Table of Contents
- How Many Products Should I Start With When Dropshipping in 2025?
- How Many Products Should I Start With for a General Store?
- Pros & Cons Of General Store Dropshipping
- Pros of Dropshipping with a General Store
- Diverse Product Range
- Market Trend Adaptability
- Exploration of Niche Markets
- Lower Risk of Saturation
- Testing Product
- Cons of Dropshipping with a General Store
- Lack of Expertise
- Targeting Challenges
- Brand Identity Issues
- Higher Advertising Costs
- Competition with Specialized Stores
- How Many Products Should I Start With a Niche Store?
- Pros & Cons Of Niche Store Dropshipping
- Pros of Dropshipping with a Niche Store
- Targeted Audience
- Expertise and Authority
- Efficient Marketing
- Lower Advertising Costs
- Brand Recognition
- Cons of Dropshipping with a Niche Store:
- Limited Product Range
- Market Volatility
- Initial Market Research
- Competition with Established Brands
- Diversification Risks
- Is One Product Dropshipping Store a Good Idea For Beginners?
- Pros & Cons Of One Product Store Dropshipping
- Pros of Dropshipping with a One-Product Store
- Simplicity
- Clear Marketing Focus
- Brand Recognition
- Easier Testing and Optimization
- Lower Initial Investment
- Cons of Dropshipping with a One-Product Store
- Dependency on Product Success
- Limited Revenue Streams
- Market Saturation Risks
- Upsell and Cross-Sell Challenges
- Market Trends and Seasonality
- Related Reading
- 9 Factors To Consider When Deciding How Many Products To Start With
- What’s Your Budget Like?
- How Much Time Can You Dedicate?
- What’s the Learning Curve Like?
- What’s Your Business Model and Goal?
- Know Your Target Audience
- Manage Your Resources Wisely
- Focus Your Marketing Efforts
- Use A/B Testing to Optimize Your Products
- Add New Items From Time To Time
- Avoid the Paradox Of Choice
- Related Reading
- Sign Up For A Free Trial (No Credit Card Required) To Our Shopify Sales Tracker To Find Your Next E-commerce Opportunity Today!
- Related Reading
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When starting a new dropshipping store, knowing where to focus your efforts can be overwhelming. You might find yourself lost in product research, wondering how many products you should start with dropshipping.
On the one hand, you don’t want to go in with too few products and fail to capture customers’ attention. On the other hand, you don’t want to take on too many products and get overwhelmed. This guide will help you confidently determine the ideal number of products to offer in your dropshipping store to maximize profit, Best Product Research Tools for Dropshipping while minimizing risk and complexity.
One valuable tool that can help you achieve your goals is Shophunter’s Shopify sales tracker. This product research solution can help you find products already selling well so you can jumpstart your dropshipping store with a solid foundation.
How Many Products Should I Start With When Dropshipping in 2025?
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There’s no ideal answer about how many products you should start with when dropshipping with Shopify. Therefore, consider a few things and find your perfect number!
In my experience, less is more when you’re starting with dropshipping. I’ve seen people make the mistake of launching hundreds of products, thinking that more options equal more sales, but it often backfires. Trust me, it’s much better to start small and focused.
I recommend starting with about 10 to 20 products. This way, you’re not overwhelming yourself immediately and can focus on testing what works.
Think about it—if you’re building a fitness store, for example, wouldn’t it make more sense to start with just a few high-demand items like resistance bands or yoga mats? Focusing on your target demographic allows you to dial in your marketing, see what resonates, and then scale up.
Launching with too many products in a general store can also significantly impact your marketing budget and fulfillment processes, not to mention complicate your overall business strategy.
Ultimately, starting with a manageable number of products helps you build a thriving online business without overwhelming yourself with inventory costs or unnecessary complexity. You can expand your product range based on what’s working as you gain traction.
How Many Products Should I Start With for a General Store?
