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How to spot a product that won't sell
Every year, thousands of sellers enter the e-commerce market following the same pattern. They select products that seem promising, purchase their first batch, launch adverts, spend months creating product listings and content - and after a few weeks realise that their efforts are not yielding the desired results.
And the reason, according to experts at TON OP company, is most often not the choice of a particular product, but how demand was assessed - or not assessed at all. After all, the most expensive products in e-commerce are those that nobody has bought. It is more important not to find a ‘successful’ product, but to weed out a hundred unsuitable ones in good time and at minimal cost.
Demand can be assessed in advance - there are now dozens of tools available for this, both paid and free. They do not guarantee a profit, but they will save you from many problems.
And the reason, according to experts at TON OP company, is most often not the choice of a particular product, but how demand was assessed - or not assessed at all. After all, the most expensive products in e-commerce are those that nobody has bought. It is more important not to find a ‘successful’ product, but to weed out a hundred unsuitable ones in good time and at minimal cost.
Demand can be assessed in advance - there are now dozens of tools available for this, both paid and free. They do not guarantee a profit, but they will save you from many problems.
The first tool: Google Trends
Google Trends is the first and simplest filter; whilst it does not show absolute sales figures, it is excellent at tracking demand. A common mistake is to focus on the level of the Google Trends graph rather than its trajectory.
Is demand growing? Could this be a short-term spike? Is there a clear seasonal pattern? These questions may seem simple, but they are precisely what help distinguish a sustained demand for a product from yet another short-lived consumer fad. If interest in a product is gradually declining, this almost always means that the market has already passed its peak, according to experts at TON OP Bulgaria. Entering such categories usually turns into a battle for residual demand, where profits are eroded by advertising and competition.
Another mistake is misinterpreting a spike in search queries on Google Trends. More often than not, it simply means that the product has become a hot topic of discussion, but this is merely interest without stable sales.
In practice, Google Trends is used not to select a product, but to rule out areas that are definitely not worth entering.
Is demand growing? Could this be a short-term spike? Is there a clear seasonal pattern? These questions may seem simple, but they are precisely what help distinguish a sustained demand for a product from yet another short-lived consumer fad. If interest in a product is gradually declining, this almost always means that the market has already passed its peak, according to experts at TON OP Bulgaria. Entering such categories usually turns into a battle for residual demand, where profits are eroded by advertising and competition.
Another mistake is misinterpreting a spike in search queries on Google Trends. More often than not, it simply means that the product has become a hot topic of discussion, but this is merely interest without stable sales.
In practice, Google Trends is used not to select a product, but to rule out areas that are definitely not worth entering.
Tool number two: Search query analysis (Ahrefs)
Google Trends shows the general trend, but doesn’t answer the key question: how many people are actually searching for this product? This is where Ahrefs comes in (there are free trials available).
It’s important to monitor two things: the frequency of the main search term - how many times a month it’s entered - and the frequency of ‘money’ keywords such as ‘buy’, ‘price’, ‘reviews’ and ‘order’.
If these queries consistently generate thousands of searches per month, it means the market exists. TONOP’s experts believe that dozens of searches per month indicate low demand. And if the cost of acquisition already looks high at the analysis stage, this almost always means one thing: the market is either overheated, or strong players have long since established themselves in it.
It’s important to monitor two things: the frequency of the main search term - how many times a month it’s entered - and the frequency of ‘money’ keywords such as ‘buy’, ‘price’, ‘reviews’ and ‘order’.
If these queries consistently generate thousands of searches per month, it means the market exists. TONOP’s experts believe that dozens of searches per month indicate low demand. And if the cost of acquisition already looks high at the analysis stage, this almost always means one thing: the market is either overheated, or strong players have long since established themselves in it.
The third tool: marketplaces
The number of reviews, rankings in bestseller lists, and the rate at which new comments appear often reveal more about demand than any forecasts. For example, on AliExpress, you can ‘gauge’ buyer interest by tracking the number of suppliers and sales trends.
The fact that a product is in the top sellers list doesn’t mean much on its own. You need to analyse its consistency: how long the product remains in the top 100 of its category. If a product is barely selling even on the largest platforms, the likelihood of it being popular and in high demand is minimal.
Dropshippers often make the mistake of gauging demand based on viral videos on social media, as experts at TON OP company point out. If a product is selling well and is being offered just as actively by dozens of manufacturers, it means there is demand for it that has not yet been monopolised.
If, on the other hand, a product appears popular in content but is poorly represented by suppliers and has low sales volumes, this often indicates a passing interest that has not taken root in the market.
The fact that a product is in the top sellers list doesn’t mean much on its own. You need to analyse its consistency: how long the product remains in the top 100 of its category. If a product is barely selling even on the largest platforms, the likelihood of it being popular and in high demand is minimal.
Dropshippers often make the mistake of gauging demand based on viral videos on social media, as experts at TON OP company point out. If a product is selling well and is being offered just as actively by dozens of manufacturers, it means there is demand for it that has not yet been monopolised.
If, on the other hand, a product appears popular in content but is poorly represented by suppliers and has low sales volumes, this often indicates a passing interest that has not taken root in the market.
All the previous tools answer the question, ‘Are people buying this product?’ But there’s a more important question: can you make money from it? And the answer to that can be found in the public domain in your competitors’ adverts.
