8 Profitable Ecommerce Niches to Consider in 2022 (Backed by Research)

Choosing an ecommerce niche is one of the smartest ways to kickstart your small business in 2022. While larger categories have become nearly impossible to successfully compete in, niching down allows you to capture a slice of the market without the extra competition.

In this post, you’ll learn how to uncover hundreds of niche store ideas. That includes a simple three-step framework for validating those ideas and eight of the best ecommerce niches you can get started in today.

The State of Ecommerce in 2022

The writing on the wall is clear: ecommerce is the future. More people are buying online than ever before.

Last year, consumers spent $870.78 billion online with U.S. merchants, according to Digital Commerce 360. That’s up 14.2% from 2020. This trend is set to continue, with ecommerce penetration rates set to rise from 15% to 25% by 2025.

If you’re looking to start a business, you’ll need to create a robust ecommerce strategy. However, some products are easier to sell than others — especially when certain categories have reached their saturation point.

What is an ecommerce niche?

An ecommerce niche is a smaller and more specific subsection of a larger market. Typically, these niches target a highly specific buyer. They appeal to a much smaller audience and possess a notable identity that differentiates them from their parent category.

Some examples include eco-friendly personal care products, hiking gear made out of recycled yarn, CBD pet food, organic skincare supplements for women, handmade jewelry, and sustainably made homewares.

Benefits of Choosing a Niche for Your Ecommerce Store

While the concept of niching down might seem counterintuitive, targeting a smaller market can often lead to big upsides. See benefits below.

1. You’ll lower your marketing costs.

Whatever your strategy, marketing products to a niche audience will cost significantly less than trying to reach an entire product category.

For example, targeting a niche audience with ads will often mean bidding for lower-competition keywords, which tend to be less expensive.

2. You can charge a premium for your products.

There are three reasons why buyers are willing to pay more for niche products:

• Scarcity. Where there are only a handful of brands selling a product, demand often outpaces supply. As a result, buyers are willing to pay a premium to access the product.
• Problem-solving. Niche products solve an important, highly specific problem for the buyer in a way that most products cannot.
• Profitability. Inventory can only be produced in limited quantities, which necessitates a higher price tag for each item.

3. You’ll face less competition.

Aspirational entrepreneurs tend to overlook or ignore niche categories because they assume there won’t be enough demand. This means that the deeper you go into any product category, the less competition there will be.

4. Customer loyalty becomes easier.

Inspiring customer loyalty is often easier with a niche store. If your customers can’t get the product elsewhere, loyalty is pretty much a given.

Aside from this, solving an important but overlooked need for your customers creates a sense of appreciation for your brand, which translates into loyalty.

How to Find and Validate an Ecommerce Niche

When considering ecommerce niches, remember brainstorming is just one part of the equation. There are three steps you need to follow to create a successful ecommerce business.

1. Find niche store ideas.
2. Validate your ecommerce niches.
3. Start building your business.

Below, we’ll explore each of these steps in depth.

Step 1: Find niche store ideas.

Finding a niche for your ecommerce store can seem daunting. There’s something about putting pen to paper that seems to make all the good ideas dry up. Not to worry — here are four methods to help you find niche ideas easily and quickly.

Method 1: Try solo brainstorming.

Before you loop in a team, start brainstorming on your own. These questions can help you jump-start the process.

• What products do you use regularly when you engage in your hobbies?
• Do you have any products you like to collect regularly, like art or action figures?
• What products have you recently used that stood out to you as extremely useful?
• What are some of your current (or past) favorite products?
• What are some of the worst products you’ve used recently?
• Are there any products you use regularly but have a hard time finding?
• Are there any products you wish were more easily accessible or available in more variety than you typically find?

When answering these questions, write down the products that stick out to you.

Remember: Don’t rush the process. The real gems might be the products you use so often that you tend to overlook their importance.

Method 2: Listen to the market.

Listening to the market, in this context, simply means paying attention to what other people are saying. With this method, you can generate ideas based on the proven wants and needs of real people. You’ll also uncover new-to-you niche opportunities.