A general store doesn’t specialize in anything. It can sell everything from underwear to furniture, covering various product categories. Yes, this might sound strange, but that’s what a general store is!
Most dropshippers do this to follow trends. They promote popular items at the time and are likely to sell well.
So here’s the “big” dropshipping question: How many products should I start with when building a general store?
There's no limit if you choose a general store for your dropshipping business. However, a good starting point is having between 20 to 50 products.
For example, consider walking into a grocery store and finding only one shelf with 15 items while the rest is empty. You’d probably leave with a negative impression and shop somewhere else. You might even wonder if the store is closing down or isn’t an actual store at all.
If the number is less than 30, the shop will lack credibility in the eyes of potential consumers.
With a general store, you must ensure enough items to make your dropshipping business convenient. You should add additional goods in the future, but 30 to 50 products is a reasonable starting point.
However, I do not recommend a general shop if you want to build my brand. Hence, many people purchase the same products from other retailers before you even offer them. They are also more challenging to sell, with little room for branding.
EBay might be a leader in the general stores industry. Hence, the marketplace has almost all categories of products.
Pros & Cons Of General Store Dropshipping
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Pros of Dropshipping with a General Store
Diverse Product Range
General stores allow you to offer various products, catering to different customer interests. So, the question of how many products I should start with when dropshipping is the most relevant. This flexibility of a wide range of products can attract a broader audience.
Market Trend Adaptability
With a general store, you can quickly adapt to changing market trends. This flexibility allows you to test various products and adjust your inventory based on demand.
Exploration of Niche Markets
While it’s a general store, you have the opportunity to identify niche markets within your product range, allowing you to target specific customer segments.
Lower Risk of Saturation
Since you’re not confined to a specific niche, the risk of market saturation is reduced. You can explore different product categories to find profitable opportunities.
Testing Product
General stores are excellent for testing the viability of different products. You can assess customer response without committing to a specialized niche.
Cons of Dropshipping with a General Store
Lack of Expertise
Operating a general store may mean you lack in-depth knowledge about specific products or niches. This can impact your ability to provide expert advice or marketing tailored to a particular audience.
Targeting Challenges
General stores might find it challenging to create targeted marketing strategies since the audience is diverse. Tailoring campaigns to suit everyone can be difficult.
Brand Identity Issues
General stores may struggle to establish a strong and memorable brand identity. Specialized stores often find it easier to create a brand that resonates with a specific audience.
Higher Advertising Costs
Since your audience is broad, advertising costs may be higher as you need to reach a larger, more diverse group of potential customers.
Competition with Specialized Stores
General stores often compete with specialized stores that focus on specific niches. These specialized stores may have a more in-depth understanding of their audience, giving them a competitive edge.
How Many Products Should I Start With a Niche Store?
Niche stores have a distinct marketing approach focused on a particular product, category, or brand.
For example, if you want to target women of a specific age group, you may open a dropshipping store solely selling fashionable women’s apparel.
So, a reasonable starting point of product quantity here might be from 5 to 20.
Customers will comprehend a limited product selection better in a niche store than in a general store because people believe that if your business is focused on a specific product type, it delivers better quality and appears more legit.
If you offer swimwear, you’ll probably need 10 to 20 distinct models to feel like you’ve covered the market correctly.
However, with anything more particular, such as one-piece swimwear, I may offer fewer as there are fewer options. You only need enough in a specialty store to seem authentic to the ordinary internet consumer.
There are various examples of niche dropshipping stores on Shopify, like Warmly– a lighting niche store; Fashion Nova – women’s clothing; Taylor Stitch – men’s clothing; and many more.
And here’s the cool part about niche dropshipping stores – they simplify connecting with your target audience, boosting conversions, and letting you dive into something you genuinely enjoy, especially if you choose a niche that excites you.
Do you need help choosing a specific dropshipping niche? You may also need information on which one is most profitable.
