How do you make money with dropshipping?

Your profit margin is the difference between what customers pay you and the cost of the fulfillment process. 

For example, if you sell a notebook for $10 and it costs $3 to make and $2 to ship, you keep $5. That’s a 50% profit margin.

A big advantage of running a dropshipping store is that you don’t need warehouse space, which means less financial risk and business expenses.

1. Select a niche

For your new business to start generating sales from dropshipping, you’ll need to find a niche.

This is a specific market segment that caters to a targeted group of people with particular interests or needs.

Here’s how to identify and target a niche.

2. Analyze the market

Once you’ve chosen a niche, it’s time to do some in-depth market and product research. This will highlight potential opportunities and challenges, help you assess product demand, and perfect your sales strategy to better reach your business goals.

Follow market trends

Stay updated on emerging trends to anticipate shifts in consumer behavior and adapt your sales strategy accordingly.

For example, if you’re in the fashion niche, monitor current styles and follow popular social media influencers to align your products with the latest in the industry.

3. Select a dropshipping supplier

Your dropshipping supplier can make or break your business, so carefully review your options before entering a dropshipping agreement contract.

Since you’ll have limited control over product quality and shipping times and costs, it’s important to vet suppliers with a good reputation, competitive prices, and reliable customer service.

Order a few sample products and evaluate the quality and delivery times. This is especially important if you plan to sell personalized merch like custom clothing or consumer products.

Partner with a few dropshipping businesses to maintain a steady product supply and reduce risks associated with supplier errors.

4. Decide where to sell

Once you’ve selected your suppliers, look for a selling channel that best aligns with your objectives and target market. Here are the types of platforms to consider.

5. Sort out your finances

Now that we’ve covered the fun parts of how to get into dropshipping, let’s go through getting your finances in order.

Here’s a quick checklist to help you prepare to launch a dropshipping business.

6. Get a business license

Getting a business license is important to run your dropshipping store as a legal entity. 

Whether you’re setting up as a Sole Proprietorship or forming a Limited Liability Company (LLC), consult local authorities and legal professionals to understand the specific requirements in your area. 

License, permit, and certification laws vary depending on your business structure and location.

Related article

Do you need a business license to sell on Etsy?

Once your Etsy store starts making a consistent profit in sales, you can be legally obligated to apply for a license through your local government.

7. Market your dropshipping business

Attract customers and grow sales by marketing your dropshipping business. Here are some key strategies to consider to help drive traffic to your store.

Build a social media presence

Social media is a fantastic tool for reaching your target audience. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can help you showcase products and drive engagement.

Share high-quality images and videos, interact with your followers, and leverage platform-specific features like Instagram Stories and TikTok challenges.

Use advertising tools

Paid advertising tools like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads can help you reach a wider audience. 

They let you target specific demographics, making it a smart way to drive traffic and increase sales. Experiment with different ad formats like video or carousel ads to see what gives the best results. 

8. Monitor and optimize

It’s essential to monitor and fine-tune your operations regularly to keep your dropshipping business running smoothly and growing effectively.

Track financial performance

Regularly monitor your financial metrics like revenue, expenses, and profit margins. Track sales tax and VAT collected through your online store to maintain accurate reporting and compliance.

Use accounting software to keep accurate records and generate financial reports.

Low startup costs

Dropshipping eliminates the need for large upfront investments in inventory, warehousing, and shipping logistics – significantly reducing the financial risk of launching a new business.

Flexible profit margins

Source products at wholesale rates and set your own retail price to make a higher profit.

Keep in mind that you may need to set lower profit margins in highly saturated markets due to intense competition. 

However, if you go with Print on Demand instead of traditional dropshipping, you can set higher prices on unique, custom products.

Multiple dropshipping suppliers

Dropshipping gives you the flexibility to work with various suppliers for a broader product selection – helping you easily adjust to market trends.

With Printify, you have access to overseas suppliers through a global network of Print Providers – all offering a wide range of high-quality products and fast shipping times.

Scalable growth

Dropshipping lets you expand your product offerings and reach new customers without the constraints of physical inventory.

It’s easy to sell new items, test product quality, and enter new markets without financial risk.

Demographics

TikTok’s user base is a goldmine for dropshippers. Gen Z and millennials (ages 18-34) make up a massive 66% of its audience – and they aren’t just casually scrolling.

The platform’s audience is active, engaged, and ready to discover their next impulse buy – making TikTok the perfect playground for grabbing attention with creative content.

Content types that work

Short, snappy videos are your secret weapon for showing off products on TikTok. Find fresh, eye-catching ways to grab attention and spark curiosity, getting users to tap, like, and buy.

Experiment with different content types to find what resonates best with your target audience:

• Product videos. Show your products in action, highlighting their quality and features.
• Challenges. Use TikTok’s search bar to find trending challenges or create your own. It’s a great way to inspire user-generated content, increase brand visibility, and connect with your audience.
• Tutorials. Demonstrate how your product works and how it solves a problem. Quick, helpful videos build credibility and position your brand as a go-to in your niche.
• Product reviews. Highlight why your product is a must-have. Compare it to similar competitor products and offer usage tips to build trust with potential customers.
• Behind-the-scenes footage. Offer glimpses into your creative process or daily grind. It makes your brand feel real, relatable, and worth rooting for.

Algorithm

TikTok’s algorithm has four main goals to keep scrollers engaged and coming back: 

• User value. Providing interesting and relevant content.
• Long-term user value. Keeping users coming back.
• Creator value. Helping creators reach and grow their audience.
• Platform value. Making TikTok a better platform for everyone.

It’s an interest-based algorithm that factors in likes, comments, content, and video playtime to tailor the For You Page (FYP) to each person’s preferences.

By consistently producing compelling and relevant content that resonates with your target audience, you’ll improve your chances of appearing on FYPs and gaining exposure.

Using trending hashtags and participating in challenges can amplify your content’s visibility and reach for better success in your dropshipping business.

Find the right dropshipping products to sell online

Finding the best products for dropshipping is key. Research trending niches like fashion, beauty, or cool tech accessories. 

Check TikTok trends, explore marketplace bestsellers, and use dropshipping product research tools to get started.

Choose a dropshipping supplier

A great dropshipping supplier means smooth order fulfillment and happy customers. Use trusted services like Oberlo or SaleHoo to conduct research. 

Check details like quality, shipping times, and automation features to keep your store running effortlessly.

Set up your dropshipping store

Set up a Shopify store or use similar platforms like Wix or WooCommerce. These top sales channels make it easy to create a mobile-friendly, professional-looking store that’s clean, fast, and built for success. 

A smooth layout, simple navigation, and clear product pages are a must to drive purchases and ease the shopping experience.