Here are three ways to get started.

1. Interview friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. using the seven questions listed above.
2. Browse forums and listen to conversations happening in niche online communities. Start with Reddit, Discord, and Quora.
3. Look through your social media feed and explore pages to find popular products, niches, and trends. Consider exploring hashtags and “themed” pages to hone in on specific topics.

Method 3: Uncover niche ideas using Google.

Google has two great features that are a gold mine for finding niche ideas — “Autocomplete” and “Related Searches.”

Here’s how to leverage these tools.

Google Autocomplete

Autocomplete is the dropdown menu you see when you type something into the Google search bar.

This feature essentially predicts what you might be looking for based on several factors, such as your location, the language of your query, trending interest in that query, and your past searches.

You can use this feature to find niche store ideas. All you need to do is type one of the following into your search bar:

1. A product category + “for” (e.g., “shoes for”).
2. An adjective (e.g., “recyclable”).

This should provide you with a ton of niche product ideas.

Alt Text: top ecommerce niches, Google Autocomplete to find niche store ideas

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Google Related Searches

“Related Searches” are the eight search terms you see at the bottom of the results page when you search for something on Google.

Google uses these search terms to say, “If you are interested in finding information on this, you’re probably also going to want information on that.”

This feature uses an algorithm that takes your search term and simply shows you related searches other people have done.

Using this feature to find niche ideas is pretty straightforward. Once you have a niche idea, conduct a Google search, scroll to the bottom of the search result page, and voila — eight more potential niches.

Method 4: Look for ideas on ecommerce platforms.

With this method, you’ll look into what products are already on the market. In this case, “the market” refers to the major ecommerce platforms, like Amazon, Etsy, eBay, etc.

While looking for niche ideas on these platforms, pay attention to these specific areas.

The Homepage

This is a great place to get an overall feel for the audience the ecommerce platform serves. Just based on this one page, you can learn what categories, niches, and products are popular or trending.

Alt Text: best ecommerce niches, Amazon homepage for niche store research

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Product Categories and Subcategories

Product categories and subcategories are where you’ll uncover most of your niche ideas. Remember: The key here is to dig deep into each subcategory and try to recognize where there might be gaps and opportunities.

Products That Performing Well

Finally, you want to look into the products that have the most sales and reviews.

Finding these successful products is especially important not just because they indicate a “proven” niche but also because they help you recognize profitable audiences.

Rather than competing with these products directly, you can pick a niche that serves those same buyers with a different (but complementary) product. You can also target a more niche solution that focuses on a specific pain point the winning product ignores.

Method 5: Use a product research tool.

If you would rather avoid the hassle of gathering data from multiple sources, consider using a product research tool. The caveat: You’ll have to pay.

For example, Jungle Scout, which is one of the more popular product research tools in the market, costs between $29 per month to $84 per month.

That said, this platform does offer some great features, including:

• An opportunity finder that identifies profitable niches by uncovering high-demand, low-competition keywords.
• A product tracker that monitors a product or group of products and evaluates their performance over time (e.g., sales, trends, etc.).
• A searchable product database of almost 500 million products.

If this method is one you’d like to explore, here are some other research tools you might want to check out:

• Helium 10.
• EtsyHunt.
• Alura.
• ShelfTrend.
• Terapeak.

Assessing Your Ideas

By leveraging just one or a combination of the methods listed above, you’ll soon have a list chock-full of niche ideas. But there is a caveat — the goal here isn’t to simply add ideas to the list willy-nilly. Instead, you’ll use a more thoughtful approach to building your list.

So whenever you discover a new potential niche, ask yourself these two simple questions.

1. Does this niche and/or product idea interest you?

Building a successful ecommerce store takes a lot of dedication — especially in the beginning. From development to marketing to customer support, you’ll most likely be spending huge chunks of your time working on this business.

So, while you could technically pick any niche regardless of interest, picking a niche that you’re genuinely passionate about will make running the store much easier to stick with in the long run.

