Cyber Monday and Black Friday Dropshipping Guide

In this article, I will provide you with a list of the best practices and best products to sell during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. 

I built this list based on research, and I looked at the driving factors (and a bit of history) and why people are willing to spend so much money during this sales season. 

We will discuss:

• The psychology of this buying phenomenon
• Best products to sell during Black Friday
• Best products to sell on Cyber Monday

In the end, I am sure that this guide will help you prepare for this massive buying season. In addition, my list should give you ideas on what items to sell.

Cyber Monday and Black Friday Psychology

Why do people spend so much money during Black Friday and Cyber Monday? It all stems from the tradition of ending the Thanksgiving celebrations. After that, people are expected to prepare for the festive period in December. Particularly, Christmas.

What happens now is that people are under pressure to spend so much money. They have to give gifts, as it is a tradition. Because of this culture, sellers realize that it is easier to dispose of their inventory if they offer a massive discount.   

Entrepreneurs understand that the human need for “bargain” is deep and ancient. Anything sold at a lesser price is much more attractive. 

Since the masses want to buy and give during the Christmas season, we can say that there is a demand. Businesses want to fulfill this demand and take advantage of it. 

By giving discounts, they can do these things: 

• Dispose of inventory, especially slow-moving products
• Generate sales, even at a smaller profit margin 
• Sell their electronic product ASAP before they go out of style 

Buying, or purchasing something, also gives the buyer some kind of “pleasure” or reward. With the cultural expectation of giving and the “reward” of buying (feeling accomplished) combined, the sellers or businesspeople can easily exploit buyers. 

This is why there is a Black Friday and Cyber Monday tradition. They aim to exploit the need to buy and give. Cyber Monday, on the other hand, leans more toward tech products that will eventually become unwanted by the public if not sold now. 

Tips to Success During Cyber Monday and Black Friday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the two biggest sale occasions every year. However, just because you put up a sale does not mean you will succeed. To some degree, some dropshippers learn the hard way that you need to be prepared for this occasion.

The last thing you want is to process refunds and returns. I can tell you now that this is a nightmare. To prevent this, here are the five key focus areas you must consider. 

• Work with Reliable Suppliers
• Prepare Multiple Promotions
• Ensure That the Promotions Are Visible
• Extend Your Sale
• Automate Your Store

1. Work with Reliable Suppliers

Your supplier is the main factor you need to look into if you want to succeed in offering discounts. All suppliers are likely to get inundated with orders, and the supplier’s failure to keep up with the demand is also going to be your failure. 

Here are some of the things you need to guarantee: 

• the supplier must have enough supply to keep up with the demand
• the supplier must have adequate employees to process the orders 
• the supplier must work with shipping companies that you can trust 
• the supplier must maintain high product quality 

When people buy during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they are likely to expect the product on a specific date. If the product does not arrive, they are likely to ask for a refund. 

As you can see, with all these things happening, the supplier may lose focus. In this case, the supplier may make mistakes and send the wrong items. The supplier may also forget about the order or have the wrong priorities. 

Do not work with a NEW supplier during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Only work with those that you have already dealt with in the past—those you can rely on.   

2. Prepare Multiple Promotions

There are several types of offers you can make to ensure that your Black Friday and Cyber Monday dropshipping efforts will succeed. It is not only discounts that you want to do, but other things, too. 

Below are some suggestions:

• Offer Gift Cards – sell gift cards that the buyer can send to the recipient. It is the recipient who can use the card to buy the very thing he/she wants from your store. 
• Offer Long-Distance Gifting – let the buyer know that you can ship the item straight to the recipient’s house. Add an option where the package comes with a note that the buyer “wrote.” 
• Bundle Your Products – group similar products together and offer them at a lower price; make them available during the sale only. 
• Offer Free Gifts – if not a bundle, offer gifts like free laptop bags; make sure the freebies are products that have a high perceived value. 
• Offer free shipping – just imagine the amount of money that buyers have to shell out for shipping during this season. If you can help them save money in shipping, they are more likely to buy from you than other sellers.

During this season, I can say that a discount is all too common in all stores. Buyers no longer seem to care, as they expect to buy at lower prices. Because of this, you need to do things differently so your store will stand out from the crowd.

3. Ensure That the Promotions Are Visible

The very first thing that people should see on your website during this season is your offer or your participation in the sale as an entrepreneur.

I suggest that you get rid of your regular hero banner and replace it with something bold that mentions either Black Friday or Cyber Monday. In addition, you must use text like “50% OFF!” or something similar. 

The hero banner must send a clear message that you are giving a massive discount. In addition, here are some more best practices:

• Send emails
• Use countdown timers
• Work with influencers
• Advertise

The emails you send to your previous customers should specifically indicate that your offer is exclusive and only for a limited time. If you have no email subscribers yet offer a free coupon discount in exchange for the site visitor’s email address. 

4. Extend Your Sale

It is also advisable to extend your sale. Some merchants go out of stock, leaving some people under-served. These are the people you want to target. 

