Products That You Should Avoid Selling on Amazon

Which Product is Good for Selling on Amazon?

Amazon has more than 12 million products. But which ones are more profitable for Amazon sellers? We’ll find out below: 

• LED Mirrors 

LED mirrors are rapidly becoming a must-have product for beauty enthusiasts on the Amazon marketplace. The product is popular due to the portability and durability of the new versions that come in handy. The portable versions of this LED mirror will make your store attractive even if you don’t want to add the wall-mounted versions to your beauty and makeup store. Choose the best-selling LED hand mirrors on Amazon to enjoy massive patronage from buyers.

• LED Ring Lights

These best-selling photography accessories show how you can take a more significant trend like LED and bring it to smaller niches like iPhone photography. LED ring lights are popular for several reasons, including being accessible and affordable even for the lower-end market lines.

• Mobile Phone Cases

This category of best sellers has been growing since 2009 on Amazon and many other major eCommerce platforms. The popularity of these products is attributed to the fact that they are not expensive, which means that almost everyone with a phone can access them without emptying their wallets. But more than the low price, phone cases are also trending due to their attractiveness. To break into the hugely competitive marketplace, take these best-selling products and give them a creative design.

• Water Filters: 

Consumers demand a water filter device that lasts a long time, reduces lead with an easy installation process, and is BPA-free. They need a machine that makes water taste great, reduces waste, and saves quite a bit of money. So why has it become so popular? The machine is inexpensive and available to those who feel it is crucial to filter out the chlorine for a healthier drink. Again, the water filter helps to save an incredible amount of expenses on water. 

• Watches 

With the holidays right around the corner, you can expect another market spark for this popular accessory. In addition to the holidays, when many customers buy watches for their loved ones, this accessory is ideal for campaigns targeting birthdays and anniversaries.

How to Detect Profitable Products to Sell on Amazon? 

The list of products that you should avoid to sell on Amazon is relatively short. However, there are many profitable products you can sell on the platform. Finding profitable deals is one of the challenges of being an Amazon seller, which can be overcome using various tools and techniques. There are several ways to find winning products on Amazon, including: 

1. Get inspired by the top sellers on Amazon

By following and searching for the big names in the industry, you can get inspired regarding the products you can sell on Amazon. Follow the best Amazon affiliates and sellers and check their traffic.

You can use the Ahrefs tool to search for top-selling products. Focus on keywords and use them to get to the best products. Be sure to look for the latest links and data, as different products are sold in different seasons.

2. Use the Amazon search box

Find the best-selling products using the Amazon search box. In the search box, search for your niche products; you will find many products there. Apply filters to find the best-selling products.

This will help you search by category and find winning products in your category. This way, you will see the top 100 products that can be sold on Amazon.

3. Product specifications

Searching and choosing the products of the best sellers isn’t the only way to find profitable products to sell on Amazon. It would be best if you also considered shipping factors and other charges.

When choosing top sellers, you should consider three factors: wholesale price, Amazon seller fees, and shipping costs. Also, you must look for the following specifications on your product:

• Unbreakable items that are easy to ship and not delicate.
• Better quality compared to the competition.
• Try to choose products that are not in season.

Know More About Amazon Product Listing Optimization

Which Products Are Illegal to Sell on Amazon?

As a customer-centric brand, Amazon has strict rules and regulations regarding what you can and cannot sell on the platform. Some categories (such as Collectible Coins, Fine Art, etc.), subcategories, and brands are restricted or gated on Amazon. You can sell these products, but you must get Amazon’s approval first. These are not included in the list of products that you should avoid to sell on Amazon because they are very profitable due to the low competition. 

On the other hand, some products are illegal or prohibited on Amazon. These are usually products belonging to categories such as alcohol, animal & animal products, art, automotive & Powersports, composite wood products, currency/coins/cash equivalents, etc. Here’s a complete list of products you cannot sell on Amazon: 

• Pets 
• Lottery tickets 
• Guns 
• Merchandise with Washington Football Team’s old name 
• Tobacco 
• Facial recognition software 
• Contact lenses 
• Wine 
• Gas 
• Cars 
• Fireworks 
• Confederate flags 
• Real estate 
• Theft devices

Read More: How to Get Ungated on Amazon?

So, now you know which products are prohibited on Amazon. But what about other various categories that are open? Can you sell all of them? Technically, the answer is yes, but if you must find a few categories that are profitable for your business and focus on them. To help you choose your products and categories, here are products that you should avoid to sell on Amazon: 

1. Chemical and Industrial Products

Just reading this doesn’t sound very easy; you will have to deal with environmental regulations, international regulations, offer guarantees to your clients, etc. In addition, you will be responsible if a third party or client is affected by the use of your product. 

2. Trademarked/Patented Products & Counterfeits 

Ensure that the products you are importing into the US are not trademarked. For example, you might buy something legally in China but find out it can infringe trademarks after crossing the border. 

Counterfeited items are another one of the products you should avoid to sell on Amazon. All products that have been counterfeited, illegally replicated, reproduced, or manufactured can be destroyed by Amazon. They also have the right to deny removal requests for inventory containing these products. So, in addition to losing sales, you can lose all your products. 

3. Cellphones & Accessories

The investment you must make is more significant since the unit price for these products is higher, so you will have to pay more on your first purchase. Another factor to consider when selling cellphones and accessories is returns and losses.

Unfortunately, being a fragile and delicate product, it has a greater tendency to break or be damaged during shipping, which can harm the profitability of your business in the long term since you must consider the loss margin.

4. Jewelry

It is a very competitive market. It is advised not to enter this category since the companies in the game have been in the business for years and usually buy large volumes, and it isn’t easy to compete with them for price and experience. You can look at the number of reviews they have and see what we mean.

5. Items for Less than $10 

If you’re using Amazon FBA, it’s best to avoid items cheaper than $10 because your profits will be significantly small. These products must be avoided because: 

• Your products will be add-on only, which means low-priced items that can only be purchased as part of a larger order of $25 or more. 
• When you consider all the FBA fees (including storage fees, commission, etc.), you’ll see that items cheaper than $10 are not worth the effort because they won’t bring any considerable profit. 

Final Thought

In this article, we discussed products that you should avoid to sell on Amazon. There are many products and opportunities in different niches, and you have to invest enough time and effort into research and keep in mind that you are creating your own brand. This will make launching new products related to your market niche easier.