2. Does this niche and/or product idea seem viable?

Although the goal of stage one isn’t thorough niche validation, it’s still important to make sure that the ideas you’re adding to your list are feasible. That often depends on your knowledge and access to capital.

To determine this, here are the two questions you need to ask:

1. Do you have the knowledge to venture into this niche? This is particularly important for certain niches like health.
2. Do you have the resources to start up a store in this niche? Take a few seconds to consider whether you have the capital to buy inventory, space to store inventory when you buy it, etc.

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then you’re good to move on to stage two. However, if the answer is no, save yourself the headache, cross it off, and go back to the drawing board.

Stage 2: Validate your niche store ideas.

Once you have all your ideas written out, it’s time to move on to stage two — testing the validity of each idea.

This stage is a crucial part of the niche research process because it ensures:

1. You choose a niche with enough demand.
2. You choose a niche that has longevity.
3. You adequately count the costs before diving in headfirst.

But how do you determine which ideas fulfill these requirements?

Ryan Stewart’s High x Low Matrix explains that the goal of idea validation is to find niche ideas (and products) with the right combination of “highs” and “lows.”

On the “low” end, you want a niche with low:

• Costs.
• Product weight.
• Competition.

While on the “high” end you want a niche with high:

• Demand.
• Longevity.
• Potential.

Here are three questions to help you implement this niche validation framework.

Question 1: Is there enough demand in this niche?

The most basic criteria to validate a niche idea is demand (i.e., do you have a market that is willing and able to purchase the products you want to sell?). When determining demand, leverage one of these methods.

Method 1: Explore search volumes.

This is the number of times people search for a particular term (“shoe,” “vegan restaurant”) using a specific search engine. The search volume for a niche ensures that people are looking for products in this category.

For example, if there’s little to no search volume for the term “recyclable baby strollers,” this means that there aren’t many people actively trying to find recyclable baby strollers. This doesn’t necessarily mean the “recyclable baby strollers” isn’t viable. However, these results indicate that there might not be a lot of “organic” demand for products in this niche.

The best way to determine the search volume for a niche is by using a keyword research tool.

These tools “scrape” search engines like Google to provide information based on your “queries.” This information could be search volume, what websites are currently ranking for that term, etc.

Here are some easy-to-use keyword research tools to get started:

• Keywordtool.io
• Keyword Surfer
• Moz Keyword Explorer

If you’d like more options, check out the 11 best keyword research tools.

Method 2: Look for communities around that niche product or idea.

While the existence of a thriving community isn’t necessary to validate your niche idea, you can prove that there is an audience dedicated to the product you’re considering.

As a bonus, this also means that you have a potential marketing channel to leverage further down the line.

Some places to look for niche communities include Reddit, Quora, and Discord.

Method 3: Find stores that already doing well in this niche.

While it’s important to avoid oversaturated niches, finding a couple of sellers within your niche (or closely related to it) is a great way to validate that people are willing to spend money in this category.

For this reason, it’s important to be wary of niches where you find absolutely no competition.

While there is the off chance that you might have struck gold, it’s far more likely:

• There simply isn’t a viable market.
• The market is too small to be profitable.

What you’re ideally looking for is “low competition” — not “no competition.” You want a niche that has a couple of players but is still generally underserved.

Here are some simple ways to find existing players within a niche:

• Browse ecommerce sites like Amazon or eBay.
• Go on forums like Reddit and see if anyone in related communities has mentioned any seller or product in that niche.
• Do a simple Google search of “niche” + stores.

Question 2: Is the demand trending in the right direction?

Once you’ve validated that there is sufficient demand for products in a niche, the next step is to validate that this demand has longevity (i.e., it has remained relatively stable over time or is trending upward).

For reference, there are three ways demand can trend: downward, upward, or relatively steady

A downward trend shows that demand for that product or interest in that niche is declining. Most times this means you should stay away from this niche.

An upward trend shows that demand for that product or interest in that niche is rising. This is generally a good sign, but you also need to ensure that this isn’t a fad or trend that might go away soon.