Create a TikTok account and set up TikTok Shop

Download TikTok and create an account for your dropshipping brand. Use your business logo as your profile picture and link to your dropshipping store in your bio.

Switch to a Business Account to unlock royalty-free music and TikTok Business Suite tools. Link your TikTok account to TikTok Ads Manager to access extensive analytics and track audience traffic.

After that, set up TikTok Shop.

Here are the requirements to start selling on TikTok Shop:

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Have a valid US ID (passport or driver’s license).
• Legally register your business in the US.
• Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
• Complete the TikTok verification process by submitting personal and business information, tax documents, and bank account details.

Once everything’s approved, register for TikTok Shop, verify your seller account, and start uploading your dropshipping products. 

Add clear product titles, detailed descriptions, high-quality images, and set competitive pricing. A well-optimized product page will improve your chances of getting featured and making more sales.

Promote your products

Time to promote your TikTok dropshipping products using fun videos, influencer collabs, viral challenges, and targeted TikTok ads. Highlight your products’ features, use trending sounds, and create irresistible offers. 

You can even test YouTube ads to expand your reach. The more traffic you attract, the faster you start selling and scaling your store.

Check out TikTok Trends

Stay updated on the latest trends, challenges, and viral TikTok content that resonates with your target audience. Regularly explore the Trends Hub and What’s Trending Now pages to save time on research and discover hot topics of the week.

Don’t hesitate to put your own spin on these trends to stand out from the crowd.

Create content

What is TikTok dropshipping without top-notch content? Here’s what you can do to make your page stand out among other trendy content pieces:

• Hook fast. Grab attention in the first 3 seconds.
• Keep it short. Aim for 15-30 seconds. Quick hits perform best.
• Use trending sounds. Ride the wave of popular audio to enhance visibility.
• Show the product in action. Make it fun and benefit-focused.
• Add closed captions. Many viewers scroll with the sound off.
• Post consistently. Publish daily or a few times a week to stay relevant.

Remember to be authentic – talk about your products the way you would to a friend. The more genuine you are, the more your audience will connect with your brand.

Collaborate with influencers

Influencer collabs equal instant reach. Head to the TikTok Creator Marketplace or search niche hashtags to find influencers who vibe with your brand. Reach out with a clear offer – free products, commissions, or a set payment rate. 

Give them creative freedom to craft authentic video content that clicks. It’s a win-win – you drive new customers to your store while they score cool stuff to share with their audience.

Share user-generated content (UGC)

Encourage user-generated content by featuring customer reviews, unboxing videos, and testimonials on your TikTok account. 

• Actively engage with your audience by reposting their content. 
• Create branded hashtags and challenges to inspire user participation and foster a sense of community around your brand.

Real feedback adds a personal touch and gives your dropshipping store credibility, building trust with potential customers.

Use hashtags

To drive organic traffic to your TikTok Shop, use relevant hashtags that resonate with your audience. While it’s tempting to jump on all the trending ones, it’s important to find tags that align with your brand identity. 

Research popular, high-traffic tags on the Trending page and balance them with niche-specific ones related to your online store. This way, you increase your chances of reaching the right people with a higher intent to buy.

Consider paid advertising

Run paid ads to promote your products and reach a targeted audience. The TikTok Ads Manager offers multiple advertising options to help you engage with potential customers, including In-Feed and Carousel Ads.

Analyze and optimize your content

Want your TikTok store to take off? Head to TikTok Analytics in your Business Suite and track views, likes, comments, and conversions. 

• Likes and comments show what’s grabbing attention.
• Clicks and purchases tell you what’s actually selling. 

If engagement’s low, tweak your calls to action, product angles, or video styles. 

Test new content weekly – try different formats, hooks, or product showcases. If something’s clearly working, take advantage and double down with similar posts to keep the momentum going.

Create an engagement strategy

Engagement goes beyond sales and helps build lasting relationships with customers. Responding to comments, messages, and mentions on TikTok shows followers that you care and encourages more interaction.

To strengthen your connection, create live Q&A sessions, polls, and challenges. They let you engage with your audience in real time, fostering a loyal community that’s more likely to continue supporting your dropshipping business.

Trending gadgets and accessories

Keep an eye on the latest tech goods and innovative products that capture the attention of TikTok users. From smart devices to stylish accessories, gadgets are always in demand.

Fashion and apparel

Offer trendy clothing to tap into TikTok’s fashion-forward audience. Consider niche-specific items, such as athleisure wear, streetwear, or sustainable fashion, to cater to different preferences.

Beauty and skincare products

With beauty and skincare trends constantly evolving, there’s a vast market for cosmetics, skincare products, and beauty tools on TikTok. To engage your audience, highlight unique formulations, skincare routines, and beauty hacks.

Home and lifestyle essentials

Transform everyday living with home decor, kitchen gadgets, and lifestyle goods that enhance comfort and convenience. To capture interest, showcase innovative home products, organization solutions, and eco-friendly alternatives.

Wellness and self-care products

Prioritize health and wellness by offering products that promote relaxation and mindfulness. From aromatherapy candles to supplements, cater to the growing demand for self-care products.

Pet supplies and accessories

Appeal to pet lovers with a range of goods, toys, and grooming essentials for their furry companions. Highlight adorable pet apparel and pet care tips to engage paw parents.

Personalized items

Amp up the gifting experience with personalized items that add a sentimental touch. From custom jewelry to personalized ornaments, these dropshipping products will help you stand out in a saturated market.

Low startup costs

You won’t need a huge initial investment to start dropshipping successfully, as there’s no need to rent a facility, purchase inventory, or manage order fulfillment.

You’ll partner with a reputable supplier who will source and ship products directly to your customers, allowing you to focus on sales and marketing without the burden of tracking the logistics.

Work whenever, wherever

Enjoy the ultimate flexibility in running your dropshipping business from anywhere – whether at home, in a cozy cafe, or on the go.

This allows you to set your own schedule, fitting work around your personal commitments to maximize your productivity and work-life balance.

Wide product selection

From custom t-shirts and accessories to electronics and home goods, dropshipping lets you start selling a wide range of products without handling inventory.

Adapt your product offer to the hottest trends to meet growing demand and attract more customers.

Unlimited growth

One of the biggest perks of dropshipping is how easy it is to scale your business with no overhead expenses.

As demand grows, quickly add new products and ramp up marketing efforts to ensure repeat business and a growing customer base.

Passive income potential

Once you set up your online store and establish reliable suppliers, the system automatically fulfills orders, generating passive income that provides stability and growth without requiring constant hands-on effort.

High competition

Successfully navigating a market packed with other sellers requires more than just selling products in high demand.

You need to choose the right target audience, use effective marketing strategies, deliver exceptional customer service, and constantly review and adapt your offers and strategies to changing market trends.

