How to Find Hot Selling Products on Amazon - Product Research 101
If you want to succeed with your Amazon business in 2025, you’ve got to master one thing: finding profitable products. It’s the make-or-break factor for making money online through Amazon, and knowing how to evaluate and discover hot-selling products is the key.
I’m Shane Cannell-Cohen, and for nearly 4 and a half years, I’ve been selling on Amazon. Over that time, I’ve built up a profitable business and helped over 613 people start their own Amazon businesses. Now, it’s time for me to share with you the exact strategy I use in 2025 to identify products that will sell and make you money.
In this blog, I’m going to walk you through the process that’s been tested and refined over the years, so you can learn how to find products that will not only sell but also give you the best chance of building a sustainable business.
Let me make one thing clear: Product research is only one part of the equation. If you’re serious about success, you also need to understand how to source products, how to work with suppliers, and how to maintain excellent account health on Amazon. Without these other elements, finding a great product isn’t enough to guarantee success. But when you combine the right product research with the right practices, that’s when things start to click.
So let’s dive in, and I’ll show you exactly what you need to do to find the right products to sell on Amazon.
Key Takeaways
Product research is the backbone of a profitable Amazon business.
The 70/30 rule is crucial for making smart product choices.
Reselling well-known, authentic brands is the fastest way to start generating income.
Avoid sourcing from platforms like AliExpress, as they carry risks of inauthentic products and longer shipping times.
Intellectual property (IP) protection is key—certain brands will file complaints if you sell their products without permission.
Best Seller Rank (BSR) is an essential tool for evaluating a product's performance on Amazon.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Core Principles of Product Research
The 70/30 Rule
The Importance of Suppliers
Reselling Big Brand Names
Intellectual Property (IP) Considerations
Best Seller Rank (BSR)
The Checklist for Identifying Profitable Products
Ensuring Big Brand Names
Looking for Multiple Sellers
Seasonal or Everyday Items
Avoid Manufacturer Listings
Conclusion
The Core Principles of Product Research
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to find hot-selling products, I want to walk you through the basic principles that form the foundation of a successful product research strategy. These principles will guide you as you start to narrow down what products you should be selling.
The 70/30 Rule
Let’s start with something I refer to often in my Amazon business: the 70/30 rule. While I dive deeper int this in this blog, let’s cover the basics here.
The 70/30 rule is simple: 70% of your efforts should be focused on finding products with a high likelihood of success, while the other 30% should be dedicated to improving other areas of your business.
When you follow this principle, you’re not just picking products based on gut feeling. You’re using data and careful evaluation to make informed decisions about what will work for your Amazon business.
Product research never stops. It’s an ongoing process. Even as you build out your store and start selling, you’ll want to continuously monitor and research new products. Why? Because every month brings new trends, shifting economic factors, and emerging products that might fit into your strategy.
The Importance of Suppliers
Another key principle is working with the right suppliers. Now, some of you might be tempted to rush to platforms like AliExpress or Alibaba to source your products. But here’s the truth: when you’re selling on Amazon, particularly through dropshipping, you’re focusing on reselling big, well-known brands. This is an essential point to understand. Sourcing from suppliers like AliExpress or Alibaba is a risky move. You’re more likely to deal with counterfeit products, long shipping times, and lower-quality goods, which can hurt your reputation on Amazon.
Instead, you want to focus on domestic suppliers that are known for authenticity and reliability. This ensures that you can resell high-quality products that your customers will trust. By sourcing domestically, you also get the added benefit of faster shipping times, which improves the customer experience. Plus, domestic suppliers are far more likely to have a verified supply chain, so you don’t have to worry about receiving knockoff products.
The core takeaway here is: Don't chase cheap products from shady suppliers. Go with trusted, well-established domestic suppliers who offer authentic, high-quality products.