Lastly, a niche with a steady trend pattern means that demand has been relatively constant. These are the safest niches to enter, especially when this interest has been steady over a long period.

How to Determine What Direction a Niche is Trending

When conducting this research, turn to Google Trends.

Here, you can type your niche or product idea into the search bar, and the tool will graphically illustrate changes in search volume for your query over time.

You can also look for recent resources that discuss trends for that niche. Specifically, you want to look for any articles, studies, or news reports that talk about the growth or decline of that niche. You should also research market attitudes toward that niche, emerging trends within that niche, policies that might affect businesses within that niche, and so on.

Question 3: Do you have the resources to successfully grow a business in this niche?

Resources within this context refer to two things — financial and nonfinancial resources.

Financial Resources

This includes everything from the cost of samples, inventory, storage space for the products (if needed), marketing, shipping costs, etc.

Some niches will be more capital-intensive than others. You’ll need to consider future costs and your ability to pay during the validation process.

Nonfinancial Resources

Every ecommerce store will require you to put in the time, effort, and labor. However, how much of these resources you invest will vary drastically from one niche to the next.

Consider the following when validating your niches.

• How much time is needed to develop a product
• How much marketing is required to sell your product
• How much attention your inventory requires to maintain its quality
• How much customer support will be required to run your store
• Whether your business opens you up to litigation from your customers

Although this is the final step in the idea-validation process, it’s important to take your time and to ensure that whatever niche you choose is one that you’re financially and mentally prepared for.

Stage 3: Time to start building.

Taking action is equally as important as learning the strategies.

If you’d like to skip the research and get straight to building, here are some niches you might want to consider — validated based on the framework discussed above.

The 8 Best Ecommerce Niches to Consider in 2022

1. Custom Dog Collars

If you’re on the hunt for dog collars, there are thousands of options. However, the market for customized dog collars presents a niche opportunity. You can personalize collars with a pet’s name, the owner’s contact information, or unique designs.

What we love: Customized collars allow you to showcase a range of skills. You can offer a simple, bedazzled collar or a beautifully embroidered design based on your crafting abilities.

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Are there communities around this niche or related topics?

On Reddit, the r/dog subreddit has 135,000 members, and r/dogpicture has 917,000 members.

Note: While this isn’t a community around the actual niche of customized dog collars, it shows that there are more than enough people in the world who love their dogs and are willing to act on this emotion — in this case by actively participating in a community.

Is there data to support that this niche has longevity?

A 2021 survey found that online shopping by pet owners increased from 72% in 2020 to 86% in 2021. This is a positive sign for anyone considering this niche, because it indicates an increase in demand.

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

There aren’t many niche pet collar stores. However, several sellers offer dog collars as part of their offerings — and do so successfully.

For example, this seller has sold over 75,000 personalized dog collars on Etsy.

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It’s safe to assume that having received over 23,000 ratings, this Amazon store has sold well over that number.

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2. Wire-wrapped Jewelry and DIY Tutorials

While you can buy bracelets and necklaces at almost any retailer, small businesses thrive in the wire-wrapped jewelry space. These pieces involve winding wire around a stone or jewel to create ornate designs.

If you have a passion for graphic design or video making, you can both sell wire-wrapped jewelry and tutorials that teach aspiring artisans the craft.

What we love: Each piece of wire-wrapped jewelry is unique. Even though there may be other sellers, no other maker will have designs exactly like yours.

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Are there communities around this niche or related topics?

On Reddit, the r/WireWrapping subreddit has 31,000 members.

Facebook also shows traction. Facebook’s “Our Wire Wrapping Journey Beginners and Beyond” group has over 43,000 members. Meanwhile, on Instagram, #wirewrapping has 1.6 million posts, and #wirewrappingjewelry has (54,000 posts).

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

While there doesn’t seem to be a single recognizable brand or “brand leader” for wire-wrapped jewelry or wire-wrapping tutorials, there are several successful sellers in this niche.

For example, this Etsy store that sells wire-wrapped jewelry has made almost $30,000 in sales.