Setting profit margins

Managing tight profit margins is a significant challenge for anyone wanting to ensure a steady income from this business model.

By analyzing your costs and pricing competition, you can maximize profits while managing low-margin products effectively. For long-term success, offer a mix of high- and low-margin products to appeal to diverse customers and increase revenue.

Finding reputable suppliers

Ensuring your dropshipping suppliers consistently deliver high-quality products on time is crucial for keeping customers happy and running your operations smoothly.

This is why you need to vet suppliers carefully based on their track record, product quality, and reliability. Clear communication and sample ordering help ensure they consistently meet your quality standards.

Lack of customer service

When customers have questions or encounter any issues, they’ll expect prompt and helpful responses from your business. Without reliable customer service from your suppliers, this can result in negative reviews, lost sales, and damage to your brand reputation.

Ensure your suppliers prioritize excellent customer service to support your business and maintain customer loyalty.

Pick your niche

Research trending products with online tools like Semrush or Google Trends, look at other online retailers to assess market saturation, and consider your own interests and valuable skills when selecting a niche market.

For example, if you already have a side hustle as a dog walker or pet sitter, you might consider starting a dropshipping business selling pet products.

Identify niches with high demand and low competition to increase your chances of earning extra money and stand out.

Find your suppliers

Look for suppliers that offer quality products that align with your niche and consistently meet your order and quality requirements.

Instead of selling someone else’s products, partner with Printify to sell products with your own custom designs. We offer a global network of quality Print Providers and all the tools necessary to launch a print-on-demand side hustle.

Create a branding strategy

Establish a strong brand identity by clearly defining your brand’s mission, vision, core values, and unique selling points. Create a memorable business logo and visuals like distinct color palettes, typography, and imagery.

Consistency across all branding elements, platforms, and communications will help build brand recognition and customer trust, setting the stage for long-term success in your market niche.

Open an online store

Launching your online store is the next step in turning your side hustle idea into a thriving business. It’s all about choosing where to sell, creating a captivating brand image, and making sure your store is easy and enjoyable to use.

• Choose your sales channel

Set up a place where your customers can buy products. This can be your own business website or a popular eCommerce platform or marketplace like Shopify, WooCommerce, or Etsy.

• Apply your visual identity

Customize your store’s appearance to reflect your brand identity by using high-quality visuals, themes, colors, and fonts that create a cohesive and engaging shopping experience.

• Optimize for mobile users

With mobile eCommerce in the US set to reach $856 billion by 2027, your store needs to look and work great on mobile devices.

Use a responsive design that adjusts seamlessly to different screen sizes, ensuring everything loads quickly and is easy to tap.

• Enable essential features

Incorporate a smooth and secure checkout process, reliable shipping options, and support channels to ensure customer satisfaction.

Test all the links and features to make sure everything functions properly.

Market your online business

Use effective digital marketing strategies to increase brand awareness, attract potential customers, and make your side hustle profitable.

Here are some key strategies:

• Content marketing

Create informative and engaging content like blog posts and videos to resonate with your audience and increase your authority in the industry. For additional insights, go through our content marketing tips.

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

Use relevant keywords, quality content, and meta tags to drive organic traffic to your store from popular search engines like Google.

Take our SEO Masterclass online course to become an expert.

• Email marketing

Create a mailing list and send regular newsletters to stay connected with your audience. Share updates on new products, exclusive offers, and helpful tips to nurture leads and encourage repeat purchases.

• Social media marketing

Use popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to connect with your audience through organic content, paid ads, and influencer collaborations.

To effectively reach your marketing goals, check out our social media marketing tips.

• Search engine marketing

Use digital marketing services like Google Ads to run ad campaigns and place your store at the top of search engine results by bidding on relevant keywords.

Offer excellent customer service

To build trust and cultivate long-term customer loyalty, you need to be accessible and responsive.

Provide various channels for customers to contact you, including email, live chat, and social media platforms.

Offer prompt responses to all inquiries, resolve issues with empathy, and maintain clear and proactive communication throughout the entire process.

Create a Printify account

Sign up for a free Printify account to start your print-on-demand business.

Connect your store with Printify

We have automated integrations with some of the world’s most popular eCommerce sales channels, including Shopify, eBay, and Walmart.

Go to your Printify Dashboard → Add a new store → Select a sales channel and follow the instructions to connect.

Alternatively, sell products via a unique store link by opening a free Pop-Up Store.

Design your products

Browse our Product Catalog of over 1,300 custom products in various categories, from t-shirts to home decor, find brands you want to customize with your designs, and click Start designing.

Use our Product Creator to upload your artwork or create new custom designs with our free graphics, fonts, AI image generator, and professional image editing tools.

Scale, layer, and adjust your designs to perfection, then generate product mockups to add to your store listings.

Set competitive prices

Conduct thorough market research and price your products competitively to attract customers while ensuring healthy profit margins to sustain your print-on-demand business growth.

Factor in production costs, shipping fees, and desired profit margins. By default, all your Printify-made products will have the profit margin set to 40%, but it’s possible to adjust it manually.

Regularly review and alter your retail prices to stay competitive and profitable.

Start making money online

Once everything is ready, launch your print-on-demand dropshipping store, start selling products, and sit back and relax – we’ll handle the rest.

When a customer places an order on your store, it will sync to your Printify Dashboard. We’ll charge you for fulfillment and ship the order directly to your customer.

Print on Demand dropshipping business

This is a popular alternative to classic dropshipping that allows you to create custom products with your own brand designs and there’s no need to hold inventory.

You’ll pay for order fulfillment only after a customer orders something from your online store.

Inventory-based selling

This business model means purchasing and storing inventory before selling it to customers.

While it may require more upfront investment and logistical management, inventory-based models offer greater control and potentially more money.

Selling digital products and courses

This dropshipping business alternative allows you to create and sell digital products like graphic designs, eBooks, online courses, and subscriptions.

It’s one of the best online business models if you want to avoid the complexities of handling physical inventory or overseeing order fulfillment and earn passive income even while you sleep.

Wholesale business model

This dropshipping alternative means buying products in bulk from manufacturers or distributors at discounted prices and reselling them at a higher price to retailers or consumers.

It’s a profitable business model that allows you to benefit from economies of scale and negotiate favorable pricing, in turn receiving more control and maximizing profit margins.

Affiliate marketing accounts

A great alternative to running a dropshipping store – you won’t even need to open your own shop. Affiliate marketing means promoting third-party products and earning a commission for each referral made through your own custom links.

This highly profitable online business model eliminates the need to hold inventory and carry out order fulfillment; you’ll earn money from marketing and driving traffic to your affiliate partners.

Online blogging

This is a great dropshipping alternative if you want to earn money by creating and publishing valuable content on online blogging platforms.

