Top Amazon Product Categories
Download Amazon Seller Guide
This guide will help you get started, understand the basics of Amazon selling, and explain in simple words how it all works.
Amazon is a great place to start your online store. However, it can be overwhelming to select what to sell with so many product options.
Your success depends on your chosen categories and products, so choose wisely. You should research popular categories or niches with high sales to pick the right products. These are called "best-selling categories" and can bring you maximum profit.
In this post, we will explore the top product categories on Amazon. We'll take a closer look at the most popular types of products in these categories and learn how to select profitable ones.
What Is Amazon Product Category?
Amazon product categories are a way to organize the vast selection of products sold on the Amazon marketplace (Amazon catalog). Just like a grocery store has different aisles for different products (produce, dairy, meat, etc.), Amazon uses categories to group similar items together.
This makes it easier for shoppers to find what they're looking for and for sellers to list their products in the right place.
For example, if you're selling a new smartphone, you would select the "Cell Phones & Accessories" category within the larger "Electronics" category. This would help shoppers specifically looking for smartphones find your product.
Using the correct product categories is important for both sellers and shoppers. For sellers, it can help to improve their product's visibility and search ranking. For shoppers, it can help them to find the products they're looking for more easily.
Amazon categories list
There are more than 30 Amazon product categories, and each of them has dozens of subcategories. The categories and subcategories list range from broad categories like "Electronics" and "Clothing" to more specific subcategories like "Cell Phones & Accessories" and "Women's Dresses."
When a seller creates a listing for a product, they need to select the appropriate category from a hierarchical structure called the browse tree. This helps Amazon to ensure that products are placed in front of the right customers.
You can find a list of the product categories in the table below.
.webp)
What Are Amazon Gated and Ungated Categories?
On Amazon, product categories are divided into two main types: gated (restricted) and ungated.
Gated categories
These are restricted categories that require approval from Amazon before you can sell any products within them. Amazon restricts these categories to protect customers from counterfeit or dangerous items and maintain the platform's reputation.
Ungated categories
These categories allow you to list and sell products without any prior permission from Amazon. This is a good option for beginners or those who want to start selling quickly.
Related: Amazon Restricted Products – Complete Guide for Sellers
How to Check Product Restrictions on Amazon?
How to determine whether a product is gated or ungated?
On Amazon, even if a specific category can be ungated, single products in that category may require approval.
Checking product restrictions on Amazon is time-intensive because Amazon constantly changes the lists of restricted products.
To check product restrictions in your Amazon Seller Central, you must go to Add a Product and click Show Limitations. That is very inconvenient if you research many products.
How to Check Product Restrictions with Seller Assistant?
If you want to check restrictions fast and reliably, the best option is Seller Assistant, a popular product sourcing platform.
It shows not only product restrictions, but also if you can sell a product on your account, product flags, and IP alerts.
Restrictions
Seller Assistant’s Restrictions Checker shows you directly on the Amazon product and search pages all product restrictions. If Seller Assistant alerts you with a red closed lock icon, the product is restricted. If you see the green open lock, the product is ungated.
Bulk restrictions
Seller Assistant allows you to check the restrictions of multiple products at a time. You can upload your file with a list of up to 1000 ASINs. The platform will generate a report indicating which products are restricted and which are not.
Selling eligibility
On Amazon, you must check if you can sell a product on your account. That is because Amazon may have requirements to sell specific products that vary depending on the account type (individual or professional), seller performance, and other criteria. If Seller Assistant displays the green open lock, that means you can sell a product on your Amazon account.
What Are the Most Selling Categories on Amazon?
Shoppers on Amazon buy a wide variety of products across different categories. However, some categories are trendy and see high demand, while others are less popular. Also, you must remember that the top-selling products constantly change.
Related: Seller Assistant Extension Review
How Does Amazon FBA Work. Is Amazon FBA worth it?
6 most popular product categories
.webp)
Related: Seller Assistant Extension Review
Seller Assistant — the Ultimate Tool for Amazon Online Arbitrage
1. Beauty & Personal Care
According to Amazon, Beauty & Personal Care is the most popular category among their buyers. This category includes cosmetics, skincare products, hair care items, and grooming essentials.
Selling in the Amazon Beauty & Personal Care category offers a large customer base, high demand for beauty products, and recurring purchases because consumers always need these items.
Tip. You must remember about strict product regulations in this category. Keep a close eye on product quality and ensure they comply with all standards and rules.
