What are the best private-label products to sell in 2024? The best private-label products to sell in 2024 include fitness supplements, eco-friendly home goods, specialty pet products, and stress and sleep supplements. These categories align with consumer trends like health consciousness, sustainability, and personalized pet care, making them ideal for private-label brands looking to capture growing market demand.
Key Takeaways:
Fitness supplements and stress supplements tap into the wellness trend.
Eco-friendly home goods like reusable bags and non-toxic cleaners appeal to sustainability-focused consumers.
Specialty pet products cater to pet owners seeking premium, natural options.
Direct-to-consumer and premiumization trends drive demand for unique, high-quality private-label products.
The private-label industry is booming. Retail sales of private-label products in the U.S. are projected to grow at nearly 3% annually over the next few years, topping $200 billion by 2024 (1). With consumers increasingly open to alternatives from national brands, there is tremendous potential for entrepreneurs ready to capitalize on this growth.
But in a vast landscape filled with possibilities, what are the best private-label products to sell right now? By understanding upcoming consumer trends and marketplace gaps, we can zero-in on the product categories poised for private-label success in 2024.
Table of Contents
What Are Private Label Products?
Before diving into specific categories, let’s clearly define what private labeling entails.
Private label products are goods manufactured by a third-party and sold under a retailer’s own brand. Unlike national brands which build standalone name recognition, private labels allow retailers to offer products catered to their customers.
Compared to related white label products which carry no branding, private label products incorporate brand elements that establish an identity tied to the retailer. This allows stores to build loyalty while tailoring products to serve their shoppers.
Benefits of Selling Private Label Products
If you’re an e-commerce entrepreneur or small business owner, creating a private label line allows you to enjoy benefits like:
Customization: You can work closely with manufacturers to tweak products to your specifications. Want a particular fabric or flavor profile? Private labeling makes it possible.
Pricing Control: Without a national brand name commanding a premium, you can keep costs down while setting competitive prices on your terms.
Exclusive Offerings: Give your e-commerce store or shelves something unique that sets you apart while building customer loyalty.
Brand Building: Use private labeling to establish an identity with target shoppers as you scale your offerings.
Emerging Trends in Private Label Products for 2024
With those basics covered, let’s analyze some top trends shaping private label product opportunities headed into 2024.
Eco-Consciousness Goes Mainstream
Sustainability is no longer a niche interest but a mainstream priority. Research shows 73% of millennials are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly goods. And Gen Z consumers take eco-impact for granted in their purchasing decisions.
Smart private label brands will respond by greening their supply chains to offer sustainable goods. Categories like reusable straws made from natural materials, non-toxic cleaners, and upcycled fashion stand out for their environmental ethos while serving buyer values.
Direct-to-Consumer Startups Inspire Innovation
Venture capital funding for direct-to-consumer (D2C) startups hit $14 billion in 2021. These disruptive young brands interact directly with consumers to offer creatively designed, niche products from apparel to home goods outside traditional retail channels.
Many find success through subscription models that turn one-time purchases into recurring revenue while building loyalty. Their innovations provide inspirations for retailers exploring private label product ideas.
Premiumization Across Categories
The “premiumization” trend sees consumers trading up to higher-quality, ethically produced goods across nearly every category. Fair trade coffee, craft chocolate, and eco-friendly cleaning supplies are just a few examples.
This presents an appealing value proposition for private label brands. By focusing on premium ingredients, sustainable materials, or transparency around supply chains, products can justify slightly higher yet still profitable price points. Leaning into the quality angle also builds brand loyalty.
Analyzing the Market for Private Label Opportunities
Beyond noting broad trends, let’s explore a framework for assessing specific marketplace opportunities to inform our private label product selection. Key areas to investigate include:
Consumer Demand: What products do your potential customers regularly purchase? Look for staple goods with steady demand and recurring need like food items.
Market Gaps: Does a particular category lack quality, affordable options to fully satisfy consumer needs and preferences? That likely indicates an opportunity.
Competitor Assessment: Research best selling items in a particular niche and identify potential areas to differentiate. Consider competing on price, quality, ingredients, or brand storytelling.
Manufacturing Landscape: Evaluate if reliable manufacturers exist that can produce the items you’re considering at scale. Factors like minimum order quantities also play a role.
