AliExpress for Dropshipping Archives

How To Find A Reliable Supplier For Your Dropshipping Store

May 5, 2021 by Denis K.

In dropshipping, the success of the whole venture highly depends on the reliability of your business partners. But, how to find a supplier for your online store that won’t let you down? Let’s figure it out!

How to find a supplier: what defines the best suppliers

What would you want from your perfect supplier?

Some people prefer their business partners to set low prices on their products. The others believe that the most important thing is the supplier’s aspiration to keep their end of the bargain.

Actually, both of them are wrong and right at the same time. Ideally, you need to strike a balance.

Low prices are necessary to make your online store competitive and profitable. At the same time, your business partners’ credibility should put your concerns of having a bad relationship with customers to rest.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the fewer suppliers you have, the better.

Imagine a buyer ordering several various items from your online store. If all of them come from different distributors, what are the odds that your client gets all the goods at the same time?

To be honest, probably low.

Of course, this delivery disruption might irritate customers. Thus, you need to focus on a limited amount of business partners for your online store to keep your clients pleased. Moreover, sending many orders to one supplier will definitely reward you with a discount.

Considering all of these points, choosing a business partner poses a serious challenge.

Your suppliers can either ruin your online business or make it flourish.

Fortunately, it is possible to fix these issues if you are dropshipping with AliExpress.

There, you can easily find plenty of sellers. The range of items each of them has can perfectly suffice your needs – not to mention their knockdown prices!

All you need to do is to compare the suppliers’ prices and evaluate their credibility. Weighing up AliExpress offers doesn’t cause any troubles with AliDropship Google Chrome Extension. It’s fast and convenient.

However, you need a closer look at the process to make the right choice.

How to find a supplier: points you need to consider

How to find a good supplier on AliExpress? What is the first thing you need to pay attention to when searching for a suitable supplier for your online store?

Of course, it’s their prices.

Although low prices play a big role, they may distract you from the other important sides of the issue. Meanwhile, you can’t go without them to pick a reliable business partner.

So, how to find the best suppliers for your business? Here are some things you should keep your mind on.

1. Supplier’s online store rating

Today, it’s really hard for businesses to conceal their flaws. The Internet made companies strive to provide only the best service. Bad-quality performance is brought to light in the blink of an eye. And this could be fateful for a company.

If you own a small business, it’s not a big problem to identify the problem and sort it out. But, what if your company is, let’s say, Uber? Then, if your driver messed something up, the whole organization takes flak for this.

However, companies like Uber, Amazon, and AliExpress have a solution to take the heat off them and weed out the weak links in the chain.

They allow customers to rate their drivers, sellers, etc. This way, consumers can better understand whether these people are trustworthy or not.

So, the first thing you should pay attention to while choosing your suppliers is their rating on AliExpress.

Go to AliExpress and open the product page you like. There, at the top of the screen, you will see a tab with the name of the supplier’s store.

Click on it to move on to the main page of the distributor. Now, you see the whole range of the items this supplier offers.

Apart from that, you can see whether this AliExpress store is well-customized, filled with appealing pictures, etc. But what we need now is its rating. It is 97,7% as it’s shown in the image below.

What’s the conclusion?

The rating is really high. This means that the customers appreciate the quality of the products and services and in return provide the seller with high-rated positive reviews.

It’s the first sign that this supplier is worth working with.

Rating is the most important thing you need to look at. As a rule of thumb, if a seller’s rating is lower than 95% – you should look to find a better one.

2. The time the supplier has been active on AliExpress

Well, if suppliers find favor with customers, it’s surely great. But, does it mean they are reliable? Could you be sure they won’t upset you?

Only time will tell. The time they’ve been in business.

The longer suppliers have been operating on the platform, the more confidence they instill.

On AliExpress, you can easily find the data. Look at the picture below.

As you can see, this seller has spent 3 years on AliExpress and achieved a rating of 97,7%.

The combination of good quality and longevity should do the trick, shouldn’t it?

3. Did you find a supplier with a “Top Brand” sign?

One more thing that can strengthen your confidence in your suppliers is the “Top brand” sign.

You’ve already made sure the sellers’ stability is tested by time and their products’ quality is satisfactory. To help you make up your mind, AliExpress marks the most reliable and successful distributors with a special sign.

It shows that you can safely trust this supplier.

4. The number of followers

If someone says that 90% of their clients give them a lot of praise, it sounds great, right? Of course it does!

But what if they have only 10 clients? It’s not so striking now, is it?

To get the whole picture, it’s important to consider the number of followers a supplier has. A case in point is the image below.