Here are some benefits to doing this: 

• Serve those who were “late to the party”
• You can attract repeat buyers
• You can sell more and earn more (compared to running it only over the weekend)
• Less competition

Do not forget to announce your extended sale. At this point, I am confident that you will generate a lot of traffic, considering that the big stores and corporations no longer have a promotion. In this case, only you and a few sellers are doing this.

5. Automate Your Store

Finally, I recommend that you automate your store. What I mean is that you must find a supplier system where once a customer places orders, you no longer have to place the order yourself. 

As a dropshipper, you are likely going to sell internationally. It means that people may be ordering from your store while you are asleep. 

A lot of time has passed from the time the order was made to the time you woke up. This time is lost time. Instead of the order now being processed for delivery or shipment, you are just about to begin the process of ordering. 

With automation, the system will charge your credit card once a customer places an order from your store. The supplier will get notified and ship the item. Once you wake up, the item may already be in transit. 

Automation results in faster turnaround times. Keep in mind that from the time your order to the supplier is made, they also have to look for that product in the warehouse. If this order gets placed just a few minutes from the time the customer paid, you will significantly speed up the handling process.

Best Products to Sell During Cyber Monday

Before we begin, I’d to tell you that the focus of this section is electronic accessories, not the expensive electronics themselves. As such, we will not talk about phones or televisions. The reason is that you cannot dropship these items, and I do not recommend dropshipping them, either. 

In addition, the basis for our selection is going to be Amazon, considering that it is the biggest online store that people buy from during Cyber Monday.

1. Earphones and Headphones

Bluetooth earphones are the best when it comes to audio. Although there is a market for headsets or headphones, the interest in wireless earbuds or earphones is much higher. 

Your target customers for earphones are mobile phone users. For headsets, your target buyers are gamers and video editors. 

Here are some tips when selling these products:

• Explain the battery life (this is important to buyers)
• Do not use misleading keywords (like using apple when your product is not Apple)
• Concentrate on benefits, not features (i.e. “no delay in sound, great for gaming”)

You do not have to rely on branded products. There are print-on-demand suppliers for earbuds, one of which is Printify.  

2. Bluetooth Speakers

Portable speakers are great for parties and even for gamers. Sell only wireless speakers or those that connect via Bluetooth. 

One of the main factors that you have to consider when selling this item is reach or distance. Most people want their Bluetooth speakers positioned somewhere far from their laptop.

Here are some tips when selling these products:

• Explain the sound quality, such as its bass and surround sound
• Tell the buyer if the speaker is waterproof. If it is, discuss the level of proof (IPX ratings)
• Talk about the playtime (how many hours the speaker would last)

You must also add the charging time, and how the user can charge it. Explain whether or not the Bluetooth speaker comes with a charging wire or if the charging cable is sold separately. Finally, it makes sense to tell the consumer if the battery can be replaced or not. 

3. Phone Cases and Phone Stands

Phone cases and phone stands are a must-have during the Cyber Monday sale. It is the time when people usually replace their old phones with new ones. 

Should you decide to sell this, please do some research about the most popular phone models. This way, you will only target phone models that have the most users or buyers.  

Here are some tips when selling these products:

• Sell only phone cases for popular phone models
• Bundle the cases and phone stands together
• It is better to do print-on-demand for this; your products will be unique

There are many suppliers for phone cases and stands. Since these products are affordable (mostly less than $5 in AliExpress), I suggest that you test some of them for quality and fit before you sell them. 

4. TV Mounts

One of the best sellers during the Cyber Monday sale is television. And what do people need if they have a new TV? TV mounts! 

TV mounts bought in stores are expensive. While appliance stores may offer a bundle, most of the mounts found in physical stores are not flexible enough for the customer's needs. This is a gap that you, as a dropshipper, can fill.

Here are some tips when selling these products:

• Pick mounts that have a high degree of flexibility (turning radius)
• Provide the distance of the screw slot or holes from each other
• Sell both wall and ceiling mounts

It is important to note that this product can have a high return rate. You can avoid this if you add more specifics to your product description. For example, you can provide a list of what TV models the mount is compatible with.

5. USB Extensions

USB extensions are not part of any computer user’s arsenal of tools. Why? It is because despite products having Bluetooth capability, they still need to be connected to laptops via a USB port. 

There are many types of USB extensions. What I suggest is that you take the time to understand their differences, such as the version of the USB (like 3.0).

Here are some tips when selling these products:

• Indicate if the cable can transfer data
• Tell the buyer if it is compatible with Mac or Apple products
• Mention if it is capable of charging, or if it is only useful for viewing data

Not all USB extension ports can transfer data fast enough. You have to mention if your USB port can transfer 5GB of data or lower than that. In addition to this, I also recommend that you sell adapters, like USB to HDMI, etc. 

Best Products to Sell During Black Friday

Black Friday is the most anticipated sale day of the year. While you can sell everything you want, the best-selling products will always be the expensive ones that are offered at a discount. Some examples of these are television, sofa sets, mobile phones, tablets, etc. 

