What is a trend product, and how to find popular products

Finding a trending product is a very difficult process that can take a lot of time, but the reward is worth it. In this article, we will talk about what trending products are and how you can find them.

The ability to find popular products is one of the most valuable qualities of a good merchant. If you have a range of trend products, customers will come to you, and your sales will increase. In this article, we will tell you what trend products are and how to look for them.

What goods count as trendy

Trending goods are goods that are in high demand and remain popular for a certain period. A trending product can be driven by the need for it, by fashion, or by the release of new technology. For example, in the spring of 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, medical masks became a trending item because of health protection. People bought them up, even at inflated prices, and the hype lasted for months.

Selling trending products makes it much easier to find customers because people are actively looking for sellers of such products themselves. It is essential for the seller not just to find trending merchandise but also to do so when its popularity is just budding. This way, you will become one of the first sellers of a popular product and have time to squeeze the bulk of the juices out of it before your competitors have time to figure out what is happening. As the popularity of a product increases, the competition grows, so it is not as profitable to start selling a product when the trend has been going on for a long time.

Ways to find a trending product

Google tools

When researching trending items, do not neglect a regular Google search. Make queries like "trendy fall merchandise" and see the results. You are unlikely to find a gold mine in the articles you find, but by intelligently filtering the information, you can always find something of value. If you have a hunch about a possible trend, check it out with free promotion tools like Google Trends.

Use Google Trends to look at queries related to what you think is trending. See how users' interest in the request has changed over the year, then drill down into the graph and look at the data for the last three months. You will immediately see a trend of rising or falling interest. If interest has been low for a long time, but begins to grow gradually, then do not be in a hurry to consider the product a trend. Mark it and follow the dynamics of popularity for a while.

Marketplaces

You can find a section on many marketplaces with the bestsellers - the most popular products. For example, on Amazon, it is broken down into product categories and subcategories, allowing you to find trending products for each niche. By browsing through them, you can determine what is in demand among customers in your online store's business sector category. The list is updated every hour, which is very convenient for tracking trends.

It is impossible to find a section with popular products on all sites. Then an alternative to it is sorting goods by the number of orders. On the same principle as on Amazon, choose your category and see what people order most often. For accuracy, select the items available for delivery in your country.

Specialized sites

There are many trend-tracking companies for online stores: trendhunter, ecomhunt and others. Usually, these services have a fee, but on their sites, you can find free content with valuable information. For example, it can be articles with a selection of trend products or extensive trend reports. In their materials, companies try to record existing trends and predict those that will appear in the future.

Forums and social networks

Social networks are the primary source of operational information and are definitely among the first to signal the emergence of a new trend. For example, on Reddit, there are sub-forums where the owners of online stores from different countries share their personal experiences. Perhaps one of these discussions will suggest a future trend, and you will become a discoverer of this trend.

Another popular community, Pinterest, regularly publishes trend compilations based on users' interests. The selections do not include many specific products, but they can be a source of inspiration for your idea. Pinterest also predicts trends that will emerge throughout the year. The company claims 8 out of 10 of their predictions came true in 2021.

Advertising and newsletters

Watch your competitors' advertising and pay attention to products not previously promoted. A seller can find a prospective product and check how customers will act on it. Especially keep an eye out for ads on social media, such as Instagram. There are many small sellers constantly looking for popular products with high margins. Use them as a source of information on possible trending products.

Follow the newsletters of major online retailers and marketplaces. These companies have a large staff of marketers and analysts who search for and promote popular products. If you notice more than one seller promoting the same item, it might indicate the emergence of a new trend. You can then test this hypothesis on your target audience.

Mistakes in the search for popular products

The saying "not all is shiny gold" best describes the search for popular products. While researching the market, it can be easy to be fooled and confuse a trend with just actively promoted products. Above all, pay attention to seasonality. Product seasonality is a logical and assumed characteristic - popularity arises during specific periods of the year, after which it immediately fades. For example, at the end of spring marketplaces, actively advertise products for home and garden - this does not mean that everyone has become a gardener. It is just that these products are always relevant in the summer because it is time to garden.

Do not let yourself be fooled by intrusive marketing. If stores are calling out for certain products through all promotion channels, they are not necessarily trending, even more so when sold as part of a promotion. It does not take an extra incentive in the form of huge discounts or promotions to sell popular items - people are willing to buy them as is. To avoid incorrect estimates, try to justify the popularity of a product with statistics, such as the number of sales on marketplaces or data from Google Trends.

Help in selling trend products

Do not expect trend products to sell themselves. At the very least, you should inform your customers that you have them. Set up your online store in a way that you can see popular products immediately when you visit the site. To do this, use a carousel on the home page with sales hits. Goods that make it to the hit list will also be marked with the appropriate sticker in the catalogue, making them more visible.

If trending items are just on sale, do an email newsletter telling them about it. Write that you have an updated assortment and include examples of products so users can go directly to the site. You can also run contextual advertising on Google. If the product is not niche, try to reach as much audience as possible with advertising, focusing on the goods. Later on, the product's popularity and sales growth will reflect your investment in advertising.

Conclusion

Finding a trending product is a laborious process that can take a lot of time, but the reward is worth it. Use different ways to find popular products and keep an eye on the market. Trends occur unexpectedly, and you need to react quickly to their appearance.