It’s not difficult to notice that this supplier has quite enough followers to take the rating seriously.

5. The last 6 months suppliers rating

Sometimes, it might be tempting to jump at the opportunity to work with a high-rated supplier.

But, a high rating, longevity, and a huge number of followers could hide some important details. Some sellers tend to show some decline in their performance over time.

For example, they had been providing great service for 3 years. But, 4 months ago something happened. The quality of their goods and service has been going down since then.

Of course, customers have been giving lower grades to the sellers in these 4 months. However, this doesn’t reflect much on the overall rating due to the plenty of previous good grades.

That’s why you need a closer look at the rating dynamics.

To do this, just click on the “Testimonials” tab as shown in the picture below.

You will find yourself on the seller’s feedback page. There, you can see the supplier’s rating in the past 6 months.

It matches the overall score, so this supplier keeps up the service at a high level.

6. The last 3-6 months feedback

Since you’re on the seller’s feedback page now, you can find more valuable details there.

Along with the distributors’ ratings for the last 6 months, it’s important to know how often people buy from them.

You can explore the supplier’s feedback in detail to understand how many orders the seller has had in the last 1, 3, or 6 months. Apart from that, you can look into customer reviews to learn more about the product’s quality.

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7. The quality of visual materials

Marketing is a crucial part of dropshipping. While searching AliExpress for reliable suppliers, you should think of your future promotional campaigns.

You need to design your online store perfectly and create appealing promotional posts. For this purpose, good visual content is vital.

The good news is that you can find great product pictures made in the same style right on AliExpress stores’ pages. Look at the image below.

Your product page’s content should be engaging and informative. Without enough good-quality photos of the products, it’s impossible to achieve. So, you need to make sure that AliExpress sellers’ product pages contain multiple quality photos of the product taken from different angles.

It is also great if the seller provides product videos.

It’s better to see something once they hear about it thousands of times.

What is really crucial for online shopping is visibility.

You can write brilliantly detailed descriptions of your products. But, it may not conjure up a clear picture.

Customers want to be sure an item is the exact thing they need. They want to see it with their own eyes.

Many AliExpress sellers have such videos on their product pages, like the one you can see in the picture below.

Summing up how to find a reliable supplier

One of the most essential parts of being successful in dropshipping business is having a good reputation. And a big part of this depends on your business partners. The wrong choice could cause big troubles for you.

However, if you know how to find reliable suppliers for your online store, you can create a flourishing ecommerce business and operate it more smoothly. Your pleased clients are going to come back over and over again.

Well, now you know how to find a supplier for your business! Simply follow these guidelines and enjoy your business growth. If you have any questions left, please write them in the comment section below: we’ll be happy to clear it up.

Learn how to find a supplier.

VAT Explained: What Is VAT And Do Dropshippers Have To Pay It?

May 4, 2021 by Timur Y.

Sooner or later anyone who’s thinking about launching a business faces an issue that causes severe headache – taxes! In this particular article, we are going to talk about value added tax (VAT).

What is VAT?

Value added tax, or VAT, is a type of tax that is levied on the value of goods or services added at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the end customer (consumer). Also known as the goods and services tax in some countries, it’s a consumption tax that is paid by the final consumer who ‘consumes’ products and services, but in practice, VAT is paid at each stage of the supply chain.

Sounds too complicated? Let me explain it in simple terms.

How does VAT work?

Let’s imagine a supply chain that consists of three stages: a farmer who grows apples, a food-manufacturing plant that makes apple juice, and a retail store that sells the juice to end customers. Now let’s get to numbers.

For simplicity, let’s suppose the farmer only puts his own efforts into growing apples. He doesn’t buy anything from other businesses. In this case, he has no expenses and his added value equals the price at which he sells the apples to the plant. So, if he sells the apples for $100, the VAT is applied to this sum.

If the value added tax rate is 20%, the farmer will have to pay $20 to the government. But he doesn’t want to lose money and includes this sum into his final price which increases to $120.

The food-manufacturing plant buys the apples from the farmer and pays him $100 + $20 that goes to the government. The plant makes apple juice and wants to earn $200 as profit (added value). In this case, the plant will have to pay $40 as VAT.

But the plant has already paid $20 to the farmer, so it sells the juice for $360: the cost of apples ($100) + the farmer’s VAT ($20) + the profit ($200) + the plant’s VAT ($40). In this case, $40 goes to the government, while $20 goes to the plant as compensation for the farmer’s VAT.

Next, the retail store pays $360 for the juice and wants to make a profit of $400. But it has to pay $80 to the government as VAT and wants compensation for the plant’s VAT. So, it sells the juice to an end customer for a total of $840: the cost of juice ($300) + the plant’s VAT ($60) + the store’s profit ($400) + the store’s VAT ($80).