Pros & Cons Of Niche Store Dropshipping
Pros of Dropshipping with a Niche Store
Targeted Audience
Niche stores focus on a specific market segment, allowing for a more targeted and personalized approach to marketing to your target demographic. This often leads to higher conversion rates.
Expertise and Authority
Specializing in a particular niche allows you to showcase expertise and build authority in that industry. Customers may trust your store more for niche-related products.
Efficient Marketing
Niche stores can tailor marketing efforts to a well-defined audience, making campaigns more efficient and cost-effective. You can speak directly to the needs and interests of your target customers.
Lower Advertising Costs
Targeted marketing often results in lower advertising costs. You can reach a more engaged audience, reducing the need for broad and expensive advertising campaigns.
Brand Recognition
Niche stores can establish a strong and memorable brand identity within a specific market, making it easier for customers to remember and recommend your store.
So, when it comes to how many products I should start with when dropshipping in a niche store, I would rather emphasize building a brand with a few first.
Cons of Dropshipping with a Niche Store:
Limited Product Range
A niche store might have a more limited product range than a general store. This could limit the number of customers and revenue streams.
Market Volatility
Niche markets can be more susceptible to economic fluctuations or trends. If your niche falls out of favor, it may impact your sales more significantly than a diversified general store.
Initial Market Research
Setting up a niche store requires thorough market research to identify a profitable and sustainable niche. This research can be time-consuming and may not guarantee success.
Competition with Established Brands
Niche markets often have established competitors. Competing with existing brands with a strong foothold in the niche can be challenging.
Diversification Risks
Relying solely on a niche means higher dependence on the success of that specific market. If the niche becomes less popular or faces challenges, your business may be at risk.
Is One Product Dropshipping Store a Good Idea For Beginners?
Your question is, What will I do if I sell only one product? How can I offer multiple choices? The truth is you don’t have to!
This type of store gives customers an image of a professional dropshipping business that has a well-curated product selection and delivers high-quality products because you have all the time in the world to focus on and master it!
Have you heard about Snooz? This dropshipping business sells one product- a portable noise machine called Snooz and is an excellent example of a successful one-product store.
When starting a one-product store, you need a well-thought-out marketing approach and a specific viewpoint that customers circle. Your product needs to solve someone’s problem, and Baam, Sales!
One-product stores have great potential for success. The advantage of using a single-product approach is that you can focus your marketing efforts more effectively because they are time-consuming tasks.
So here we break the rule of “how many products is the perfect amount for dropshipping” because you can master the market with even a well-established one-product strategy.
Pros & Cons Of One Product Store Dropshipping
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Pros of Dropshipping with a One-Product Store
Simplicity
Managing a one-product store is straightforward due to the simplified product selection. There’s less complexity in inventory management, order fulfillment, and marketing strategies. So, is there a “how many products should I start with” question? Yes, you can keep a one-product store simple, offering a few related products.
Clear Marketing Focus
With only one product, your marketing efforts can be laser-focused. This allows for targeted advertising and messaging, making conveying the product’s unique selling points easier.
Brand Recognition
A single-product store can create a strong and memorable brand identity around that specific item. This can lead to better recognition and recall among customers.
Easier Testing and Optimization
Testing and optimizing your store, product pages, and marketing strategies are simpler when dealing with a single product. It’s easier to track what works and make adjustments accordingly.
Lower Initial Investment
Managing a one-product store often requires a lower initial investment than stores with a broader range of products. This can be advantageous for entrepreneurs with limited resources.
Cons of Dropshipping with a One-Product Store
Dependency on Product Success
The success of your business is heavily dependent on the success of the single product selection. If it loses popularity or faces competition, your revenue may decline significantly.
Limited Revenue Streams
Operating with just one product means relying on a single revenue stream. Diversification is limited, and any changes in market demand can impact your business more substantially.