As dropshippers, it is not likely that we can sell these expensive electronic items. Nevertheless, I compiled a list of the best items that will make you big profits. 

1. Kitchen Gadgets

You do not need to sell expensive blenders and food processors. There are many types of kitchen gadgets that people need in their homes. 

Here are some examples: 

• Thermometers
• Crackpot
• Toasters
• Heat-insulated bags
• Choppers (manual or electronic)

As you can see from the screenshot above, many of these items have tens of thousands of reviews. It is an indication that there is a demand for these products. 

Here are some tips when selling these items:

• Your store must be a kitchen niche store
• Your sale price must be way lower than that of Amazon’s price
• You must have a lot of items in your store

For the third tip, I am saying that because you want to make sure that your site visitor has a lot of options. It is better this way than to have only a few items. If possible, import hundreds of products to your store.  

2. Toys

Thanksgiving and the holiday season are the best periods to sell toys. Millions of parents in the world will buy, without a doubt, a new toy for their kids. 

Here are some examples of toys you can sell: 

• Toy drones or remote-controlled cars
• Educational toys
• Play-Doh
• Building set
• Puzzles

Here are some tips when selling toys:

• Concentrate on a specific age group of kids
• Focus on a particular toy type
• Bundle products to entice parents to spend more money

For the first two tips, it mean that it is better to sell toddler toys only than to sell toys for multiple ages. If parents visit your store and see that it is for toddlers, they are likely to stay, knowing that they will find what they are looking for. 

The same thing applies to the type. For example, if you sell drones and RC cars, focus on that. Do not sell dolls or wooden toys with it as it can confuse parents confused. 

3. Home Décor and Lifestyle

Thanksgiving is close to the New Year, and it is also the best time to replace items at home, especially in the living room and bedroom. 

Some of the best-selling items for home décor are:

• Vases and plant pots
• Candles, candle sticks, and lamps
• Jars clocks
• Wall décor
• Bedsheets

Here are some tips when selling these items

• If your store is new focus on one area only: the living room or bedroom
• Categorize your products into groups 
• Fill each category with at least 50 products

For the first tip, I am suggesting this, so you do not get overwhelmed. It will look so bad if you sell both living room and bedroom décor, yet you do not have adequate items for both.

So, for starters, just choose one, then fill up your store with several product categories. Each category must have a lot of items. 

The benefit of doing this is you are indirectly telling the site visitor that you are an authority for this niche. With hundreds, or possibly thousands of products on sale, I find it impossible for a site visitor not to make a purchase.  

It is also an excellent idea to use print-on-demand services for this type of product. This way, you have no competition at all when it comes to designs.

4. Pet Stuff

Pets are great for items to sell during Black Friday because these items can be expensive, too. Since shoppers would buy something for themselves, those who have pets are likely to do the same. 

Here are some ideas: 

• Collars
• Food bowl
• Cat litter
• Pet toys

Here are some tips to succeed in selling pet stuff: 

• Separate the niches; you can combine cats and dogs, but it is not a good idea to add fish pet stiff in the same store
• Allow the consumer to customize the pet products
• Bundle the items together

For customization, think about customers who want name tags for their pets. You can only close this market gap if you sell customizable pet collars or tags. What this means is that the tags you have on display in your store are empty. 

Then, the customer will have to type the pet’s name on a space you provide. Then, you contact your manufacturer and provide these details. They will print or engrave the pet’s name on the tag and then hand it to the customer. You can do this with print-on-demand dropshipping. 

5. Health and Beauty

Although health and beauty products are in demand all the time, there is a higher interest in these products during the Black Friday sale. It is the time of the year when people want to “treat” themselves right. 

Some of the timeless best-selling items are: 

• Lipstick
• Make-up kit
• Make-up accessories
• Lotions and other skin care products
• Hair care products

Here are some tips to sell these products more efficiently:

• Work with influencers
• Use videos in your ads, not images
• Advertise on Instagram

You will find it easier to sell cosmetic products if you work with influencers who already have a following. If they use the product in their videos, chances are that they will want to try your products themselves. 

As far as ads go, Instagram is the social media you want to penetrate because it is the hub of beauty, lifestyle, and glamor niches.

FAQ: Cyber Monday and Black Friday Dropshipping Guide

How do I prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

Set up your store in a way that your promotions are highly visible. Ensure that your supplier can keep up with the demand. In addition, automate your processes as much as possible. 

What's the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales?

Black Friday is a general sale or discount season. Cyber Monday is leaning towards electronic gadgets. 

Does Cyber Monday start on Black Friday?

No, Cyber Monday starts on the Monday following Black Friday. 

What is Cyber Monday in the UK?

It is the same as Cyber Monday in the USA where gadget sellers offer massive discounts on their websites. 

Summary

Where do you go from here? The next step is to decide what products to sell, provided that your niche is one of the most in-demand products during the sale season. Next, I recommend that you sign up for a 7-day free trial account with Dropship.IO. Use this tool to find details about your competitors.