The product must be in demand. Hoping to continue to receive high incomes, you should sell only those goods that, regardless of the season, are in high demand. And you can find out what exactly is interesting to the potential audience in 2 ways - either analyze the activities of competitors, or look at Yandex Wordstat. But sometimes low demand is not an indicator of the hopelessness of the product - perhaps this direction is just emerging.
  • The product should not have impressive dimensions. Small items are much easier to work with. What sells best in online stores - mobile phones or furniture? Of course, the first option, because you will have to pay a lot of money for the delivery of large interior items - it is much easier to make a purchase at a local furniture store. And it will be more convenient for the seller himself, especially if the project has a minimum budget - you can do without renting large warehouses.
  • The product must be with a wide range of products. If you analyze which products sell well on the Internet, it will be clear that a wide range of products attracts more customers to the site. And it would be nice (at least in the future) to start selling some additional related products. For example, an online store of mobile phones can also be "diversified" with covers.

When organizing a business on your own, it is better to choose a well-known product in which the seller understands - then the business can be run independently without the involvement of specialists.

Assessing the competition, it will not be superfluous to choose a niche that is relatively free, since it is always difficult for “young” projects to win the favor of customers. Does it make sense to open the 1000th store selling sliders, providing products to the same city? Hardly.

Most Selling Items on the Internet

There are a lot of online stores. This means that many entrepreneurs have already found "their" product. And having compiled a list of those products that are now selling well via the Internet, you need to choose the best one - taking into account the analysis of the market.

The share of various groups of goods sold in Russian online stores.

You can designate the TOP of goods popular among consumers:

  • electronics and home appliances,
  • clothes and shoes,
  • laptops and computers.

Books, children's products, building materials, food, sporting goods - these goods are more often bought by consumers in physical stores. And it will be more difficult for an entrepreneur to master many areas, since mandatory certification of products sold will be required.

Well-selling goods on the Internet, if the entrepreneur approaches the matter correctly, will soon begin to make a profit. But choosing a product is just the beginning. There is a lot of work ahead to promote and develop an online store. And if there are no extra funds, then you will have to deal with the promotion of the project on your own - and this is a significant time investment.

It is born from a thought, an image. And opening an online store requires detailed analysis, a well-organized business and a clear trade policy from the organizers. The number of online stores is increasing daily. Therefore, today in this publication we will tell you about what goods and services to sell in online stores? And also we will talk about what is profitable to trade? Indeed, in this article we will talk about the most popular goods and services that are sold via the Internet. We will also offer options for trading in small metropolitan areas, and decide what is still more profitable to trade during an unstable economy.

Assortment of frequently visited online stores

It's no secret that you can buy almost absolutely everything through the Internet. So, in the online store Amazon.com, which is the most visited online store in the world, goods from 36 product categories are sold (from clothes, shoes, toys to household appliances, jewelry). In the Russian Federation, the most popular store is Ozon.ru. It sells goods from 17 product categories, up to the sale of travel packages. Also here you can see tickets for sale: cinema, concerts or exhibitions.

What to trade in an online store

If you don't know then we will try to answer this question. Day after day, hundreds, thousands, millions and billions of people access the worldwide web. Therefore, there is a huge chance that they will visit your page (shop). Hence the conclusion, you can sell anything in the online store. But for starters, we advise you to focus on 2-4 product categories. And if the trade process goes uphill, then the range can be expanded as needed. Let's take an example. Let's say you sell clothes and shoes. In such an area, let's say you have achieved a certain level of profit. Therefore, at this stage, feel free to expand the range of watches and jewelry. Profit growth will not keep you waiting. But remember, an increase in demand for one group of goods is not always accompanied by an increase in demand for another.

Sale of exclusive goods in the online store

There are also such online stores that specialize in the sale of one product, which can also be sold with a good profit. For example, these are sites that sell handmade products. All things that are made by hand, with the addition of individuality and creativity, are very popular and bring long-awaited profits. Therefore, you can also trade exclusive goods in your online store and get a good profit from this activity.

The more often they trade, and, accordingly, what more often they buy via the Internet

Next, we will figure out what products people most often buy through the global Internet. For you, we have compiled a list, having studied the conjuncture of the Internet market in Russia. It presents the groups of products that are in the greatest demand, indicating the number of online stores specializing in their sale. Perhaps this list will help you and you decide on the choice of a particular product for your store.