Examples of Beauty & Personal Care bestsellers
- Oils for hair growth;
- Acne treatments;
- Mascara for false eyelashes;
- Moisturizers for the skin;
- Anti-aging products;
- Makeup.
Related: Amazon Product Policy Compliance - Guide For Sellers
Amazon Sellers Competitors Analysis: Guide
2. Home & Kitchen
The Home & Kitchen product category is always in high demand among all target audiences of shoppers. It includes appliances, cookware, furniture, home décor, and other essentials for creating a comfortable living space.
It’s easy to sell kitchen supplies because they are not restricted, and there are many product ideas. Kitchen products typically have a good BSR.
Tip. The Home & Kitchen category has fierce competition. Therefore, you will need intelligent pricing strategies to be profitable. You must carefully calculate your profit margins. Seller Assistant’s FBM&FBA Calculator can show you the product’s profit margin and ROI right on the Amazon product and search pages.
Examples of Home & Kitchen bestsellers
- Food scales;
- Travel mugs;
- Stainless steel water bottles;
- Microwave covers that fold up;
- Meat thermometers;
- Blenders for making smoothies by hand.
Related: Amazon FBA Fees
The Most Important Amazon Seller Metrics for FBA Businesses
3. Automotive
Amazon offers a large market for car-related products and the potential for high sales volume because shoppers often purchase car accessories, parts, and maintenance products on Amazon.
Tip. Amazon’s Automotive is a restricted category. That means sellers must ungate it, and the new sellers are not eligible to sell in it.
Examples of Automotive bestsellers
- Windshield wiper blades;
- Clips for securing bumpers;
- Code readers for scanning car computer systems;
- Jump starters for batteries;
- Kits for restoring headlights;
- Compressors for inflating tires.
Related: How to Check Product Restrictions on Amazon?
What Can I Sell on Amazon Without Approval?
What Products to Avoid Selling on Amazon?
4. Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry
The fashion industry is always in great demand. This category caters to shoppers' style and fashion needs, from trendy apparel and footwear to fashion accessories like handbags and jewelry.
Tip. To sell fashion successfully, you must select eye-catching items that stand out. Also, you must check brand and product restrictions for such products. You can easily do it with Seller Assistant’s Restriction Checker. It shows all product restrictions right on the Amazon product and search pages.
Examples of Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry bestsellers
- Clogs for adults;
- Running shoes;
- Loafers;
- Underwear in boxer brief style;
- Underwear in bikini brief style;
- Sweatpants.
Related: The best Amazon Online Arbitrage Tool — Seller Assistant App
How to Dropship on Amazon with Seller Assistant App
5. Electronics
High-tech is a great market for sellers. Items like smartphones, tablets, laptops, headphones, and gaming consoles are highly sought after by shoppers. Rapidly evolving technology trends offer profitable sales opportunities.
Tip. The Electronics category has strict product certification and warranty regulations. Make sure to follow the laws and rules set by the government and Amazon. Your product mustn’t cause problems with other electronics and comply with copyright protection requirements.
Examples of Electronics bestsellers
- Wireless earbuds;
- Fire TV sticks;
- Apple AirTags;
- Apple AirPods with lightning connector;
- Wall chargers for USB devices;
- Mounts for attaching monitors to walls.
Related: What is Amazon FBM and How Does it Work?
FBA vs FBM: Which is Better for Amazon Sellers?
6. Appliances
Home Appliances is one of the popular product categories. Amazon buyers often look for portable equipment for home appliance needs.
Tip. To avoid customer returns, ensure accurate product descriptions and specifications. Additionally, given the nature of home appliances, ensure proper packaging for safe delivery.
Examples of Appliances bestsellers
- Ice makers;
- Range hoods that don't need ducts;
- Locks for refrigerators;
- Mini fridges;
- Washing machines that are compact and portable;
- Burner cooktops that are compact and portable.
Related: Customer Service by Amazon: All You Need to Know
Amazon Seller Compliance Documents
Are Some Categories More Profitable Than Others?
The profitability of a category depends on factors such as product demand, competition, profit margins, and market trends. Categories like electronics, home and kitchen appliances, beauty and personal care, and fashion often have high sales volumes and profit potential. The average profit margins across Amazon categories vary between 17% to 26%.
However, selecting a popular category does not guarantee product profitability. Also, there are opportunities in less popular categories. For instance, in one of the most popular categories on Amazon, the Home & Kitchen category, 14% of sellers either lack profitability or are unsure of their profit margins.
