The best things that Amazon has to offer


Amazon’s most popular products fluctuate so regularly that the only way to keep up to date is to check in hourly with their best sellers list. That’s right, Amazon sells so many products that their best seller list is updated hourly. While item popularity peaks and troughs at a rapid pace, there are some constants amid the chaos. Certain categories are consistent with their performance, while some product types feature only at the height of a consumer trend. If you’re unsure whether your child’s party should feature dragons, unicorns, or warrior princesses, Amazon’s best sellers will point you in the most popular direction.

Best selling categories

Unsurprisingly, 2017 revealed consumer electronics to be the lead category in Amazon sales with a whopping $8.5 billion sales, and it is maintaining the pace in 2018. This was followed at a safe distance by the home and kitchen category with $5.5 billion. In third place was publishing at $5 billion, so don’t give up on publishing that novel just yet. Sports and outdoors came in last place at $4 billion, which is nothing to be ashamed of, considering that a portion of that $8.5 billion of consumer electronics includes devices designed for indoor gaming.

While these four categories made the most sales, prospective sellers are often more interested in the fastest growing categories. These categories have less competition but are increasingly in demand from consumers. Luxury beauty experienced the most growth, with a 47% increase in sales. Pantry followed with 38%, while grocery and furniture products tied with a 33% increase in sales. This tells us a lot about what consumers (that’s all of us) consider to be the best things that Amazon has to offer. Naturally, results like these also inform Amazon of what they can focus on for future growth. They’ve already taken advantage of the rise in demand for home delivery of pantry and grocery items (and fuelled the fire) with the AmazonFresh grocery delivery service.

Consumer Trends

Consumer trends ebb and flow more frequently than the reliable popularity of categories. At this very moment, the clothing, shoes, and jewellery category, and the toys and games category feature a pink unicorn hoodie top, a pink princess castle, and a pink doll decorated case. While fantasy creatures are always popular with children (and adults) it’s interesting that pink is in demand in the current gender-neutral-childhood climate. Observations like this show the value of Amazon’s best sellers lists. Analysing the data can reveal opportunities and untapped markets for sellers.

While consumer trends often fluctuate, some are very predictable. For example, the box office movie Crazy Rich Asians recently celebrated a $35 million opening weekend. In turn, the book that the movie was based on is currently the 2nd bestselling book on Amazon. Meanwhile, Super Mario currently stars in first and second place on Amazon’s video games best sellers list, proving that some trends never fade.

So, as you buy and sell and check in with trends on Amazon’s best sellers, keep a wary eye on the direction that Amazon is moving, be it grocery, new technologies, or travel, starting with whether Amazon acquires Target in 2018. Watching lists like Amazon’s best sellers lists is a great way to keep in touch with what consumers are buying and selling online. Not only can it tell us about current tastes and trends, it can be used as a tool to foresee the future of e-commerce.

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