It’s easy to combine this method with affiliate marketing, Print on Demand, selling digital products, and alternative business models to diversify your income streams.

Online freelancing

Becoming an online freelancer involves offering your skills in fields like graphic design, digital marketing, copywriting, or web development to clients on a contractual basis.

List your services on your own online business, our Experts Program, or platforms like Fiverr, which provide opportunities for any online freelancer to find gigs, earn money, and build a loyal client base.

Manufacturing with private labeling

This dropshipping alternative involves creating custom-branded products by working directly with manufacturers. This gives you full control over the product, branding, and packaging and the potential to make more money. 

Sell private label products on your own eCommerce store, popular online sales channels, or local retail stores.

Sign up for Printify

Create a free Printify account to access a wide range of customizable goods with affordable and consistent product pricing, integrations with online sales channels, and automated order fulfillment.

Connect your online store

Choose a sales channel for your print-on-demand dropshipping business. Open a free Pop-Up Store to sell products via a unique link or use our integrations to connect with eCommerce platforms like Shopify or marketplaces like Etsy.

If these popular sales channels don’t seem right for you – don’t worry, there are alternatives:

Shopify alternatives

Etsy alternatives

Design your products

Browse our Product Catalog of over 1,300 high-quality items to find the perfect additions for your store, then click Start designing.

Upload your artwork or create completely new and unique designs with our Product Creator. It offers free graphics, fonts, an AI Image Generator, and professional graphics editing tools.

Create, layer, scale, and adjust your designs to perfection, generate high-quality product mockups, and publish them to your store.

Launch your eCommerce store and start selling

Once your store is set up and products designed, launch your online business and start making money.

We’ll handle the production and shipping of your orders so you can focus on marketing, providing excellent customer service, and growing your business.

2. SaleHoo

SaleHoo is a wholesale and dropshipping platform that connects you to legitimate suppliers and high-quality products. SaleHoo has over 8,000 suppliers who have gone through a thorough screening process. 

Merchants can easily add products from AliExpress to their Shopify store and start dropshipping women’s clothing in minutes.

The annual subscription fee for SaleHoo starts at $270, and it includes many features, like a directory of trustworthy dropship and wholesale suppliers, the ability to import high-profit AliExpress products, and personal email support.

3. Spocket

Spocket offers a variety of products from many US and EU suppliers. It also allows sellers to research product trends and order samples before selling a particular item.

With integration with platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Wix, Spocket streamlines online store management by effortlessly transferring product data, images, and variants from its suppliers.

Spocket offers automated order fulfillment and customizable invoicing. Moreover, the platform provides built-in sales metrics that allow sellers to monitor site visitors, online sessions, and overall earnings across multiple channels.

Available as a monthly subscription, Spocket provides various pricing options.

4. Syncee

Founded in 2015, Syncee is a dropshipping platform that houses over 7 million products from over 12,000 brands. Their supplier network covers almost the entire world:  the US, Canada, the EU, the UK, and Australia. Among other products, they dropship women’s clothing, fashion footwear, and beauty products.

Syncee offers a vast array of features that can benefit your dropshipping business, such as automated order fulfillment, inventory tracking, auto order sync, catalog creation, and support.

It offers different pricing options based on your needs and goals, whether you’re just starting out or aiming for substantial expansion.

The platform integrates with over ten sales channels, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and Squarespace.

5. AliExpress

AliExpress is a true industry heavyweight based in China, with over 20 million daily visitors and 180 million annual active users. The platform offers millions of products, including a broad range of women’s fashion, like women’s clothing, wigs, handbags, and shoes. 

Filter the Four stars and up option to ensure you’re dealing with reputable suppliers.

One of the most notable women’s fashion suppliers on AliExpress is the GOPLUS Official Store, which offers women’s jeans, dresses, and other trendy low-cost clothing items from Chinese manufacturers.

First, sign up to become a member and explore their vast range of women’s clothing products.

Select which items you want to sell, find a supplier, and integrate the products into your store using a third-party tool such as DSers, Ali Orders, or Dropified.

6. My Online Fashion Store

My Online Fashion Store is a USA-based dropshipping company that offers quality wholesale women’s clothes at affordable prices.

The clothes are sourced from local quality LA manufacturers, designed for the US marketplace, with true-to-size US sizing.

They offer a free return policy, and dropshippers can view their entire catalog at their sister company CCWholesaleClothing.com.

7. Modlily

Modlily is a top-fashion clothing boutique store for women’s fashion, including swimwear and jewelry. They offer discounts throughout the year and free shipping with a minimum order. 

Anyone can join their dropshipping program and become a member to access their high-quality service and product discounts.

Modlily also offers a point system that grants discounts based on points earned. The dropshipping services are currently free and only require regular purchases or a membership. 

To join, send a request and, once approved, manually place orders, then wait for fulfillment and delivery.

8. Tasha Apparel

Tasha Apparel is a dropshipping supplier based in Los Angeles, offering a diverse range of stylish womenswear from hundreds of local brands. Their product prices are 20%-50% lower than in retail.

Join Tasha Apparel’s dropshipping program by filling out their form and attaching your seller’s permit or business license. They offer bulk rates and same-day shipping, regularly update their stock, and have options for simple fitness clothes and extravagant fashion clothing.

9. Bloom Dropship

Bloom Dropship is a US-based women’s clothing dropshipping boutique that offers trending apparel at discounted prices. They source their products directly from LA manufacturers and offer high-resolution photos with professional models – perfect for building a unique brand.

Bloom Dropship offers a subscription-based dropshipping program with a one-month free trial to get started and test their services. If you sell from a Shopify website and use the SyncLogic app, sync it with their products for stock and automatic order processing. 

All orders are processed and shipped to customers with the merchant’s boutique name on the shipping label.

10. FondMart

FondMart is a fashion dropshipper and an online marketplace based in China that offers over 200,000 women’s apparel products. They also offer branding options to sell products under your own brand and packaging.

Start dropshipping women’s fashion with FondMart with low startup costs and reduced operating risks.

FondMart offers various benefits like no minimum order quantity, private-label services, and up to 75% off retail rates. Their integration solutions make managing and synchronizing products with your store easy, so you can focus on marketing and growing your business.

11. Trendsi

Trendsi is a top women’s fashion dropshipping distributor for Shopify merchants in the US. Trendsi offers beautiful product photos with their own models. The company offers free returns, branded invoicing, and mobile apps for easy store management.

Starting a women’s clothing dropshipping business with Trendsi is easy. Sign up, and you’ll get immediate access to over 100,000 trendy products.

Simply connect your Shopify store, sell clothing on your store, and pay the product cost once you receive an order, and Trendsi will ship it directly to your customers.