Reselling Big Brand Names
Now, let’s talk about the types of products you should focus on selling: big brand names. Don’t waste your time trying to create your own private label or inventing new products. Reselling well-established brands is the fastest way to start generating profits. Brands like KitchenAid, Breville, and other big-name household names already have built-in demand. These are the kinds of products you want to focus on because customers already recognize and trust these brands.
It’s much easier to get started with reselling recognized brands than to try to create your own product from scratch, especially if you're just starting out. By sticking to well-known brands, you’re also reducing the risk of intellectual property (IP) violations and other legal headaches.
Intellectual Property (IP) Considerations
Which brings us to the next principle: IP protection. This is something that every Amazon seller needs to understand, especially if you're reselling big-name products. Some brands are reseller-friendly, meaning they allow third-party sellers to list their products. But other brands are not reseller-friendly, and they’ll go after you with an intellectual property complaint if you attempt to resell their products.
An example of this is KitchenAid. It’s a highly recognizable brand, but they are not reseller-friendly. If you try to resell their products on Amazon, you could face an IP complaint, which can damage your seller account. Protect yourself from this risk by ensuring the brands you’re reselling have a history of being reseller-friendly.
To help mitigate this risk, I use a tool called IP Alert, a Google Chrome extension that helps you quickly see if a product you’re thinking of reselling could lead to an IP violation.
Best Seller Rank (BSR)
Finally, you need to understand how to evaluate a product's performance using the Best Seller Rank (BSR). This is a public data point available on Amazon that shows how well a product is selling in its category. The BSR helps you assess whether a product is a good investment by revealing its sales rank within a particular category.
You can find the BSR on every product’s listing page, and it’s crucial to analyze it when deciding whether or not to sell a product. A lower BSR means that the product is selling well. Higher BSR numbers indicate less demand.
There are also tools like AMZ Scout that provide more granular data to help you dive deeper into the product’s performance. By analyzing BSR data, you’ll know exactly how well a product is performing and whether it’s worth reselling.
The Checklist for Identifying Profitable Products
Now that we’ve covered the core principles of product research, let’s talk about the checklist for evaluating specific products. This checklist will help you identify whether a product is a good fit for your Amazon business.
Ensuring Big Brand Names
As mentioned earlier, you want to focus on big brand names. These are the products that people are already searching for and buying. If you go into your kitchen and take a look at all your appliances, what do you see? Brands like KitchenAid, Breville, Hamilton Beach, etc. These are the kinds of brands you want to resell.
Don't waste time trying to figure out private label brands that no one’s heard of. Stick to recognizable names that customers trust.
2. Looking for Multiple Sellers
When evaluating a product listing, ensure that at least two other sellers are already selling the same product. Some sellers mistakenly think that having zero other sellers on a listing is the golden ticket, but that’s not always the case. If multiple sellers are on the same listing, it’s a good sign that the product isn’t restricted and won’t get you into trouble with Amazon’s policies.
It’s a sign that other sellers have validated that this product is worth reselling.
3. Seasonal or Everyday Items
You also want to look at whether the product is seasonal or something that will sell year-round. Seasonal items can do well, but everyday items have more consistent demand. Items like toothpaste, soap, or coffee makers are always in demand, regardless of the time of year. These kinds of products offer great potential for building a steady, reliable income.
4. Avoid Manufacturer Listings
Lastly, avoid products where the brand or manufacturer is also a seller on the listing. Some brands try to dominate their product listings on Amazon by selling directly through the platform, which makes it hard for third-party sellers to resell their products. If you find a brand’s products on a listing where they’re already selling, it’s best to steer clear and find another product to sell.
Conclusion
In conclusion, product research is the foundation of a successful Amazon business, and mastering this skill can significantly boost your chances of long-term profitability.
By applying the 70/30 rule, focusing on trusted suppliers, and reselling established brand names, you’ll minimize risks and increase your likelihood of success. Don’t forget the power of tools like Best Seller Rank and IP protection to ensure you're making informed decisions.
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