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This wire-wrapping tutorial (also on Etsy) has generated over $13,000 in sales.

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3. Nintendo Switch Gadgets and Accessories

While you can’t sell the Nintendo Switch itself, you can offer a range of custom accessories, like cases or covers. If you have a passion for video games, you can make themed accessories based on popular characters or aesthetics.

Your gadgets can be hand painted, 3D-printed, molded out of silicon, or carved out of wood. You can tailor the gadgets you create based on your craft of choice.

What we love: There is a range of accessories that you can create — from protective cases to skins to Joy-Con grips to game holders. You can even make decals or stickers specifically for this device. With this niche, you can offer one specific gadget or many, giving you endless options.

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Are there communities around this niche or related topics?

On Reddit, r/nintendoswitch has 4.2 million members. Facebook groups also show the power of this market. The Nintendo Switch group has over 250,000 members, and another dedicated Nintendo Switch Gamers group has over 123,000 members.

Meanwhile, on Instagram, #NintendoSwitch has over 9 million posts.

Is there data to support that this niche has longevity?

Although the Nintendo Switch was released just six years ago, it is already one of the bestselling video game consoles of all time. In 2021 the Nintendo Switch was the bestselling video game console worldwide.

Even though year-on-year net sales for Nintendo recently declined due to a drop in dedicated video game sales for the platform, demand for the Nintendo Switch has remained relatively stable.

The Google Trends graph shows that the popularity of the term “Nintendo Switch” has mostly been steady or high for the last 12 months.

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

The Nintendo Switch accessories category has been incredibly lucrative for quite a few Amazon sellers.

For example, this Nintendo Switch case has over 55,000 ratings, meaning the seller has sold far above that number.

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This tempered-glass screen protector also has over 25,000 ratings.

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4. Workout Plans

If you have a passion for fitness or are a certified trainer, you can market your fitness plans. You may opt to create a YouTube channel with exclusive workout videos on Patreon. You can create ebooks that detail fitness routines.

Once a tutorial is complete, you can offer related accessories. Like branded gear or water bottles.

What we love: You can target your workout plans to different demographics with various workout goals. For example, you may have a plan that focuses on new moms, while another plan can help a beginner learn about lifting weights.

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Are there communities around this niche or related topics?

The r/fitness subreddit has over 10 million members, the r/fitmeals subreddit has over 320,000 members, and the r/workout subreddit has over 215,000 members.

Facebook also has dedicated groups for workouts. The Black Women Workout Facebook group has over 182,000 members, while the Women’s Workout and Support Facebook group has over 25,000 members.

On Instagram, #fitness has over 509 million posts. Meanwhile, #fitnessmotivation has over 128 million posts; #fitmom has almost 30 million posts; and #fitover40 has over 3.5 million posts).

Is there data to support that this niche has longevity?

Many segments of the fitness industry have been booming, especially workout-adjacent niches. For example, Gymshark (a fitness apparel brand) became a billion-dollar company, and the gym apparel market as a whole is projected to be worth $384.8 billion by 2032.

The Google Trends graph shows that interest in workout plans has been trending pretty steadily over the past five years.

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

Several fitness influencers can be considered competitors, with one example of a creator that has successfully built a business in this niche being Daisy Keech.

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5. Cookie Decorating Supplies and DIY Kits

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Are there communities around this niche or related topics?

On Reddit, r/cookiedecorating has almost 85k members. Facebook’s “Best Cookie Recipe Ever” group has over 650,000 members. Instagram hashtags also show interest:

• #cookiesofinstagram has 3.6 million posts.
• #cookiedesign has 207,000 posts.
• #cookiedecorating has 2.1 million posts.
• #cookieartist (544,000 posts).

Is there data to support that this niche has longevity?

Popularity of the term cookie decorating tends to yo-yo. However, Google’s trends graph shows that interest always rebounds.

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

Not many stores niche down into cookie decorating. However, Cookie Countess is an exception. As a result, it currently ranks at the top spot in the SERPs.

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Another successful player is this Etsy store, which has made over $33,000 selling embossed cookie cutters.