12. CC Wholesale Clothing

CC Wholesale Clothing is a sister company of the women’s fashion dropshipping supplier My Online Fashion Store. Once you sign up, you get access to over 6,000 products in various styles and the 100-200 items they add every other week. 

Their program offers free returns and low shipping costs, with no dropshipping fees per order. Plus, they provide free marketing materials, like banners and graphics, to help grow your business.

They offer six dropshipping programs for various integrations – Standard, Shopify, Wix, Inventory Source, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce.

13. FashionGo

FashionGo is a global fashion marketplace connecting over 1,400 independent brands to 740,000 buyers.

It provides tools, data, and great customer service to help you sell more and grow faster. FashionGo offers clothes from the latest trends in women’s clothing.

FashionGo’s dropshipping process is simple and automated.

First, select the products you want to sell on your Shopify storefront.

Second, FashionGo Dropshipping automatically syncs customer details to ensure hassle-free order fulfillment. Set up auto-pay to ensure your orders are processed promptly.

Then, the vendors will ship the orders directly to your customers.

14. Coco-Fashion

Coco-Fashion is convenient for dropshipping women’s fashion without managing complicated account systems. Manually upload items or use their CSV product feed for automatic uploading. 

When your customer orders on your website, you place the same order on Coco-Fashion with your customer’s shipping address. They ship the item to your customer and provide a tracking number. 

To join, email them your online shop URL or eBay listing, billing details, and login information. 

They will issue you an invoice and approve you as their dropshipper, providing you with access to their products and detailed instructions on how to place orders.

15. Kiyonna

Kiyonna is a US-based dropshipping supplier specializing in plus-size women’s fashion, like tunics, cardigans, jumpsuits, and maxi dresses, ranging from sizes XS-5X.

They have expanded to over 100 stores nationwide and partnered with famous retailers like Nordstrom, Macy’s, and David’s Bridal. 

Kiyonna’s dropshipping program is only available to approved retailers with an established online presence, and shipping fees may be higher for countries outside the US and Canada.

Fashion dropshipping stores

My Online Fashion Store

My Online Fashion Store dropshipping site is an amalgamation of the latest trends, with a vast selection of high-quality apparel, footwear, and accessories. Each piece is carefully curated to embody the essence of style, sophistication, and comfort. My Online Fashion Store is your go-to fashion partner, providing fashion-forward choices to redefine your wardrobe.

BrandsDistribution

Originating from Italy, BrandsDistribution’s extensive catalog offers original fashion brands. For a monthly subscription fee, retailers can access up to 500,000 products from top designer brands like Nike, Adidas, Levi’s, and Gucci. Their personalized support, exclusive offers, and broad spectrum of product pricing make it an attractive choice for high-end fashion retailers.

Modalyst

Modalyst is a dropshipping platform that brings the world’s best independent fashion brands to your doorstep. Modalyst prides itself on its carefully selected, diverse product range that spans from avant-garde apparel to unique accessories. This store stands out with its dedication to fostering independent designers, helping them sell products to customers worldwide.

FashionNova

FashionNova, driven by Instagram ads and organic traffic, is one of the best Shopify dropshipping stores. It’s known for its cutting-edge styles, affordable prices, and inclusive size range. This California-based dropshipping store has revolutionized online shopping, providing an extensive collection of clothing, shoes, and accessories that cater to every style and occasion. Renowned for its celebrity-inspired designs and viral trends, FashionNova is a trendsetter in the fashion industry.

Homeware dropshipping stores

Forecasts indicate a boom in the home decor market, reaching $202 billion in the United States by 2024 alone. Capitalize on this growth by selling homeware items.

Inspire Uplift

Inspire Uplift prides itself on offering products that spark joy. Catering to various tastes and needs, they provide an expansive selection of fun, practical, and inspiring items. Their clean, professionally designed homepage efficiently categorizes products, emphasizing affordability.

Ruggable

Ruggable has revolutionized the world of floor furnishings with their innovative, machine-washable rugs. From area rugs to runners and doormats, they make sure every product can handle the wear and tear of daily life. The unique two-piece rug system sets Ruggable apart in the market. By highlighting this unique selling point through high-quality imagery and engaging copy, Ruggable offers a remarkable shopping experience.

Endy

Endy is an online-only mattress company based in Canada. They offer a comprehensive range of products, from mattresses to pillows, pillowcases, and bedding. Their business model of providing a free 100-night trial with a full refund option has contributed to their success. A lightweight, fully responsive, and user-friendly interface enhances customers’ checkout experiences, reinforcing their position as a leader in the online sleep solutions industry.

Teamson

Teamson offers customers a gateway to stylish, quality home, children’s, and pet products. From bookcases and dollhouses to pet beds, their collection of thoughtfully designed products helps customers create inviting and personalized spaces. Their minimalist store design, coupled with beautiful imagery, focuses on the products themselves, underscoring their dedication to quality and aesthetic appeal. With its simplified shopping experience and diverse product lineup, Teamson exemplifies the potential of a well-curated dropshipping store.

Accessories dropshipping stores

Discover the world of accessories, where style meets profitability. Explore successful online businesses that specialize in a wide variety of trendy accessories, from socks to phone accessories.

MooShe

MooShe Socks, a unique Canadian socks brand, is an exemplary Shopify niche dropshipping store. With its focus on delivering high-quality socks, MooShe Socks has captured the hearts (and feet) of sock enthusiasts. From vibrant patterns to cozy designs, their carefully curated collection sets them apart. Embracing the dropshipping model, MooShe Socks ensures seamless order fulfillment and exceptional customer service.

Burga

With a stronghold in the phone accessories niche, Burga exemplifies a successful Shopify dropshipping store. Its success lies in clear product images, a user-friendly mobile design that intuitively filters products for customers’ smartphone models, and ample product information – including reviews, warranties, and promotional deals. The engaging Instagram feed, boasting over 552K followers, features a mix of product showcases and promotional videos, underscoring Burga’s dedication to aesthetic appeal and customer engagement.

Mous

As a fashion technology brand, Mous serves the adventurous and tech-savvy with its range of protective cases and accessories for various devices. The brand’s website stands out for its responsive, informative, and well-organized layout. Their flawless product categorization facilitates an easy and efficient shopping experience, reflecting their commitment to customer satisfaction.

Other dropshipping stores

Dropshipping isn’t limited to fashion, homeware, or accessories. Explore many other niches!

PetLove

PetLove is a dedicated dropshipping platform for pet owners. This online store showcases a broad selection of pet-related products, from food to toys and grooming essentials. One of PetLove’s distinguishing features is its detailed product presentation, which combines high-quality images with informative descriptions. The company also publishes insightful blog posts on pet care, building a sense of community among its customers.