Market Saturation Risks
Maintaining a competitive edge may be challenging if the product becomes oversaturated or faces copycats.
Upsell and Cross-Sell Challenges
With only one product, opportunities for upselling or cross-selling are limited. This may result in lower average order values than stores with a broader product range.
Market Trends and Seasonality
Market trends and seasonality can affect a one-product store's success. Your business may face off-season challenges if the product is a trend or seasonal item.
Related Reading
- Dropshipping Trending Products
- Viral Dropshipping Products
- Dropshipping Fitness Products
9 Factors To Consider When Deciding How Many Products To Start With
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What’s Your Budget Like?
Your marketing budget and overall financial situation shape how many products you can handle. Starting with a smaller range allows you to control inventory costs and monitor expenses. QuickBooks helps manage these costs and enables you to set realistic financial goals for your Shopify store.
Understanding the supplier price range can also help you make informed decisions about your budget. The last thing you want is to blow your budget on too many products before you’ve had time to figure out what works. If you’re launching a general store, the costs can escalate quickly due to the need for multiple products and varied marketing campaigns. A niche store with fewer, more targeted items can allow you to be more strategic with your budget.
How Much Time Can You Dedicate?
Running a dropshipping business is time-consuming, especially when managing too many products. From my experience, focusing on a manageable number of products gives you the time to deliver quality in all aspects—from optimizing your product pages to running successful marketing efforts. If you have limited time, I’d recommend launching with a curated selection of products. This approach allows you to learn the ropes without stretching yourself too thin. Starting with too few products is better than managing a massive catalog and delivering poor customer service.
What’s the Learning Curve Like?
One of the most important things to consider when deciding how many products to start with is the learning curve of running a dropshipping business. When you’re just starting, it can be overwhelming to juggle multiple tasks—finding the right suppliers, managing orders, creating effective marketing campaigns, and handling customer inquiries. Trust me, I’ve been there, and trying to do it all with a massive product catalog will stretch you too thin.
Let’s say you’re using a tool like Shophunter. This platform helps automate much of the work, such as price monitoring and product research. It’s a lifesaver for beginners because it simplifies processes that typically take hours to manage. Even with the help of Shophunter, there’s still a lot to learn about optimizing your store’s performance.
For example, you might find it harder to create custom product descriptions, set competitive pricing, or troubleshoot customer service issues when dealing with too many products. Starting with a smaller selection—around 10 to 20 products—gives you the breathing room to learn these essential tasks without being overwhelmed. You’ll be able to master how to Optimize product pages for conversions. Handle order fulfillment efficiently. Gather customer feedback to improve product selection.
What’s Your Business Model and Goal?
Your business model will also influence how many products you should launch with. If you’re building a niche store, your product range might be limited but highly specialized. If you’re focused on a general store, you may need more products to meet customer needs across different categories.
For example, if you’re targeting fitness enthusiasts with a niche store, a small selection of high-quality products like resistance bands or dumbbells can help you focus on a specific target demographic. On the other hand, if you’re testing the waters with a general store, you’ll want to consider a broader product range but start with a manageable amount—like 10 to 20 products.
Know Your Target Audience
Understanding your target audience is essential. You need to do thorough market research to uncover what your potential customers are looking for and how many options they expect. For example, Google Trends or AnswerThePublic can give you insights into what’s trending in your niche. Are your potential customers expecting a niche store with fewer specialized products, or are they looking for more variety to meet their customer needs?
Based on what you find, you can refine your product selection. I also get valuable insights about my target audience using the Meta Ads Library. Here,I can spy on my competitor’s ads and analyze their customers’ engagement, interest in products, sales, profits, etc. Focusing on customer preferences early on will help you deliver the products your audience is searching for rather than stocking up on items that won’t sell.
Manage Your Resources Wisely
Managing your resources is another critical factor. When I started, handling too many products became overwhelming—especially with fulfillment, inventory, and customer service. Over time, as your store grows, you can gradually expand your inventory and product selection based on what’s selling well and what your customers are asking for.