Popular categories attract many sellers, so it's important to assess competition in addition to customer demand.
Typically, success in any category is determined by conducting thorough product research, sourcing high-quality products, and setting competitive pricing.
How Do You Choose the Right Amazon Category to Sell In?
Choosing the right Amazon category to sell in is crucial for the success of your product. Here are some key factors to consider.
Check if the category is gated
Start by identifying if the category you're considering is gated. Gated categories require Amazon's approval and might involve additional steps like document verification. This can be a hurdle but might also indicate a category with less competition and potentially higher margins.
Analyze demand and competition
As said, some categories are more popular than others. However, selling in popular categories often means higher competition because everyone wants to sell popular products. Look for categories with a good balance of demand and competition. High demand is great, but so is finding a niche with less competition.
Consider profitability
Consider the profit margins in the category. High competition can lead to price wars, so look for categories with products that can support healthy profit margins after factoring in Amazon fees and Cost of Goods Sold.
Look into subcategories
Don't just focus on the main category, explore subcategories. A subcategory might offer a more targeted audience and increased visibility within a specific niche.
Use your expertise
Consider your own interests and expertise. You'll be more motivated to succeed in a category you're passionate about and knowledgeable in.
How to Find the Best-Selling Products on Amazon
To successfully sell on Amazon and make a profit, you need to find a product that is in demand and profitable. That can be a challenging task due to high competition. However, you can use Amazon product research tools like Seller Assistant to simplify the process.
Seller Assistant is a great tool that helps find high-profit products on Amazon in all categories. It appears on the product and search results pages, providing essential product metrics to help you make informed decisions.
Related: Seller Assistant Extension Review
The best Amazon Online Arbitrage Tool — Seller Assistant App
Product research step by step
- Step 1. Product evaluation
With Seller Assistant, you can evaluate if a product is suitable for selling.
You can estimate how the product will sell by looking at its Best Sellers Rank (BSR). Review the Buy Box seller's offer and the number of FBA and FBM merchants selling the item to understand the competition level.
Related: Amazon FBA Selling Tips for 2024
2024 Important Dates Amazon FBA: Key Dates for Amazon Sellers
Seller Assistant also shows potential sales, IP alerts, restrictions, and whether you are eligible to sell the product.
Note. If you are selling online arbitrage, wholesale, or dropshipping items, you must ensure that the product is not a Private Label (PL) and not sold by Amazon. PL merchandise is trademarked by PL merchants, while the items sold by Amazon will engage you in tough competition.
- Step 2. Product profitability
Seller Assistant includes a convenient FBA&FBM calculator that lets you quickly calculate important numbers like Amazon fees, profit, ROI (Return on Investment), and margin to determine if a product will be profitable.
- Step 3. Save the results to Google Sheets
In Seller Assistant, you can easily save the results of your research to Google Sheets with just one click. That allows you to access and process the information whenever you need it.
Related: How to Save Amazon Product Data to Google Sheets
Taxes for Amazon Sellers: All You Need to Know
Related: 13 Rules of OA Product Research Tested by Pain and Gain of Amazon Seller
FAQ
Which type of product is most selling on Amazon?
The type of product that sells the most on Amazon varies all the time. However, popular categories such as Beauty and Personal Care, Home and Kitchen, and Electronics tend to have high sales volume and demand.
What is the hardest part of selling on Amazon?
One of the most challenging aspects of selling on Amazon is conducting product research to identify profitable products to sell. However, this task is simplified with the right product research tools like Seller Assistant.
Which category is more profitable on Amazon?
The profitability of categories on Amazon can vary depending on various factors such as market trends, competition, and product selection. However, the most profitable merchants sell in Beauty and Personal Care and Home (30%) and Kitchen (30%) categories.
How many categories of products does Amazon sell?
Amazon offers millions of products across more than 30 different categories, including electronics, clothing, home and kitchen, beauty and personal care, books, and many more.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the top Amazon product categories in 2024 offer great opportunities for sellers. From electronics and Beauty and Personal Care to Appliances, these categories come with high demand and a diverse range of profitable products.
When it comes to choosing products to sell, Seller Assistant can effectively and reliably help you. This all-in-one extension shows you all product’s metrics and the profit you will get. It also lets you immediately see if a product has any sales restrictions or has previously triggered problems with account health. It combines an FBM&FBA profit calculator, Quick View, UPS to ASIN converter, ASIN Grabber, Stock Checker, and Restrictions Checker in one tool.