As for the end buyer, he or she pays $840 for all the juice bottles including $140 as VAT, but he or she cannot get this sum back.

So, as a result, the customer doesn’t pay the money to the government. Instead, the businesses in the chain do it. But the end consumer pays the tax to businesses so that they could hand the money to the government. The VAT that the customer must pay equals $140. It is the sum of the VAT the businesses have already paid to the government: $20 + $40 + $80 = $140.

But what about dropshipping? Do you have to pay value added tax? In most cases, you do.

When you purchase a product from a supplier, the price already contains VAT he/she pays to its government. So you don’t have to worry about it. But you must also collect VAT from your customers to compensate for your expenses and hand the tax to the government.

The AliDropship plugin lets you include taxes in the total price of your products. You can set the tax name and rate, apply it to the price alone or to the cost of shipping as well, and even bind the settings to countries, regions, or cities. Here you can learn more about tax settings in the AliDropship plugin.

Let’s take a look at tax systems in the most popular countries for dropshipping – the UK, the US, and the EU.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice on any subject matter. We strongly recommend consulting a professional tax advisor before taking any action.

Value added tax in the United Kingdom

After the UK left the European Union, its tax regulations changed. Here’s what you need to know.

If you want to sell products in the UK from overseas, you have two options. You can either use an online marketplace or sell goods from your own website.

And since this is the case for dropshipping, you have to register your business for VAT in HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs). You can do it online or by post. After that, you’ll get a 9-digit VAT number.

If the cost of the consignment of goods doesn’t exceed £135, VAT is calculated based on the price at which you sell products to customers. If the cost exceeds £135, VAT is calculated at the point where the products cross the border.

The standard VAT rate in the UK equals 20%. But for some categories of goods, the government applies the reduced rate (5%). Some product categories are VAT-free. To see the full list of VAT rates in the UK, follow this link.

You can also read our article on dropshipping in the UK to learn about other taxes and customs regulations in the kingdom.

Sales tax in the United States

First of all, the government of the United States doesn’t collect value added tax. Instead, end customers pay sales tax.

It’s a consumption tax imposed on goods and services sold within a state’s jurisdiction. While VAT is collected at each stage of production, sales tax is collected only at the final stage (consumption). Still, from a retailer’s point of view, sales tax is basically the same as VAT.

The problem here is that the federal government doesn’t collect sales taxes. It is the responsibility of the states. As a result, sales tax rates are different in each state, and so are the rules (to some extent).

For example, California has the highest sales tax rate equaling 7.25%, while Delaware imposes no sales taxes at all. You can see all sales tax rates by state here.

Previously, a business didn’t have to pay sales taxes unless it ‘had a nexus’ in the given state. To have a nexus means to have a physical presence in a state: to own a brick-and-mortar store, a warehouse, etc. However, after the new Supreme Court ruling (South Dakota vs. Wayfair, Inc.), this requirement is no longer in force.

In simple terms, it means the following. Previously, if your business didn’t have a large enough presence in a given state and a customer from this state purchased something from you, you didn’t have to pay the sales tax. The same goes for businesses registered outside the US.

But now, according to the new ruling, it doesn’t matter whether you have or have not a nexus in a given state – you do have to pay the sales tax anyway.

Nevertheless, to collect sales taxes, your business must be large enough: to have annual sales not less than $100,000 or make not less than 200 separate transactions in a given state per year.

It means that if your dropshipping store receives less than 200 transactions from this particular state and makes not more than $100,000 from this particular state, you don’t have to pay the sales tax to the government of this state.

But if your business exceeds this limit, you will have to register your business with the given state’s tax authority. Unfortunately, each state has its own requirements, so it’s impossible to give a general recommendation here. Just visit the corresponding state’s website to learn the details.

Value added tax in the European Union

Goods imported into the EU countries with a value of up to €10-22 (depending on the country) are exempt from import VAT. But if their value exceeds this limit, import VAT must be charged.

If your business is located outside the EU, the responsibility to pay VAT lies on the importer of record. Usually, it is the end customer. The problem here is that the customer must pay the tax when he or she receives the parcel. It often becomes a very unpleasant surprise and can lead to more refunds.

To solve this issue, one can register for VAT in the country where the products cross the EU border. It’ll make you the importer of goods liable for collecting and paying VAT. In this case, the consumer will pay the full price (including import VAT) at the checkout. Or you could just warn customers that they will be charged with VAT.

