Private label brands are thriving in 2024. Almost every day, new white label products become available to eCommerce businesses, creating new opportunities for private label businesses on Amazon to diversify their offerings and capture the attention of even more niche markets.
If you’re wondering how to source products to sell on Amazon, white label and private label are one of the top ways. White label businesses are a great way to earn scalable income by purchasing generic products and turning them into branded products that you can sell with your own logo and marketing –– either on your own website or through a major eCommerce platform like Shopify or Amazon or Etsy. By outsourcing production to white label manufacturers, you can focus on social media marketing and customer service, which lets you grow your eCommerce business faster than if you had to handle everything on your own.
Getting Started With a Private Label Business Model in 2024
So, how can you supercharge your private label business in 2024? Lucky for you, it’s easier than ever to successfully sell private label products online, thanks to a global pivot to eCommerce over the last two years and the recent success of large eCommerce platforms.
Choose a Niche Market Carefully
Step one of achieving success as private label business is to find your niche –– if you go too broad, you’ll end up struggling against too much competition. Choose a market that isn’t too saturated where you have something extraordinary to add. Do some research to find the best online products to sell that you’re interested in, and you’re confident you’ll be able to market well.
Come Up With a Business Plan
The next step is to generate a business plan. Will you start a dropshipping business on Shopify or sell private label products on Amazon? How much will you invest in marketing? Will you rely on social media influencers or focus on Amazon SEO?
During this phase, you want to choose an eCommerce marketplace, develop a social strategy, and develop your brand.
Find Reliable Manufacturers
Sourcing white label products can be tricky. While there are many private label manufacturers, it’s crucial to find a brand that makes a consistent product, ships quickly, and rarely goes out of stock on staple products. Alibaba and Thomasnet are great places to start your search.
There are also conferences and trade shows dedicated to White Label products, like the White Label World Expo in Las Vegas, and White Label World Expo in NYC in New York.
List Your Products and Start Selling
Almost there! Your next step is to give your items strong titles and awesome product descriptions, launch your social media campaigns, manage your inventory carefully, and commit to providing the best customer service you can. You can do it! And AI writing tools like ChatGPT can make it easy.
Best Product Categories for White Label Businesses
In 2024, there is a wide range of white label products to choose from, including textiles, consumables, home goods, and much more. When it comes to private label businesses, a little creativity can go a long way, so aim to think outside the box when creating your brand.
1. Apparel – Prints and Embroidery
Print-On-Demand (POD) and embroidery companies over a wide range of men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel that you can customize with your own branding and images to build your own clothing brand without the upfront investment of textile manufacturing.
If you decide to build a white label apparel business, you have several options:
- Men’s, Women’s, and Unisex Fashion (graphic tees, embroidered tees, and more.)
- Children’s clothing and baby clothes (millennials are now the largest consumer group, and they’re beginning to settle down and start families of their own)
- Activewear (Millennials and Gen Z are more focused on their health than previous generations)
- Loungewear (gained popularity throughout the pandemic as more people started working from home)
- Sneakers and flip flops
- Outerwear
- Hats
If you choose to launch a white label apparel brand, take some time to familiarize yourself with the strengths and weaknesses of screenprinting, direct-to-garment, heat-transfer vinyl, and embroidery and choose your manufacturer wisely.
2. Backpacks
The market for smart backpacks has recently exploded as people carry around more devices than ever. People are looking for bags that combine fashion, comfort, durability, protection, and functionality into one package, and many private labels have stepped up to meet the demand.
Smart backpacks often feature some combination of anti-theft pockets, water resistance, portable batteries for devices, built-in USB cables, rugged construction, or modular design with versatile attachments.
Smart backpacks lean toward the more luxurious end of the white-label spectrum, so you’ll need to focus on building trust with your customers to make the most of the opportunity.
3. Phone Accessories
White-label phone accessories have always been popular. People use phone accessories to protect their devices, simplify their lives, and express themselves. If you want to launch a brand for phone accessories, you have many options that you can tailor to your niche market.
- All-Over Print Phone Cases
- Self-Charging Phone Cases
- Wallet Phone Cases
- Wired and Wireless Phone Chargers
- Wired and Wireless Headphones and Earbuds
- Specialty Clip-On Camera Lenses
- Customizable phone grips and charms
The smartphone accessories market is constantly growing, so it’s wise to regularly search for new products to add to your brand’s product mix.
4. Office and School Supplies
After a tumultuous two years of pandemic life, people are spending more time at the office, and students are returning to in-person classes. However, even people who work and learn remotely still need office and school supplies. If you want to sell customized productivity essentials, you have plenty of products to choose from.
- Stationery
- Notebooks
- Planners
- Pencils and pens
- Laptop cases
- Mousepads
- Desk mats
- Calendars
Many are looking for small ways to express themselves and make their work environment more comfortable, whether studying or working.
5. Stickers, Patches, and Enamel Pins
One of the easiest ways to start a white label business is selling small trinkets and accessories. Many private label manufacturers can customize small items quickly with your logo or designs and ship them to you in bulk, making this one of the fastest ways to get started.
- Stickers (sticker sheets, bumper stickers, round stickers, square stickers, die-cut stickers, and much more)
- Enamel pins and custom buttons
- Patches (iron-on, velcro)
- Coins and other handheld trinkets
- Jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, rings, and more)
6. Active Lifestyle Gear
Millennials and Gen Z have replaced Baby Boomers as the largest consumer group, and many of them are investing in their health by exercising, dieting, and spending more time outdoors. Many private label manufacturers have popped up to serve this growing market with a wide variety of customizable products.