The most underrated free tool is the ad library. TikTok Creative Centre shows which products are being actively promoted via short videos and which ad formats perform better than others. Meta Ad Library allows you to literally peek into your competitors’ ad accounts and see who is promoting a particular category and how aggressively.
The most underrated free tool is the ad library. TikTok Creative Centre shows which products are being actively promoted via short videos and which ad formats perform better than others. Meta Ad Library allows you to literally peek into your competitors’ ad accounts and see who is promoting a particular category and how aggressively.
A key principle to bear in mind: don’t focus on the mere fact that an advert exists, but rather on how long the same advert or creative has been running. Nobody burns through their advertising budget at a loss, and the repetition indicates that the advert continues to perform well and that the product is in demand.
Tool number four: Competitors’ adverts
Paid tools
If you need precise figures - revenue from specific shops, sales volumes, niche depth - sign up for paid services.
For marketplaces and Amazon, these are Helium 10 and Jungle Scout. They show search volume, the number of sellers, the revenue of top-ranking listings and their age. In dropshipping, services that analyse competitors’ adverts and shops are used. They automate the very strategy of ‘long-running adverts = profitable products’.
Integrating the TONOP programme will allow you to continuously analyse demand and track sales results.
For marketplaces and Amazon, these are Helium 10 and Jungle Scout. They show search volume, the number of sellers, the revenue of top-ranking listings and their age. In dropshipping, services that analyse competitors’ adverts and shops are used. They automate the very strategy of ‘long-running adverts = profitable products’.
- Minea (Facebook, TikTok and Pinterest), a database of over 200 million adverts; shows products from specific shops.
- PiPiAds (TikTok creatives), assesses impulse purchases.
- Dropship.io and PPSPY - show the monthly revenue and sales of specific shops.
- BigSpy - the most comprehensive database, but the free plan is limited.
Integrating the TONOP programme will allow you to continuously analyse demand and track sales results.
The final filter: unit economics
Demand does not guarantee profit. Even a ‘hot’ product can be loss-making if the cost of acquiring a customer is higher than the margin. An entrepreneur sees a large market and automatically assumes there are great opportunities. In practice, however, fierce competition leads to a constant fall in prices, rising advertising costs and shrinking margins.
Therefore, before launching, it is worth answering just two questions:
Your profit calculation must include the cost of goods, delivery, marketplace fees, storage, returns and other operating costs. You also need to calculate CAC separately - the cost of acquiring a customer based on the results of advertising tests.
Therefore, before launching, it is worth answering just two questions:
- how much do you earn from a single sale after all expenses (margin)
- how much does it cost to acquire a single customer (CAC)
Your profit calculation must include the cost of goods, delivery, marketplace fees, storage, returns and other operating costs. You also need to calculate CAC separately - the cost of acquiring a customer based on the results of advertising tests.
The benchmarks vary depending on the model
In dropshipping, goods should generally be sold for at least 2.5–3 times the purchase price. Otherwise, advertising costs will eat into your profit.
On marketplaces, after all expenses - commissions, logistics, storage and returns - it is advisable to maintain a net margin of at least 25–30 per cent. Anything lower leaves too little room for error, increases in advertising costs or price wars.
Experts at TON OP company highlight another simple rule. If acquiring a single customer costs you more than the profit from their first purchase, the business will only be viable if that customer returns. For one-off purchases, this is almost always a bad sign.
On marketplaces, after all expenses - commissions, logistics, storage and returns - it is advisable to maintain a net margin of at least 25–30 per cent. Anything lower leaves too little room for error, increases in advertising costs or price wars.
Experts at TON OP company highlight another simple rule. If acquiring a single customer costs you more than the profit from their first purchase, the business will only be viable if that customer returns. For one-off purchases, this is almost always a bad sign.
The cheapest, most honest test: the customer’s reaction
This could be a pre-order, a request, a subscription to stock alerts, or a small test via an advert. Its purpose isn’t to prove that the product will be a hit, but to answer a simpler question: is anyone ready to take action right now?
It’s important to understand exactly what such a test reveals. A budget of $50-100 won’t provide precise figures or trigger the algorithm, but it will reveal a reaction - or the lack thereof.
In 2026, such a test does not guarantee success, but it almost always helps to avoid a far more costly mistake: purchasing a product that the market ultimately rejects.
The TONOP programme allows you to: carry out continuous analysis of demand and sales results; model the sales process; keep records of completed transactions; conduct marketing research; plan supply chains; work with a database; integrate a CRM system; generate reports; analyse competitors’ activities; and verify the ‘integrity’ of suppliers.
It’s important to understand exactly what such a test reveals. A budget of $50-100 won’t provide precise figures or trigger the algorithm, but it will reveal a reaction - or the lack thereof.
In 2026, such a test does not guarantee success, but it almost always helps to avoid a far more costly mistake: purchasing a product that the market ultimately rejects.
The TONOP programme allows you to: carry out continuous analysis of demand and sales results; model the sales process; keep records of completed transactions; conduct marketing research; plan supply chains; work with a database; integrate a CRM system; generate reports; analyse competitors’ activities; and verify the ‘integrity’ of suppliers.
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TON OP DOO LTD
Address: 8 BORBA STR., PLOVDIV, BULGARIA, 4021
Mail: info@tonop.bg
Address: 8 BORBA STR., PLOVDIV, BULGARIA, 4021
Mail: info@tonop.bg