But different EU countries have different VAT rates (from 17% to 21%), while some countries exclude mail orders from this exemption. What if you sell goods to an EU country different from your country of registration?

If your business is registered in the European Union and sells products to end customers living in another EU country, you apply the VAT rate of the country where you are registered.

But it works only if the sales generated in the given import country do not exceed the threshold of this country. These thresholds vary from one EU country to another:

If you exceed the threshold, you will have to register for VAT in that country and charge its own VAT rate instead of domestic VAT. VAT rates differ depending on the country as well:

From July 1, 2021, these rules will change. EU and non-EU businesses importing goods with a value up to €150 will be able to join the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) Scheme. It will let you declare and pay VAT in a single monthly VAT return.

You must collect the tax when accepting the payment for the goods (i.e. at the checkout). Then you pay it to the country where you registered your business for the Import IOSS.

Otherwise, the customs broker will collect VAT.

If the imported consignment of goods has a value exceeding the €150 threshold, import VAT is paid to the customs. It may also require a regular VAT registration in the country of importation.

The government will replace the old VAT thresholds with a new uniformed threshold. Small businesses registered in an EU country and selling less than €10,000 of goods to other EU countries, will be able to charge domestic VAT. Otherwise, they will charge the VAT rate of the country of import.

As you can see, the tax system of the EU is probably the most complicated because each country has its own rules and tax rates. So, consulting a tax advisor is a must here.

We hope this information has proved useful and now that you better understand how to collect and pay VAT, you are ready to launch your dropshipping business!

Read about VAT in dropshipping.

How To Dropship Socks For Profit: 8 Simple Tricks To Build A Store That Sells

May 3, 2021 by Olga L.

Would you like to dropship socks? Do you want know if it’s a promising enough business idea? Are you wondering how to sell socks online? Today, we are going to explain why this niche is very well suited for a dropshipping business model. Beyond this, you’re about to learn 8 simple tricks to build an online store selling socks and generating income. Here we are!

Is it profitable to dropship socks from your online store?

“What? Socks? Are these products promising enough to build or expand my dropshipping business?” Make no mistake, they definitely are!

Fashion.. and that says it all! It doesn’t stand still! New trends are emerging, and socks manufacturers are following them closely. For many years, socks were not considered stylish and had only a practical role rather than a decorative one.

But everything has changed now: socks are not just a piece of clothing that used to cover the legs. They are a significant part of any fashionable look.

Let’s take a look at the statistics. According to the Statista, the revenue in the Socks segment amounts to US$14,173m in 2021. The market is expected to grow annually by 6.79% (CAGR 2021-2025).

Socks are selling like hotcakes, and the demand for them is growing at a breakneck rate. As business owners who follow the trends, can we miss out on this sock boom? The answer is obvious.

Have we convinced you already? 😉

But there’s more to come. Stay tuned!

8 reasons to dropship socks for profit – and simple tricks to make it right

If you are interested in this niche, we have good news for you! When you dropship socks, you come across a lot of advantages that will be appreciated by both novice dropshippers and those who already run their business. Let’s look at some of them:

Neverending demand

Wherever you are: at work, at home, at the gym, on vacation or a walk, socks will come in handy in each of these situations.

Beyond this, we also know that people wear socks day in and day out and they wear out. This means that socks are the products of daily demand.

Add socks to your online store product range and bet on them throughout the year since this is a prime example of evergreen products.

Therefore, their number usually exceeds 2-3 pairs, right? Do you understand where this is going? To the second advantage of this niche!

Bigger order value

Socks are necessary everywhere and for everyone. How many pairs of socks does a person have on average? Sure, a lot.

They tend to buy them quite often. So why not show more?

Expand your product range to let a customer choose from a variety of products and buy more.

After seeing a great offer and the opportunity to buy several pairs of low-cost socks online at once, people will be more likely to buy multiple items from you.

Further, everything will depend on your offer and a variety of goods. How to get customers to buy more? Let’s move on to the 3rd reason to start dropshipping socks right now.

Multiple customer segments

We can come up with a large number of categories of socks and segment them by:

The wearer’s age (newborns’ socks, children’s socks, teens’ socks, adults’ socks,…)
The person’s gender
The socks’ purpose (running socks, yoga socks, dancing socks, home socks, …)
The material of socks (cotton socks, wool socks, bamboo socks, nylon socks, …)
The socks’ design (textured socks, printed socks, plain colored socks, …)

Each of these categories has its own audience. The more categories are presented in your store, the more audiences you will be able to attract. Use it for your benefit!

Build your marketing strategy for different customer audiences, give them a choice, offer them a variety of options and models of socks and maybe your store will interest them.