  • Gifts, souvenirs, flowers 196,
  • Children's goods, toys 180,
  • Everything for the interior 169,
  • Auto parts 159,
  • Fashion clothes, shoes, bags 158,
  • Sports and tourist equipment 149,
  • Household appliances 147,
  • PC and accessories for them 129,
  • Building materials 126,
  • Perfumery, cosmetics 108,
  • Shops for adults 106,
  • Household chemicals and household goods 102,
  • dietary supplements 99,
  • Mobile phones and accessories 97,
  • Discs audio and video format 93,
  • Books and magazines 89,
  • Food, alcohol, cigarettes 87,
  • Equipment for production and trade 79,
  • Medicines 77,
  • pet shops 75 ,
  • Computer software and games 72,
  • Jewelry 68,
  • Antiques 65,
  • Air conditioning systems 62,
  • Stationery 59,
  • Photo and radio products 52,
  • Watches and accessories 49,
  • Musical instruments and equipment 29,
  • Virtual Goods 25.

Based on the examples given, we draw conclusions about which goods are sold the most and vice versa. Of course, what is sold more, demand comes there, but there is competition at the same time. We have given a large list of examples of product categories, so choose the one you need, analyze in this segment, and take your rightful place among your competitors.

What influences the choice of a product for an online store

The choice of a particular product category is influenced by several factors:

  1. how much do you plan to spend on starting a business;
  2. the level of demand for the product;
  3. what information do you have about the product;
  4. the scale of the market coverage;
  5. the main trends in the Internet business.

Currently, the economic crisis dictates new rules. And entrepreneurs either restructure their work, look for new methods, or leave the market altogether. So what is worth trading in an online store? Of course, the product you choose should be in high demand among the population. If, initially, the starting capital is small, then you should not choose an expensive or large-sized product, as difficulties and high transportation costs may arise in the future. In this case, choose a product that you are well aware of so that you do not have to spend precious time studying it. If an online store will operate in a certain market segment, for example, in one city, then carefully study the needs of its population.

How to choose the right product

To answer this question, you need to clearly know the trends of the Internet market. So, competent entrepreneurs earn decent money, having managed to predict, in the near future, the demand for a particular group of goods. In the current economic environment, the demand for some goods has fallen, while for others it has increased. So what products are better to offer for sale in a crisis? Let's figure it out.

What goods do we trade in a crisis

From this article, you will learn how profitable it is to trade in an online store. Oddly enough, during a crisis, the demand for expensive and exclusive goods is growing. Rich people are regular buyers of this category of goods. During a crisis, they try to invest in antiques, jewelry and other expensive items. But goods in the middle price category, alas, are falling in demand. This is due to the fact that during the crisis, consumers' wages are reduced, and they, trying to save money, buy lower-quality goods at an affordable price for them at the moment. And accordingly, they artificially increase the demand for cheaper goods (cheap clothes and shoes, budget vacations.) Based on the above, we draw conclusions about the choice of goods for our online store:

  • we start selling expensive, exclusive things, focusing on a well-to-do contingent;
  • We provide uninterrupted supply of cheap goods for middle-income consumers.

What to trade in a crisis

We bring to your attention ideas of what you can still trade in an online store in the current crisis.

Equipment for industry and construction. At this time, many new enterprises are opening in Russia, and everyone, of course, is trying to invest less money, considering it as an option to purchase used equipment.

Home appliances, electronics. Today, the population of our country buys inexpensive second-hand goods. Therefore, buy broken equipment, repair it and make a profit from sales.

Food. Of course, inexpensive, set prices lower than those of your competitors and everything will work out.

Spare parts for cars. Again, people in a crisis do not spend money on brand new cars, but repair old ones, turning to you for inexpensive auto parts.

Jewelry. It's always a great investment. Elite, exclusive and expensive jewelry is always in demand among wealthy buyers.

Inexpensive clothes and shoes. And people in a crisis have to save on this. Therefore, organize an online store with low prices for clothes, shoes and a flow of customers is guaranteed.

I would also like to note the growth in demand for such groups of goods as cosmetics and ready meals.