- Beach towels
- Yoga mats
- Weights
- Massage guns
- Nutritional supplements
7. Stainless Steel Water Bottles
As part of the global sustainability movement, many consumers strive to move away from plastic in their everyday lives. Plastic water bottles are one of the better-known sources of consumer pollution, so many people have started to use durable stainless steel water bottles and hydro flasks as a replacement for single-use virgin plastic bottles.
Steel water bottles are sturdy and have broad appeal, and they’re very easy to customize, so it’s easy to add them to any white label eCommerce business.
8. Mugs and Bowls
As a result of the eCommerce revolution, many consumers are turning away from local retailers and toward online shopping for their home goods and kitchenware. Kitchenware (like cups, bowls, and cutlery) is easy to produce and customize in bulk, making it an excellent option for building a private label business. If you decide to sell white-label kitchenware, you’ll have plenty of opportunities for products.
- Aprons
- Mugs
- Bowls
- Pint glasses
- Wine glasses
- Cutlery
- Plates
- Kitchen towels
9. Reusable Bags and Tote Bags
As more cities and countries start restricting the use of plastic, more and more consumers are turning to reusable bags as a replacement for unsustainable plastic and paper bags. Tote bags are easy to customize and come in a wide variety of materials, including 100% organic or recycled textiles.
10. Home Decor
Home decor is one of the biggest markets for private-label goods. Marketplaces like Redbubble, Zazzle, and Society 6 allow businesses to customize home goods with logos and designs. Designers have several options for white-label home goods.
- Throw pillows
- Floor cushions
- All-Over Print Blankets
- Tapestries
- Rugs
- Printable canvas
- Posters (paper, silk, and even metal)
- Storage containers
- Shower curtains
- Towels and washcloths
11. LED Lights and Accessories
One of the most popular white label products is specialty LED lighting. LED lights can be integrated into a wide array of products that you can customize on demand.
- Strip lights
- String lights
- Floodlights
- Solar-powered outdoor and camp lights
- Flashlights
- Novelty lights
- Light-up clothing (shoes, apparel, and jewelry)
12. Pet Accessories
Pet accessories are more popular than ever as modern consumers spend more time at home with their loveable animal companions. Most pet products are easy to customize, so you have many choices.
- Dog toys
- Cat toys
- Bird toys
- Pet beds
- Pet clothing
- Fashion leashes and harnesses
- Strollers and backpacks for carrying pets around town
13. Self-Care Items
The self-care movement is on the rise among consumers of all ages, but especially among millennials and Gen Z. Influencer marketing is one of the best strategies for selling self-care items, and you’ll have many white-label self-care products out there to choose from.
- Bath products
- Toothbrushes
- Facial Masks
- Essential Oils
14. Cosmetics
The white label cosmetics market is one of the largest markets for private label products. Cosmetics are small, consumable items that are easy to customize with custom branding and imagery. You have many options for cosmetics, but success will largely come from clever marketing and building relationships with influencers.
15. Foods and Beverages
One of the more surprising white-label products available to eCommerce businesses is customizable packaged snacks and drinks. There’s a wide variety of specialized white-label snacks and beverages with customizable packaging available from white label manufacturers, so it’s easy to add white label food and drinks to your brand. Here are a few options:
- Keto snacks
- Coffee
- Matcha green tea powder
- CBD gummies
- Organic baby food
Pros and Cons of White Label Products
White label products open up new doors for business owners who want to expand their offerings without spending a bunch of money on manufacturing a new line of products. Still, the private label business model has both benefits and drawbacks.
Cons
- Lower Margins
- No Control Over Product Availability
Unfortunately, by outsourcing all of your production to private label manufacturers, you have less control over your costs, inventory, and supply chain than if you handled production yourself. You may end up facing sudden out-of-stocks or unexpected backorders, which can lead to significant customer service headaches if you have an unreliable manufacturer.
Also, purchasing finished goods is usually a lot more expensive than manufacturing the items yourself, which means you’ll earn less money off each sale. If you outsource both manufacturing and fulfillment to a drop shipper, you’ll sacrifice even more profit potential.
Pros
- Requires Smaller Upfront Investment
- Fastest Way to Sell Your Own Branded Products
Many business owners decide that the benefits of white label products outweigh the drawbacks. Launching a white label business –– or adding white label products to an existing business –– is one of the fastest ways to increase revenue in 2024.
Also, although selling white label products typically has low margins, the lower profits are balanced by much lower risk –– you can avoid risking a large amount of money on facilities, staff, and materials for an untested product.
How To Grow a White Label Business Quickly
The environment for selling white label products is fiercely competitive. Since many white-label manufacturers supply dozens, if not hundreds, of brands, the only way to stand out is by crafting a unique marketing strategy.
While it’s possible to bootstrap your marketing to grow your white label business, investing in SEO, paid ads, and influencer marketing is the fastest way to grow. This means you’ll need continuous cash-on-hand to cover these investments if you want to grow quickly.
Fortunately, Payability enables you to always have cash for opportunity with free access to your cash reservesthrough our Payability Seller Card. When you get paid everyday for your Amazon sales, you’ll have the cash you need to never miss out on an opportunity again. No more waiting around for weeks to get paid by Amazon. Find out how Payability can help you grow today!