Growing public interest

Given the fact that the trend for socks continues to grow, people are becoming more interested in them, looking for tempting offers and quality products. There is an increasing number of socks models, shapes, sizes, designs.

How can we use this for our business? Very simply!

Follow the trends, find the best models and allow your future customers to pick up socks for any mood, occasion, and clothing style.

Low product price and tiny weight

Of course, we could not leave aside this pleasant fact! Socks are an affordable product. To get your dropshipping profits, you put a certain markup on the goods in your store. When you do this with socks, their price still remains attractive for the final buyer!

Find a supplier who is ready to provide you with top-quality socks at relatively low price. This will ensure a high profit margin and the buyers’ satisfaction.

Another great advantage is that it is a very lightweight product. You will not have to pay extra for the delivery. Since these products meet all the delivery parameters of ePacket, the packages will reach your buyers quickly and without any problems.

The opportunity to diversify your offer

Socks are great products that can be combined with each other. If your store has multiple categories of socks, you can create special offers.

Try mixing cute, printed, festive socks, and offer them at an attractive price. This way you’ll increase the chances of buying several items at a time.

Try different options for combining and evaluate which ones are bought better. Given these insights, you can expand your store and offer new attractive sets.

The ability to add socks to different niche stores

Socks are versatile products.

Add a different category of socks to any store you’ve already been running: a children’s or sportswear store, a shoe store, a gift store, etc.

For almost any store, socks will be a relevant addition and your chances of profit will increase significantly.

Socks are a great gift

Themed socks can be an original gift for men, women, and children. As a gift they should be beautiful, high-quality, original, right? They make a really bright and original gift for a loved one, good friend, colleague, etc. that will suit any holiday.

Take advantage of this: offer beautiful socks sets and create interesting holiday offers.

Are you excited with the opportunities? Let’s take a look at the sample thematic selection of trending socks!

Socks to dropship: printed socks

Even a brief Google search makes it clear: socks with a bright color print are at the peak of popularity right now! Let’s see what a variety of prints you can find on AliExpress.

For example, there are socks with popular paintings, musicians, artists… That’s an interesting dive into the world of art and fashion trends. Think about it!

Colored socks will help anyone look stylish and interesting. The trend for fashionable men’s socks has successfully won the hearts of the majority of the male population.

Thanks to a variety of fashionable patterns, you will be able to pick up your favorite models.

Everyone wants to feel like a real superhero! This theme is at the peak of popularity. Why not offer non-copyrighted socks with popular heroes to your buyers?

Classic socks to dropship

Despite the variety of prints, some people still prefer the classics. Of course, there are such options on AliExpress.

Many buyers choose plain bright colored socks and they also look very stylish!

What about darker colors but classic geometric patterns? They’ll drive you crazy!

And no one has cancelled short socks that are not visible to others 😉

Perfect socks for dropshipping: funny and cute ones

Have fun with these adorable socks!

Funny faces, birds, flowers, and animals – choose and offer whatever you fancy!

Oooh, shoutout to animal lovers!

Non-branded socks with popular cartoon characters are also in great demand! Don’t forget about it when you fill your store with goods.

Sport socks to dropship

All athletes and fans of active lifestyle pay special attention to their equipment. In addition to quality tracksuits, sneakers, it is important to have sports socks. They will protect the legs from damage and make the training process more effective.

Sports socks are presented in different variations, including the ones made for various sports, such as yoga.

Sport socks have a special elastic band. It protects the wearers from slipping during workouts.

Want to dropship socks? Think of the kids’ ones!

Children love bright socks! And these products are an integral part of their daily outfits. There are casual socks or brighter ones with patterns, made of cotton or wool, long or short. This variety will help kids keep their feet warm and look gorgeous at any holiday event.

Parents are a category of people who buy a lot of things for their children. Socks wear out, children grow quickly and the demand for children’s socks increases.

Small children never walk in shoes “barefoot”. Even on the hottest day, socks are worn under sandals.

Is it a good idea to dropship socks? Yes, sure!

We consider socks to be a prime example of great and trending niche products to sell in your store.

As we have figured out, this niche has a lot of advantages in terms of the audience demand, customer segments, and product options. Looking through the options offered on AliExpress, you can make sure socks are ordered in large volumes, and the variety of models is extremely wide.

You can customize your marketing strategies to different target audiences who will be interested in your offers. Use our advice for the benefit of your business, and don’t put your exciting venture on hold!

Whether you are a novice entrepreneur who is just planning to start a dropshipping business or an established store owner, you can easily dropship socks and enjoy the numerous niche benefits and great profit!

Learn how to dropship socks.