Alo Yoga

Alo Yoga is a top-notch store specializing in yoga apparel and accessories. They excel in providing quality products for both studio use and streetwear. Their mission to inspire wellness and build a community is evident in their high-quality product offering and the engaging design of their Shopify store. Operating under a dropshipping model, they offer a variety of yoga-related products without maintaining an extensive inventory.

Rosamiss

Rosamiss is one of those unique dropshipping stores that offers personalized products featuring customers’ photographs. Their innovative product approach has made them stand out in the eCommerce market. Their use of vivid graphics and whitespace creates a balance that draws customers in, while their active social media presence keeps customers engaged and informed about their latest offerings.

Define your business idea

Before diving into the world of dropshipping, it’s crucial to have a clear idea for your business.

Select a specific niche for your dropshipping store. A niche dropshipping store caters to a specific market segment or interest group to maintain focus and enhance your marketing efforts.

Consider market demand, competition, and your interests or expertise when choosing a niche. A niche you’re passionate about is beneficial, as this can provide additional motivation and insight.

Once you’ve selected a niche, consider your target audience. Who are they? What are their interests, needs, and wants? How can your products meet these needs and wants?

Finally, think about your unique selling point. What makes your dropshipping store different from others? It could be anything from exclusive products, superior customer service, or the absence of shipping costs. By defining the idea of your business in this way, you’ll have a solid foundation for your dropshipping business.

Don’t forget competitor analysis

Stay ahead of the game by conducting a thorough competitor analysis. Understand what other eCommerce brands, aka your competitors, are doing right and identify their shortcomings to help you devise a successful marketing strategy. It’s smart to test their product quality to see how you compare.

Build your dropshipping store

Building your dropshipping store is a vital step in the process. You’re creating a digital storefront where your customers will browse and purchase your products. One of the most recommended platforms for this is Shopify, a robust eCommerce platform favored by many successful dropshipping businesses.

When building your Shopify dropshipping store, prioritize creating a user-friendly interface. A well-structured site layout will allow your customers to navigate and find what they’re looking for easily.

An attractive design is another essential factor in building your store. Your website’s appearance directly reflects your brand, and an aesthetically pleasing design can significantly enhance a user’s shopping experience.

Including detailed product descriptions is crucial. Each product should come with an in-depth, accurate, and persuasive description that informs potential customers about the item’s features, benefits, and use.

High-quality photos and videos can complement these descriptions, giving customers a comprehensive understanding of your products.

Create a business plan

A comprehensive business plan is vital for a successful dropshipping business. Outline your goals, strategies, and metrics for measuring success. Market research is crucial, providing insights into trends, competition, and audience preferences. Your strategy should be tailored for customer acquisition and customer retention through tactics like advertising on social media platforms, influencer marketing, Google ads, and content marketing. 

Your plan should include strategies for business growth and scalability, whether expanding product range, entering new markets, or building your brand.

Set your budget

Before you decide to open your own Shopify dropshipping store, consider all costs, including store setup, marketing, shipping costs, and any other miscellaneous expenses. Having a well-defined budget keeps your business financially stable.

Get your store live

After setting up the store, it’s time to get it live and sell products. Use various channels such as search engines, social media, and email marketing to attract customers to your new store.

Review Your Progress

Regularly review your progress and adjust your strategies. This continual refinement helps your business grow and adapt to changing market conditions.

Print on Demand

Print on Demand makes it easy for anyone to start a business with minimal investment and no shipping or production responsibilities.

Print-on-demand companies like Printify provide seamless integrations with popular sales channels, free design tools, and helpful resources, making starting, managing, and scaling a business easy.

Your success will heavily depend on your designs, niche, marketing strategy, branding, and customer service.

Dropshipping

It’s relatively easy to start dropshipping since there are no upfront investment or order fulfillment responsibilities. However, there are some major downsides.

Cons include difficulty finding reliable dropshipping suppliers, the time it takes to build an online dropshipping store, high competition, and no customization opportunities.

Print on Demand

With print-on-demand services, you don’t have to worry about production, inventory, or shipping.

When you sell a product from your print-on-demand store, the printing company prints, packages, and ships the order directly to your customer.

Fulfillment times are a bit longer because suppliers only print products as orders come in.

Another drawback is limited control over stock availability, but Printify’s Order Routing feature solves this problem. If your chosen print-on-demand supplier can’t fulfill an order, it will be automatically routed to the nearest, best alternative supplier. 

If a customer’s order can be rerouted to a supplier with a warehouse closer to their address, it’ll lower shipping costs.

Dropshipping

The dropshipping business model also doesn’t require inventory management. Dropshipping suppliers hold an inventory of ready-made products.

When a customer places an order, it’s instantly packaged and shipped, resulting in a shorter fulfillment time.

However, shipping time can be longer depending on the dropshipping suppliers’ location, and delivery delays could pop up.

Stock availability can also be an issue. Since you rely on third-party suppliers to manage inventory, there’s a chance products will go out of stock or get discontinued without notice.

Print on Demand

Print on Demand has three costs:

Printing costs. You pay for each product when it’s printed. The cost per unit depends on the product type, printing technique, additional customization options, and branding inserts.

Shipping costs. These depend on the print-on-demand supplier’s location, order destination, package weight, and chosen shipping method.

Platform fees. Depending on your chosen sales channel, multiple fees can apply. From listing and shipping to processing fees, monthly subscriptions, and more.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping also has three main costs:

Product costs. Instead of printing costs, dropshipping has product costs. These costs vary based on product type, supplier pricing, and order quantity.

Shipping costs. If your supplier is in a different country than your customer base, shipping costs may be higher and impact the overall profitability of your eCommerce business. Research and compare shipping rates from different suppliers to get the best deal.

Platform fees. Dropshipping platforms or individual suppliers may charge fees for access to their product catalogs and services, like subscription fees, transaction fees, or commission-based charges on each sale.

Print on Demand

Product customization is the biggest bonus of print-on-demand services. It lets entrepreneurs create their own custom products with original designs, making it much easier for their print-on-demand businesses to stand out.

Some POD companies provide free design tools for users to create personalized products.

For example, the Printify Product Creator has features like the AI Image Generator, Text Editor, and Graphics Library, so anyone can quickly create personalized products.

Dropshipping

You can’t customize products unless you partner with a private-label dropshipping supplier. You’ll have to work much harder on marketing and offering high-demand products to stand out from other dropshipping businesses and generate sales.

Print on Demand

Print-on-demand suppliers usually offer a wide range of products, which may include apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, hats), accessories (phone cases, tote bags, jewelry), and home decor items (posters, pillows, mugs).

Product quality depends on the company and its print providers. Read reviews and order samples before choosing a print-on-demand company to ensure the quality meets your standards.