Let’s apply this market intelligence framework across some particularly promising categories.
Top Categories for Private Label Products
Based on the consumer trends we analyzed and marketplace opportunities, these categories show exceptional promise for private label products both now and looking ahead to 2024.
Health and Wellness
The global pandemic accelerated interest in health and wellbeing. Now consumers increasingly see fitness supplements, anxiety-busting nutraceuticals, or recovery-focused sports drinks as daily essentials rather than occasional indulgences.
These present attractive recurring revenue opportunities through private labeling. Manufacturing infrastructure already exists, and many sub-niches still lack affordable yet quality options that fully align with consumer preferences.
Specific private label health and wellness products to consider include:
- Fitness supplements: Pre/post workout formulas, protein powders, amino acid blends
- Stress and sleep supplements: Ashwagandha, magnesium, CBD
- Sports nutrition: Electrolyte mixes, recovery drinks with collagen or curcumin
Eco-Friendly Home Goods
As noted earlier, today’s consumers place real emphasis on environmental impact across all their purchases – especially around the home. Private label brands can respond by offering goods like reusable bags, responsibly sourced bedding, non-toxic cleaners, and recycled furniture.
The sustainable home category ticks all the boxes in our evaluation framework:
- Consumer demand for green home products is surging
- There’s room to differentiate through unique reused/recycled materials and ingredient transparency
- Manufacturing and distribution networks already exist for items like reusable bags
Example eco-friendly private label home goods with potential include:
- Reusable produce bags
- Responsibly harvested bedding and towels
- Non-toxic surface cleaners
- Upcycled and vintage furniture
Specialty Pet Products
Pet owners now spend $103 billion annually on their furry friends. And premium, natural pet products are one of the fastest growing segments. This presents a prime opportunity for private label offerings catering to discerning pet parents.
The pet category represents a loyal buyer base with recurring purchase needs – an ideal combo! Manufacturing infrastructure already exists, but quality control and ingredient transparency remain pain points for many owners – gaps a private label brand could address.
Specific products to consider include:
- Premium pet treats with ethical ingredients
- Hip and functional pet accessories
- Custom pet foods for allergies/special diets
Top 10 Private Label Products in 2024
1. Fitness Supplements
Pre/post workout formulas, protein powders, and amino acid blends tap into growing consumer demand for products supporting fitness goals and active lifestyles.
2. Stress and Sleep Supplements
Supplements like ashwagandha, magnesium, and CBD help consumers combat anxiety and sleep troubles amid rising mental health concerns.
3. Sports Nutrition Drinks
Electrolyte mixes and protein-infused recovery drinks with ingredients like collagen appeal to recreational and performance athletes.
4. Eco-Friendly Reusable Bags
Reusable produce bags, shopping totes, sandwich and snack pouches allow brands to embed sustainability in daily habits.
5. Responsibly Sourced Bedding & Towels
Ethically harvested cotton, bamboo, and other textiles allow private labels to offer premium home goods with low environmental impact.
6. Non-Toxic Surface Cleaners
Plant-based, fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic cleaners address growing consumer demand for healthy homes.
7. Upcycled & Vintage Furniture
Unique furniture at accessible price points made from reused, reclaimed, or recycled materials resonates with eco-conscious buyers.
8. Premium Pet Treats
High-quality pet treats featuring ethically sourced ingredients and transparency around manufacturing cater to discerning pet parents.
9. Functional Pet Accessories
Innovations in materials, branding, and versatility give private labels plenty of room to stand apart in pet accessories.
10. Custom Diet Pet Food
Condition-specific and allergen-friendly pet foods address underserved needs around animal health and digestion issues.
11. Probiotic Gut Health
Scientifically formulated probiotic supplements support healthy digestion and overall wellness through gut microbiome balance.
12. Beauty & Personal Care
Natural skincare, haircare, and cosmetics offer cleaner, ethically produced alternatives to mass market options.
13. Air Purifying Plants
Live plants and self-watering planters improve indoor air quality while answering demand for biophilic design and décor.
14. Smart Home Devices
Creative integrations of ambient lighting, speakers, and voice assistants into home furnishings set brands apart.
15. Coffee & Tea
Ethically sourced, small batch offerings in coffee, tea, and even hot chocolate give retailers premium recurring revenue potential.