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6. Pet Furniture

If you’re a pet lover with carpentry skills, pet furniture may be the niche for you. Beautiful cat trees and dog houses will always spark interest from pet enthusiasts.

Do you lack carpentry skills? If you love sewing or crocheting, you can also find a home in this niche.

What we love: If you have a passion for home decor, you can offer unique pet furniture for any design aesthetic.

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

There isn’t much data on the keyword “pet furniture.” However, by analyzing products that are considered pet furniture, this niche was determined to be valid. Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Alt Text: best ecommerce niches, keyword research results for litter box

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Is there data to support that this niche has longevity?

Here are Google Trends results for two items you might want to offer in this niche.

Dog beds: Interest in dog beds is relatively steady.

Alt Text: best ecommerce niches, Google Trends graph for dog bed

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Litter box: The popularity of the search term “litter box,” on the other hand, tends to yo-yo. However, the pattern shows that interest always comes back and spikes during Christmas.

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

This dog crate listing on Etsy has over 3,856 reviews, meaning the seller has sold well above this number.

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This pet teepee on Etsy has been purchased by over 5,000 buyers.

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7. Socks

Most of us have a drawer full of socks. These clothing items are often lost, damaged, or replaced, making socks a common purchase. If you’re looking for an ecommerce niche for repeat buyers, socks may be for you.

What we love: Selling socks can be for both crafters and resellers. If you have a unique sense of humor, you can look for retailers that bulk-sell socks. You can then curate a collection for an online store. Those who can sew, knit, or crochet can take a different approach. Handmade socks make for great, unique gifts.

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Are there communities around this niche or related topics?

The r/socks subreddit has over 12,000 members. Instagram also shows that sock-related hashtags gain traction.

• #sockslover has 284,000 posts
• #socksgirl has 210,000 posts
• #socks has over 11 million posts

Is there data to support that this niche has longevity?

As expected, data from Google trends shows that the popularity of the term “socks” is relatively steady.

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

This niche store, Happy Socks, currently holds the top result for the search term “happy socks,” which has 37,000 monthly searches.

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On Etsy, these Nordic wool handmade socks have sold almost 55,000 pairs.

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8. Gaming Accessories

We’ve already talked about the Nintendo Switch, but PC gamers can also offer a niche market. You can make accessories for keyboards, modified mouses, custom chairs, and more. The possibilities are endless.

What we love: There are ways to get even more specific in this niche. For example, if you like working with resin, you can make custom keyboard caps. If screenprinting is more in line with your skill set, you can focus on mouse and keyboard pads.

Is there keyword research data indicating interest in this niche?

Keyword research results from Moz show the following.

Are there communities around this niche or related topics?

On Reddit, r/gaming has 34,000,000 members. Additionally, the r/gamingsetups subreddit has almost 40,000 members, and the r/gamingpc subreddit has over 207,000 members.

On Facebook, The “Women Gamers” group has over 50,000 members. Another group called the “Gaming Community” has over 58,000 members

Meanwhile, on Instagram, #gaming has over 63 million posts; #gamingsetup has 2.9 million posts; and #gamingroom has over 1 million posts.

Is there data to support that this niche has longevity?

The gaming industry is booming and will most likely continue to grow. PWC found that video games revenue rose 32% between 2019 and 2021 and will continue to rise — creating an industry projected to be worth $321 billion by 2026.

According to Google Trends, the popularity of the term “gaming setup” has been relatively steady over the last year.

Are there any successful sellers in this niche?

With a wide range of accessories, different products have different levels of popularity. This rainbow keyboard cap set has 2,005 sales on Etsy.

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Alt Text: best ecommerce niches, Amazon store selling gaming setup kits

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This seller that makes unique, decorated gaming headsets sold 16,374 units on Etsy.

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Choosing the Right Ecommerce Niche in 2022

While nothing can guarantee the success of your online store, careful niche selection will drastically reduce your chances of failure. Resist the urge to start building right away. Instead, take the time to do your due diligence and save yourself the hassle further down the line.