At Printify, we thoroughly vet our Print Providers to ensure our merchants get the highest quality products, the best prices, and the fastest order fulfillment.

Dropshipping

Many dropshipping services offer products that print-on-demand suppliers don’t, like sports equipment, electronics, kitchen appliances, furniture, and even auto parts.

Dropshipping businesses partner with suppliers whose reliability and product standards vary, so ensuring consistent quality can be challenging. Be sure to order samples to test product quality.

Print on Demand

Most POD companies offer these branding options: 

Custom packaging. Unique packaging increases brand recognition and creates a memorable unboxing experience.

Branded product designs. Placing your logo on neck labels or other areas of your products reinforces brand identity and authenticity.

Custom inserts. Custom packaging inserts, such as thank-you notes or promotional materials, let brands connect more personally with customers.

Dropshipping

Although dropshipping gives you less control over product branding, there are other ways to make your online business stand out.

Compelling product listings. Write detailed product descriptions and add eye-catching images that make your products more appealing.

A strong brand identity. Developing a distinct brand identity for your website can increase brand recognition and encourage customer loyalty.

Print on Demand

Print-on-demand businesses are very flexible. You can easily choose products, create and adjust product designs, select printing methods, change suppliers, and add new products to your store.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping also gives you the flexibility to add new products, adjust profit margins, and expand into new markets.

Print on Demand

Print on Demand empowers you to outshine the competition by creating one-of-a-kind products nobody else has.

Establishing a solid brand and selecting a profitable niche will improve brand recognition, increase profits, and reduce competition.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping can be challenging since many online businesses offer similar products at competitive prices.

Increase your chances of success by creating a solid brand, doing market research, developing an effective marketing strategy, providing excellent customer service, and finding unique products to sell.

Print on Demand

There are no minimum order requirements. With Print on Demand, products can be produced in tens and hundreds, matching your or your customer needs.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping suppliers don’t typically have per-order minimums, but some may require a minimum monthly sales volume to have an account.

Print on Demand

Shipping time differs depending on the carrier and destination. Every product is customized before shipping, so it can take a bit longer for products to be sent.

Dropshipping

While choosing a dropshipping business offers the advantage of quick fulfillment, shipping times vary based on carrier efficiency and the distance between the supplier’s fulfillment centers and the end customer.

Print on Demand

We recommend a minimum profit margin of 40% to cover the expenses of running your eCommerce business. If you design products people love, you can set it even higher.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping suppliers charge a slight premium compared to general wholesale prices. You have to sell more to make the same amount of money.

The average dropshipping profit margin is between 15% and 20%. However, this really depends on your niche and the average product costs.

Print on Demand

POD suppliers usually integrate with eCommerce platforms and marketplaces. This lets sellers easily connect their POD supplier accounts with their own websites on popular sales channels like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Etsy.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping companies also offer integrations to streamline the selling process. Sellers can connect their dropshipping stores to suppliers to automate order processing, inventory management, and shipping.

How to dropship on Etsy with Print on Demand

Create an Etsy account and store

To start dropshipping on Etsy, you first need to create an Etsy Seller account following these steps: 

• Create an Etsy account. Go to Etsy, and click on Sign in to set up a buyer account.
• Create an Etsy seller account. Look for the option Sell on Etsy in the upper-right corner menu, and follow the steps.

• Complete onboarding. Navigate to the Shop Manager and follow the steps, including creating a mockup product to complete the registration process – you can delete this product later.
• Open your shop. Once onboarding is complete, click Open your shop to activate it.

Research what products to sell

Choosing the right products is essential for gaining traffic and making sales on Etsy. Explore these research strategies specifically tailored for dropshipping on Etsy with Printify:

• Etsy niche research. Analyze your chosen niche within the Etsy marketplace by identifying popular products, pricing strategies, and marketing approaches used by successful sellers.
• Printify bestsellers. Explore Printify’s Catalog of best-selling products and look for popular items that align with your chosen niche.
• Trending topics. Utilize Google Trends to identify popular keywords related to your niche. These keywords can be transformed into high-demand POD products.
• POD discovery platforms. Multiple websites specialize in POD trends and product research, often featuring updated lists of top-selling POD items and partnering with platforms like Printify. Some examples include:
  • EtsyHunt
  • Sellbrite 
  • Merch Informer
• Customer connection. Engaging with your target audience through reviews and feedback is crucial for continuous improvement. Understanding what dropshipping products resonate with them can help guide your product selection.

Check out these best-selling POD product categories and items that can help you launch your successful Etsy dropshipping business:

• T-shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Hoodies
• Mugs
• Canvas
• Blankets
• Posters
• Phone cases
• Tote bags
• Stickers

Establish your niche

A niche is a specialized market segment with unique interests and needs. Finding your niche is key to success when dropshipping with POD on Etsy, as it helps you narrow down the target audience. 

Etsy thrives on handmade and unique items, so standing out with niche-specific designs is necessary for capturing attention and attracting a dedicated customer base.

Targeting a niche allows you to:

• Craft unique products. Cater to a specific audience with designs that resonate with their interests.
• Attract targeted customers. Attract buyers actively searching for niche-related products.
• Reduce competition. Stand out in a crowded marketplace by focusing on a defined market segment.

Explore

To find the perfect niche for your Etsy dropshipping journey, check out our guide – What is a Niche?

Create a Printify account and connect with Etsy

Printify is a popular choice for Etsy sellers due to its seamless integration. Setting up an account and connecting it to your Etsy store is easy:

• Create or sign in to your Printify account.
• Go to Manage my stores.
• Click Connect and choose Etsy – select Add a new store for additional shops.
• Log in to your Etsy account and grant Printify access.
• Verify the email address that matches your Etsy shop connection.

Now you can:

• Publish products to your online storefront from Printify.
• Manage all orders within Printify.
• Leverage Printify’s automated shipping rates.

Explore

Learn more about Etsy Print on Demand and our Etsy integration.

Design your custom products

Printify’s Product Creator is a powerful tool that helps you design and visualize your dropshipping products in a realistic setting before selling them on your Etsy store. 

Here’s a quick rundown of its features and how to start customizing products.

Features: 

• AI Image Generator and a Pattern Creator. 
• Multiple editing tools include image cropping, fit and fill, scaling and positioning, a magnifier, and a dedicated toolbar for flipping and duplicating.
• Background-removal feature. 
• Text Editor with multiple fonts, languages, and emojis. 
• Improved layer alignment.
• Free Graphics Library and templates.
• Low-resolution image enhancement.