How About Selling Cosplay Supplies In Your Dropshipping Store?

April 22, 2021 by Olga L.

As we know it from our own experience and successful entrepreneurs’ feedback, the best dropshipping niches are the ones related to hobbies. So, today, we’re talking about selling cosplay stuff and your ways to capitalize on this interesting hobby!

Why does selling cosplay supplies make sense?

Basically, cosplay means recreating the appearance and the behavior of fictional characters or real-life famous persons.

Sounds fun, but it’s much more than playing around! Experienced and professional cosplayers spend a lot of money on their costumes. If you’ve ever seen anime cosplayers, for example, you know how good these outfits are made. Therefore, you can sell cosplay products to this audience and make good money.

And, when it comes to making the right outfit for the character you’re cosplaying, generally, you have 3 options:

Buy a ready costume on Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, or anywhere else
Go for a tailor service and order a costume that fits you and repeats the original one in detail
Craft the necessary outfit by your effort

And here’s an interesting detail – compare the 2 screenshots below:

People are less and less interested in ready-made cosplay costumes. Instead, they show a steady interest pattern to crafting their outfits themselves!

Here’s a great option for those who wonder how to make money as a cosplayer

It’s a great thing if you can turn your hobby into a money-making business, much like Kitty from New Zealand did with her dropshipping store.

Cosplay, as well as any other highly specific hobby, requires lots of special knowledge. For example, if you know what it takes to craft your own cosplay outfit, you can perfectly understand what types of products are a good match for your store.

If you like some particular universe or fandom, you can confidently write engaging descriptions for your products and run the store-linked social media on an almost expert level.

Moreover, if you’re a cosplayer yourself and a good tailor too, you can create brilliant content for social media or a blog containing various guides and tutorials on how to craft costumes at home. Such an approach will let you both draw traffic to your platforms and offer them corresponding products.

And, if you know the most important events for the cosplay community, you know when to start promoting your store more actively to let cosplayers buy the necessary stuff in advance.

As you can see, selling cosplay goods is much easier if you’re a cosplayer yourself. But even if you don’t have background knowledge in cosplay, don’t worry!

Now, let’s talk about how to make money with cosplay.

How to make your dropshipping cosplay business work

To run a professional cosplay accessories store with the dropshipping business model, you need to have a clear understanding of the following:

Who are your customers?

There are various reasons for people to look for cosplay items and accessories.

Some of them are getting ready for large-scale events like comic cons or for their money-making activities like blogging, modelling, etc. Other customers are preparing for themed parties and family get-togethers, and some clients are only looking for cosplay stuff shortly before Halloween.

Clearly, the people in these customer segments have really different expectations and requirements when it comes to your product range, items price, delivery time, etc. This is why it’s so important for you to understand who you’re targeting – and tailor your offers accordingly.

What exactly will you sell?

AliExpress has quite a wide range of cosplay-related items – let’s see what are the major categories you can cover!

Selling cosplay accessories from AliExpress: specific characters’ accessories

Not all the elements of a character’s outfit can be recreated by your own effort. You still need to buy some of the accessories, jewelry pieces, etc. from a manufacturer.

Be really careful if you’re selling cosplay products of this kind: they may fall into the category of copyrighted items. It is likely that they might disappear from an AliExpress seller in some time, or cause you some legal issues. You might try selling them at the beginning of your dropshipping journey to get more media coverage, but it’s definitely a bad idea to base your long-term product strategy on them.

Tony Stark sunglasses

Price – US $3.49, rating – 4.7*, number of orders – 17430

Guy Fawkes mask

Price – US $1.29-3.59, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 1642

The Witcher’s pendant

Price – US $2.14, rating – 4.6*, number of orders – 2102

Shinobi headbands

Price – US $2.85-3.40, rating – 4.6*, number of orders – 659

The Vampire Diaries necklace

Price – US $1.98, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 1665

Selling cosplay items from AliExpress: generic supplies

Don’t want to deal with copyrighted items? Smart move. 😉

In this case, you can always find more or less ‘generic’ products that will be a great addition to your store, and won’t violate any rules.

Most typically, these items are ‘expendables’: they need to be replaced from time to time, which is why the buyers will come for them again and again.

Wig

Price – US $11.80-13.66, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 3107

Latex ears

$Latex ears for cosplay on AliExpress$

Price – US $1.53-1.60, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 2706

Cat ears

Price – US $3.67, rating – 4.5*, number of orders – 17584

False eyelashes

Price – US $1.22, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 434

Selling cosplay supplies from AliExpress: craft materials

Here, you can collect all the possible things that can help people create their one-of-a-kind cosplay outfits.