We earn in an online store without investing money

It also happens that the budget of your online store is limited, and the money was only enough to develop the website. Then we will tell you what you can trade without any costs. Get in touch with discounts on merchandise! This business is very profitable. After all, in conditions of economic instability, people pay great attention to goods and services with discounts. You negotiate with a certain store, put their goods on the site, enter a 100% prepayment, and send part of the money for the order to the supplier.

If you live in a small town and plan to open an online store in it, then take into account the fact that the population in such cities has an income that is lower than in large metropolitan areas, so you should not sell goods with a higher price, they definitely will not use demand. People will give preference to inexpensive, but more or less high-quality goods. Here are some examples of what you can trade in a small metropolis.

Profitable niches for trade: pilaf via the Internet, knives, optics and much more.

 

Since the establishment of commodity-money relations, trade has been one of the most profitable types of business. However, during a crisis, the question of what is profitable to trade becomes especially relevant. Which product will be in demand for sure: already well-known and “promoted” or innovative? Low or high price range? Domestic or imported production?

To understand which product to choose for promotion, you should analyze the market situation in various segments, the prospects for its development, evaluate distribution channels and the level of competition.

Market situation

Nowadays, citizens' incomes are declining, and this entails a decrease in their purchasing power. According to Rosstat, in 2015 the real disposable income of Russians fell by 4%, and in the 1st quarter of 2016 - by another 3.9%.

According to research by "Romir", approximately 70% of our compatriots in 2015-2016. began to save up to 10% on the essentials: groceries, clothes, shoes, and other non-food consumer goods.

Sociologists distinguish four types of buyers depending on their chosen cost-saving strategy (see Table 1).

Table 1. "Portraits" of buyers

Buyer type

signs

Behavior

"Optimizer"

Men over 45 living in major cities

Refusal from expensive brands (21%), switching to cheaper ones (31%)

"Rationalist"

High income people

Make a shopping list (29%) and always follow it

"bargain hunter"

Women aged 35-44, low-income citizens, residents of small towns (100-500 thousand people)

Purchase goods mainly through promotions (19%)

"Thrifty"

Residents of small settlements, low-income people

They stock up on food for future use (16%), go shopping less often to keep their budget under control (22%)

Similar trends are observed in online sales (see Figure 1).

*Data are presented without taking into account online orders of ready meals, tickets, digital goods, bulk purchases

In 2015, according to Vedomosti, they grew by only 3% adjusted for inflation (excluding - by 16%). This is 2.5 times less than in 2014 (8% adjusted for inflation). In an average online store, the check “grew” by 8% and amounted to 4,050 rubles, the number of orders also increased by 8% (growth to 160 million)

According to Data Insight statistics, consumer interest has shifted from electronics and household appliances to budget goods: inexpensive clothing and consumer goods. At the same time, the share of premium brands and expensive goods has decreased. The leaders are sports goods, products for animals and children's assortment.

Summary: the situation on the market makes us think about the formation of a fairly wide range, designed for an audience interested in saving. At the same time, the quality should be acceptable, since competition in the low and medium segments has been and remains high. The marketing strategy should be targeted at different categories of citizens and take into account their preferred ways of saving.

What do buyers want?

Let's take a look at what commodity is profitable to trade today, using the example of successful startups and the most popular franchises (according to Forbs 2016).

Food: pilaf via the Internet

Food items are among the essentials. Even in times of austerity, buyers will never exclude them from the consumer basket. So, in this niche you can take your place. This is exactly what the young entrepreneur Ilkhom Ismailov did. In 2014, he opened an online Uzbek food store Plov.com.

Starting capital - 1 million rubles from their own savings - was spent on equipping the kitchen and creating an order-taking website.

At first, the entrepreneur and his partners only sold pilaf, but in 2015 they expanded their assortment and began to offer sweets, salads, manti, pastries: sales increased by 88%. The online store's revenue in the period from January to April 2016 increased by 2 times compared to the same period last year.

The nearest plans include creating a franchise (there are already about 200 requests from potential franchisees) and opening a business offline: “We understand that we need to go offline,” says Ilkhom Ismailov. — In summer, people try to spend more time outdoors, in parks. We need to be where our customer is.”