Start designing following these steps:

• Choose a product. Select an item from our Catalog and click Start designing.
• Apply your design. Either upload an existing image or create a new one.
• Adjust design. Resize, reposition, and align your design using the side panel.
• Choose product colors. Select color variants and sizes for your product.
• Preview the mockup. View mockups in RGB (vibrant) and CMYK (realistic) color modes.
  • Upload a custom background image (limited availability).
  • Download mockups from the preview.
• Save product. Connect your own eCommerce site to Printify to sell your items.

Explore

See more about the Product Creator on our YouTube channel.

Publish your product listings

After creating your products, select the listings you want to show on Etsy and click Publish. Then, you’ll have to edit them on Etsy and fill in specific fields that will help to make your products appear in the search results. 

Pay attention to the following sections: 

• Upload up to ten high-quality Photos showcasing your product from various angles. 
• Add relevant keywords in the alt text and follow Etsy’s size guidelines. 
• Consider adding a short, engaging Video demonstrating your product’s features (optional but recommended).
• Write short but keyword-rich Product Titles. However, avoid keyword stuffing and prioritize readability.
• Use the Etsy search bar to find popular keywords that fit your products’ primary Categories. Utilize Etsy’s subcategories for further refinement and discoverability.
• Create clear and informative Descriptions using short paragraphs and bullet points. Weave in relevant keywords (both short and long-tail) to enhance search rankings.
• Expand your discoverability by utilizing the Tags section to include additional keywords and highlight unique product features not covered elsewhere in your listing. 

Indicate Printify as your production partner

To align your business with Etsy’s dropshipping rules, it’s mandatory to disclose the product creation methods and Printify as your production partner for each listing.  Products are either handmade or handmade with production assistance.

So, when using Printify for sourcing products to your Etsy store, you’ll need to manually edit Etsy listings:

• Edit a published Etsy listing.
• In Core Details, change Who made it? to Another company or person.

• Create a new production partner, which you can choose not to display in the listings:
  • Name: Printify
  • Location: United States of America
  • About: Production partners
• Save the production partner.
• Save the changes to your listing.

Explore

See our Printify and Etsy Partnership section in our Help Center.

Ideal for unique niches and custom-designed products

Etsy focuses on customized and handmade products. POD allows you to cater to niche markets by designing unique products that resonate with particular Etsy buyers. 

You’re not limited to generic products – create custom t-shirts with funny slogans for gamers, tote bags with inspirational quotes for yoga lovers, or fair trade items. Designing personalized products sets your shop apart and attracts Etsy’s customers seeking distinctive items.

Access an established customer base

Etsy boasts a massive user base of over 90 million buyers globally, many actively searching for handcrafted and unique products. Launching an Etsy storefront will give you immediate access to this established marketplace, eliminating the need to build brand awareness from scratch. 

Etsy’s built-in search functionality and targeted advertising options can help your products reach potential customers who are already interested in what you offer.

Beginner-friendly with low startup costs

Unlike traditional retail models that require purchasing and managing inventory, dropshipping with POD on Etsy is significantly more accessible. You don’t need a large upfront investment in stock or warehouse space. 

With POD, you only pay for the product when a customer makes a purchase. This minimizes risk and allows you to experiment with different product ideas without financial commitment. It’s a fantastic way to test the waters of eCommerce and learn the ropes before potentially scaling up your dropshipping business.

Provides flexibility

Dropshipping Etsy products gives you the flexibility to manage your online store from anywhere. There’s no need for a physical storefront or managing inventory logistics, freeing up your time to focus on creative aspects like product design, marketing, and customer service.

High competition

Etsy is a popular platform for both established businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. The marketplace is saturated with Etsy merchants offering similar POD products, making it crucial to stand out from the crowd.

To succeed, you’ll need to create unique designs, identify a specific niche, and implement effective marketing strategies to attract customers to your shop.

Rigid rules and regulations

Etsy has clear guidelines regarding product types, production methods, and seller conduct. Unlike traditional dropshipping, you can’t sell mass-produced items or generic merchandise.

Your products must align with Etsy’s focus on handmade goods and vintage items. This means you’ll need to ensure your POD service provider offers high-quality printing and uses materials that comply with Etsy’s standards. 

Additionally, Etsy requires sellers to be transparent – you must disclose your POD dropshipping supplier as your production partner for each listing. Familiarizing yourself with Etsy’s policies and staying compliant is essential to avoid account suspension or product removal.

Low scalability

While dropshipping offers low startup costs, scaling your eCommerce business significantly on Etsy can be challenging. Since you’re relying on a third party for production and fulfillment, your profit margins might be lower than in a business model where you manage your inventory. 

Additionally, POD service pricing structures often favor larger order quantities, so you might not see significant cost reductions as your sales volume increases. 

If you envision significant future growth for your dropshipping business, you might need to consider transitioning to a different fulfillment model at some point.

Here are some additional factors to keep in mind:

• Profit margins. POD service fees and product pricing can affect your profit margins. Carefully research competition and market trends and factor in all costs when determining competitive prices.
• Limited control over production and shipping. While most reputable POD services offer great service, issues may arise relating to product quality, turnaround times, and shipping. Building a strong relationship with your POD provider and closely monitoring customer feedback can help mitigate these risks.

The benefits of dropshipping with POD on Etsy outweigh these challenges, remaining a viable option for many entrepreneurs. By carefully considering the pros and cons, developing a strong brand identity, and implementing effective marketing strategies, you can establish a successful eCommerce site and build a loyal customer base.

Explore

If you decide to dropship products with other platforms, take a look at some Etsy alternatives and the best dropshipping websites.

No risk

Unlike traditional inventory-based businesses, you don’t need to invest in bulk stock with Printify. You’ll only pay for the products when a customer orders from your Etsy shop, minimizing financial risk. You’re also free to test different product ideas at no cost.

900+ Products

Our Catalog features a vast product range from reliable suppliers, allowing you to cater to a wide range of customer preferences. You can easily adapt your product offerings from classic t-shirts and mugs to phone cases, tote bags, and even wall art.

Simplified fulfillment

Once you receive an order on Etsy, our Print Partners will handle the printing, packaging, and shipping process. This frees you up to focus on marketing your shop, designing new products, and providing excellent customer service.

Global printing and shipping

Our trusted Print Partners ensure fast delivery to your Etsy buyers no matter their location. This can be a significant advantage if you plan to target international markets with your dropshipping business.

Free suite of design tools

We provide beginner-friendly design tools that allow you to easily create mockups and customize your products. Even if you don’t have graphic design experience, these tools empower you to bring your creative vision to life.

Branding options

Printify integrates seamlessly with Etsy’s gift messaging feature, allowing customers to include personalized messages with their orders. This adds a thoughtful touch and can enhance the customer experience, potentially leading to repeat business.

Explore

Learn more about setting up Etsy gift messages with Printify on our Help Center.