This product category is quite appealing because it gives you great opportunities for the future store growth. Theoretically, later, you can add other types of crafting materials to your store, and reach a wider customer audience – why not?

If you’re working with these items, make sure they are more or less unique, or affordable, or have another noticeable competitive advantage. Otherwise, why would people order them online instead of buying from a nearby shop?

Foil paper

Price – US $1.46, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 1571

Vinyl sheets

Price – US $1.15-1.26, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 180

Water soluble canvas

Price – US $1, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 921

Skin color fleece

Price – US $6.02-8.48, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 612

Colored EVA foam

Price – US $6.98-8.88, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 411

Selling cosplay items from AliExpress: craft tools and equipment

Similarly to the previous category, these items also give you enough room for the future business growth. Still, if you’re working with them, you need to make sure that they meet core dropshipping requirements.

For example, technically complex items might see not enough demand because buyers prefer to check them in real life. Heavy products might cause an overly high shipping fee, and sharp tools, theoretically, can be banned from import if they are viewed as hazardous items.

Keeping it in mind, take a look at a sample AliExpress product selection in this category!

Sewing clips

Price – US $0.86-0.89, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 4778

Portable sewing machine

Price – US $8.44, rating – 4.7*, number of orders – 9656

Leather craft tools

Price – US $1.81, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 1513

Cute measuring tape

Price – US $0.98-1.15, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 3895

Travel sewing kit

Price – US $3.89, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 4431

Pottery & sculpting tools set

Price – US $12.62-15.59, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 1134

Thimble

Price – US $1.62, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 8534

Glue gun

Price – US $3.18-13.52, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 3650

How do you like the idea of selling cosplay accessories and supplies in your dropshipping store? If you want more niche ideas for your upcoming business, check out this list of the most profitable niches to try in 2021!

Read about selling cosplay.

Dropshipping Management For Day-To-Day Operations: Q&A Series #5

April 13, 2021 by Olga L.

Every day we get hundreds of questions from absolutely different categories of people. Can you guess who the most common askers are? Happy new owners of dropshipping stores have more questions than anyone else! Often they ask questions related to dropshipping management operations.

It’s an absolutely normal situation if you don’t know how to run your brand new business. Don’t worry, you will learn it all in due time. And as for now, we’re always here to guide you.

1. What should I do day to day to manage my store?

It may sound obvious, but you need to actually run your dropshipping business every day if you want it to be successful.

It’s not enough to simply own a store without doing anything to it. Take a look at the success story of Alex – during the first month of his newly opened store operation, Alex did nothing to manage the operations. As you can guess, the results weren’t satisfying at all. Everything changed as soon as Alex started paying attention to the business, and now things are going more than well.

So, as an owner of a dropshipping business, you need to:

Manage orders and payments, inventory, and track delivery

Well, this is the essence of the dropshipping business model, right? You don’t have to think about warehouse management and shipping issues (and it saves you tons of money!), but still, there are certain dropshipping management operations in this field you should take care of.

You have nothing to worry about, though, if you have the AliDropship plugin already installed. In terms of business operations, it does the majority of necessary tasks, so the only thing you actually need to deal with is customer support.

Communicate with your customers via email and other means

Communication and interaction is probably the only thing that can’t be automated in this business field.

People value personal attitude, and it becomes exceptionally important when it comes to eCommerce.

Just think about it: someone decides to buy a product from you without seeing this item first; basically, this person trusts you with their money, and, to be honest, takes a risk.

Don’t leave them confused and uncertain! Help them, guide them through the store and the shopping process, encourage them to make a purchase, and thank them for their decision.

This is how you will turn their random purchase into a very personal and pleasant customer experience. This is how you will create additional value for your store, and this is how you will carefully build an audience of loyal and engaged customers.

Drive traffic to your online store

People can’t locate your store easily, you know.

The competition is astonishing, and the Internet is huge.

This is the challenge that can and must be taken. All you need to do is pay attention to your promotional efforts. If you don’t know where to begin, take a look at our Marketing Tips blog section.

Search and import new products for your store

The day to day operations of dropshippers always include frequent product researches.

It is important to do it regularly – this is how you will keep your existing customers enthusiastic about new offers they didn’t see before. Also, don’t forget about trends and fashion – technologies and interests change quickly, and it is vital to go with the flow. Nobody likes outdated and boring items!

Edit the content of your pages to make the store look neat and professional

Mostly, it refers to single product pages – when you import new products from AliExpress, the titles and descriptions you get are not perfect at all. This is why it is necessary to take some time and edit everything that doesn’t look good.