16. Spices & Seasonings
Quality focused spice blends, oils, vinegars, and marinades help home cooks effortlessly elevate basics.
17. Oral Care
Natural toothpastes, sustainable brushes/floss, and innovative form factors provide alternatives to big brands.
18. Activewear & Athleisure
Technical performance wear and casual athleisure apparel resonate with recreational fitness audiences beyond hardcore athletes.
19. Upcycled Consumer Electronics
Refurbished and uniquely styled devices like phones, tablets, and headphones appeal to eco-conscious digital users.
20. Air Purifying Technology
Devices leveraging HEPA filters, UV light, and innovative materials provide portable indoor air purification solutions.
How to Start a Private Label Business
If assessing marketplace opportunities gets your private label juices flowing, let’s briefly cover what’s involved in launching your own brand. Key steps include:
Selecting Products: Our analysis should help you select 1-3 initial products with strong potential. Staying focused allows you to perfect sourcing and branding.
Finding Manufacturers: Alibaba is a go-to for locating overseas suppliers and factories to produce your goods at scale. Vet potential partners carefully on elements like quality assurance and production capacity.
Building Your Brand: Design visually appealing packaging and labels that bring your brand to life. Convey your values, story, and differentiators.
Listing Your Products: Launching online via your own e-commerce store or third party marketplace are the easiest distribution channels to begin selling.
Managing Inventory: Use a service like Inventory Source to track stock levels across multiple sales channels to avoid backorders or excess carrying costs.
Common Challenges in Private Labeling
While private labeling certainly offers advantages, retailers can also face hurdles like:
Navigating Regulations: Some categories like cosmetics and supplements have strict labeling and testing requirements – especially when making specific functional claims. Work closely with compliance experts like Label Insight to avoid missteps.
Quality Control: Closely vet manufacturers, conduct site visits, get references from their current clients, and order samples to catch issues early. Building trust and alignment with your factory partner is crucial.
Managing Cash Flow: Don’t overextend early. Consider starting with just 1-2 products and reinvesting profits to incrementally expand your catalog. Slow and steady growth is key.
Standing Out: Launching with a hero product that nails an unmet consumer need through quality or unique positioning allows you to differentiate against national brands on store shelves.
While challenges exist across sourcing, branding, and growth – choosing the right product category to align with consumer demand is the first step to stack the odds for private label success in your favor.
The Future of Private Labeling Beyond 2024
Private label brands stand poised to continue gaining market share by delivering products tailored to serve emerging D2C markets.
Continued premiumization across consumer categories means private labels that offer quality combined with convenience at competitive prices will thrive. Those that adopt digital-first models combining data analytics with creatively branded products stand to capture recurring customer lifetime value.
Technology will also enable greater personalization and customization for private labels seeking to deliver specialized products aligned with customer preferences. Micro supply chains facilitated by cloud platforms will make small batch manufacturing easier.
The future remains exceedingly bright for private label products addressing consumer needs through quality, sustainability, and values-based positioning. Now is the time for e-commerce brands and small retailers to explore this opportunity.
Wrapping Up Best Private Label Products for 2024
Wow, we just covered a lot of ground exploring promising private label products and strategies for success in 2024! As we bring this guide to a close, I want to recap a few core takeaways:
First, it’s an incredibly exciting time in private labeling right now. Consumer trends show rising demand for quality offerings catered to specific preferences – whether that’s ethically sourced ingredients, premium positioning, or sustainability.
Brands that leverage these tailwinds across categories like health supplements, eco home goods, and specialty pet products stand to build real traction. But even beyond the categories highlighted, dig into the data to find gaps in the market. Opportunities exist for those with an entrepreneurial spirit to address unmet consumer needs.
Now, breaking into manufacturing and launching a brand certainly comes with hurdles. Quality control, cash flow management, regulations…it can get complex fast! But by smartly choosing your first product, thoroughly vetting partners, and avoiding overextension, the risks can be mitigated.
Most importantly, know that resources exist to support you in building a values-driven company on your terms. I aimed to equip you with actionable best practices in this guide. But feel free to reach out as you evaluate private labeling so we can troubleshoot challenges as they arise!
The potential for recurring revenue through authentic branding and quality manufacturing awaits. There’s never been a better time to hop into private labeling. Trust your vision and take that first step! Wishing you tremendous success as you move forward.