Focus Your Marketing Efforts
You can put more energy into crafting focused and compelling marketing efforts with a smaller product range. Numerous marketing apps can help you automate or manage your marketing process. However, too many products can still be overwhelming. For example, I suggest using tools like Canva to create eye-catching product visuals. On the other hand, Hootsuite can help you schedule social media campaigns, like Facebook ads, TikTok Ads, etc.
Focusing on a few key products allows you to run more targeted campaigns that speak directly to your target audience. Promoting too many products at once can dilute your marketing impact, whereas a more concentrated approach lets you hone in on what’s working and pivot quickly if needed.
Use A/B Testing to Optimize Your Products
Starting with a smaller product range allows you to fine-tune your listings through A/B testing. This strategy will enable you to test different elements of your product pages—like descriptions, pricing, and images—to see what performs best.
For instance, you could test whether highlighting eco-friendly materials or offering limited-time discounts leads to more sales. For example, with Optimizely, you can easily set up these tests and make data-driven decisions. With fewer products, it’s much easier to focus on optimizing each one. Running practical A/B tests can help you gather customer feedback and improve conversions before scaling up.
Add New Items From Time To Time
Regularly adding new items to your dropshipping business can help keep your store fresh and engaging. I suggest introducing new products every 4 to 6 weeks. This time frame is enough to keep your existing customers interested without overwhelming them while also giving you a steady flow of new products to attract new customers.
For example, if you’re running a niche store that sells fitness gear, you could release new items like resistance bands or smart water bottles every month. This keeps your product catalog exciting and lets you see which new products perform well based on customer feedback. Also, make sure to time these product drops around seasons or special events, like introducing outdoor fitness gear before summer.
Avoid the Paradox Of Choice
You have probably experienced the paradox of choice. It doesn’t feel pleasant, right? The variety of product options may sometimes produce tension and, eventually, a sense of sadness. If you’ve ever bought something, you’ve encountered the paradox of choice. You stand before a shelf of clothes you don’t want to try on and wish there were only two shelves.
Just as the “Jam experiment” gives us a message, more people make purchases with fewer product options. (30% of buyers purchased jam when there were six jam options 3% of the buyers purchased jam when there were 24 jam options) Instead of being Amazon or AliExpress and selling everything, focus on curating your product list and selecting the ones that are the best options.
For example, BlendJet is a dropshipping store focusing on a single product – blenders, specifically the BlendJet 2 blender, perfect for whipping smoothies and other tasty drinks. The store has perfectly selected the products they sell, starting from their main BlendJet 2 blender to a few accessories related to the blender.
Related Reading
- Trending Products for Dropshipping
- TikTok Dropshipping Products
- Most Successful Dropshipping Products
- High-End Dropshipping Products
- Best Selling Dropshipping Products
- Dropshipping Custom Products
- Best Dropshipping Products Right Now
- Sell the Trend vs Ecomhunt
- Dropshipping Branded Products
- Best Dropshipping Products
- Most Popular Dropshipping Products
- Sell the Trend Alternative
- Top 10 Dropshipping Products
- Dropshipping Digital Products
Sign Up For A Free Trial (No Credit Card Required) To Our Shopify Sales Tracker To Find Your Next E-commerce Opportunity Today!
ShopHunter's sales tracker offers a unique tool for dropshippers, especially those in the Shopify ecosystem. At its core, it is a custom algorithm that estimates sales for entire stores and specific products, helping users quickly uncover sales trends and validate product potential. The platform goes beyond basic sales tracking, featuring an ad spy tool that monitors advertising activity across stores.
This combination lets users spot trending products and successful marketing strategies early on. Whether you're a dropshipper, a Shopify store owner, or someone looking to enter the e-commerce space, ShopHunter aims to streamline product research and reduce the risk of investing in low-performing items.
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