According to the results of 2015, I. Ismailov became the winner of the “Young Billionaire School”, annually held by Forbs, and his project was recognized as one of the most promising.

Cooking at home: knives for amateur cooks

During the crisis, people began to visit cafes and restaurants less, but at the same time they still want to eat tasty and beautiful. This trend was noticed by entrepreneur Alexei Yakovlev and signed an agreement with Samura Cutlery, the largest manufacturer of steel and ceramic knives. By promoting the products of this company in the middle price category, you can interest amateur cooks in it. The idea justified itself: today, the Samura franchise (TOP-5 of the Forbs rating in 2016) has 250 points of sale (23 opened in 2015).

Initial investment - 250,000 rubles: involves the cost of equipping a retail outlet and purchasing a starting batch of knives. The franchisee's revenue is 3.75 million rubles, profit - 2 million rubles (knives are sold with a markup of 160%).

Good vision for the price

Demand for health products is consistently high. This explains the success of icraft optics, a federal retail chain of stores selling ready-made glasses and making them to order (it has its own lens-turning workshop). Franchise TOP-12 of the Forbs rating. Currently, there are 130 own and 350 franchise outlets (120 opened in 2015).

Business geography - more than 100 cities. There are no royalties or lump-sum fees. For the entry fee (1.4 million rubles), franchisees receive commercial, lighting, medical equipment and a basic batch of goods.

The franchisor offers partners the opportunity to make up to 300% of the retail margin and, as a bonus, gives 50% compensation for advertising costs.

Revenue - 6 million rubles, profit of the franchisee - 3 million rubles.

For children's creativity

Investing in the younger generation is considered by most parents to be paramount and most profitable, therefore, among everything that is now profitable to trade, goods for children occupy one of the first places. Let's dwell on them in more detail.

If we talk about the offline format, then the franchise for the sale of kits for creativity "Orange Elephant" (TOP-15 Forbs rating) is successfully moving forward: 10 own and 422 franchise points. Franchisors have their own production in China of kits for drawing, modeling, design, decor. Today it is one of the most recognizable and rapidly growing chains of products for children, represented in 61 cities of Russia, as well as in the CIS, Europe, Asia, and South Africa. In 2015, 85 new Orange Elephant outlets were opened.

Initial investment - 250 thousand rubles. Estimated revenue - 7.5 million rubles, profit - 1.9 million rubles.

What is profitable to sell online?

Today, almost everyone can create their own online store. But not everyone knows what to fill it with. The editors of Segodnya invited experts to clarify this issue. Here are some of the categories they recommend for promotion and their marketing features to look out for (see Table 2).

Table 2. What is profitable to trade on the Internet?

What to look out for

  • high demand (seasonal holidays, birthdays, memorable dates, etc.)
  • you can sell goods of your own production with a markup of up to 300%
  • high competition, including with large Internet sites and retail gift shops
  • seasonality (high season - from May to August, peak - before the holidays)
  • the ability to order the delivery of the most popular items - feed and filler, which usually have a large volume, so it is inconvenient to pick them up from the supermarket
  • a good solution for those who do not have a pet store near their home
  • goods with a long shelf life, therefore they are ordered with a significant interval: you will have to actively promote
  • in a crisis, many people switch to animal offal feeding

Hobbies (diamond mosaic, felting wool, paints, brushes, decoupage paper) and collectibles (stamps, coins, antiques)

  • enthusiastic people are a grateful audience: they will always find funds for their hobby
  • it is unprofitable to keep an offline store on this topic, since the product is not essential, but in the online version it is profitable (less overhead costs, lower price, higher demand)
  • many people hesitate to buy collectibles online because of the risk of fakes
  • goods are not cheap, so the demand for them in a crisis will be limited

Goods for recreation and tourism

  • more and more people are oriented towards active and country rest
  • attractive delivery of bulky and bulky goods to the apartment
  • it is difficult to find suppliers (China does not suit everyone)
  • a lot of imports - currency risks
  • seasonal demand
  • many competitors

But not everything depends on the popularity of a particular product. In order for trading to be successful, professionals recommend selling what you yourself are well versed in. If the seller is an expert in his product, the buyer treats him with confidence and quickly becomes a regular, recommends him to friends. This must be taken into account when choosing your trading niche.