Also, don’t forget about search engine optimization – keep it in mind when you’re editing the pages’ content. You won’t see immediate results, but in the long run, these efforts will give your more benefits than you can imagine.

2. What are the costs of running and managing a dropshipping store?

Oh, no one can tell you how much dropshipping management operations will cost you.

Let’s think of all the possible costs you might have in this business:

Hosting payment – sorry, you just can’t go without it.
First orders payment – you need to order an item on AliExpress to get it delivered to your customer. So, at the beginning of your dropshipping journey you will spend your money first to get later paid by your customer.
Marketing activities – everything is up to you here. Maybe you will launch a full-scale campaign that will cost you hundreds of dollars, and maybe you will simply install some promotional plugin like Social Rabbit.

As you can see, it’s impossible to predict the amount of your expenses. No one defines it but you!

3. What should I do when I receive an order?

Step one: get excited.

Step two: go to the Orders section and click the “Place order automatically” button.

The AliDropship plugin will visit AliExpress and create an order for you automatically. It will select necessary product variations, add items to your shopping cart and fill in your customer’s shipping details on the checkout page. You will just need to click confirm button to complete a purchase.

Alternatively, you can place the order manually by clicking the “Place order manually” button.

Step three: celebrate!

4. Will the cost of an item on AliExpress be deducted from my PayPal account?

AliExpress doesn’t support PayPal as a payment method which is why you can’t use your PayPal account to pay for purchases on AliExpress.com.

In other words, the cost of an item won’t be deducted from your PayPal account. Instead, while placing an order on AliExpress, you can use one of the payment methods supported by the platform. The most commonly used ones are Visa and MasterCard credit cards, as well as Visa, Maestro, and American Express debit cards.

5. Does the plugin import the shipping costs or do I have to add shipping options to my products?

The AliDropship Plugin doesn’t import items’ shipping costs.

We highly recommend offering your customers a free shipping service by taking advantage of the free/low-cost shipping offered by many AliExpress sellers. However, the Plugin has a special section where you can enable or disable different shipping options.

You can add up to four different shipping options (including free shipping) to any or all products.

6. Are the customers able to create an account on my website?

Yes, your clients can get the option to create a personal account on your website.

This account gives your customers the opportunity to store their contact and shipping details, check the list of products they purchased, and track the status of any order.

7. Will the customer receive a tracking number? How can our customers track their orders?

Once you placed an order on AliExpress and your supplier shipped an item, you get your tracking ID.

The plugin will automatically collect this tracking data and add it to your order details.

Please note: you need to be logged in to your AliExpress account and your AliDropship orders section to activate this tracking auto-filling option.

8. How can I know if the package was delivered to the customer?

If there’s a tracking number available, you can easily track the package delivery.

With this tracking ID provided by the AliExpress supplier, you can check if the customer received an item.

9. My customer didn’t receive the order. What should I do?

First of all, stay calm and don’t panic.

Unfortunately, this happens. And it’s another part of your regular dropshipping management operations.

Maybe something went wrong within the postal service, or the customer provided a wrong address, or a seller is shady (did you choose the seller carefully?). You’ll figure it out later, but right now it’s not the first priority.

Secondly, apologize.

Whatever happened, it can all be fixed. Your behavior and personal attitude will help a lot to solve this issue.

If your client did not receive the order or is not satisfied with his purchase, you should follow AliExpress Buyers Protection Policy.

We recommend talking to the seller first. Go on AliExpress, open the “My Orders” page, select the faulty order and write a private message to the seller. The seller should respond quickly and offer different solutions to fix it. The reputation of the sellers is rather exposed and they are willing to do anything to maintain their feedback rating.

10. How will I handle refunds?

One of the reasons why AliExpress is perfect for the dropshipping model is its good protection system with a full money-back guarantee.

So, if your customer is not satisfied with a product and asks you for a refund, you should dispute the purchase with the AliExpress seller.

If you are selling inexpensive products, your AliExpress suppliers usually refund you quickly and don’t ask you to return the items. They don’t want to waste their energy on managing disputes and receiving returns for relatively low-value items. You can read about it more in our interview with an actual AliExpress seller.

As a result, you can give a full or partial refund to your customer through PayPal without asking them to return the product. This is why we recommend that you don’t spend all your earned money at once – keep a small fund just to be safe.

If there are more questions related to dropshipping management operations we haven’t covered, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. We hope the answers will help you start a successful dropshipping business.

Read about dropshipping management operations.

How To Dropship Pet Supplies With The Highest Profit Possible: 3 Proven Tips

April 12, 2021 by Olga L.

How to dropship pet supplies if you want to make this business both enjoyable and profitable? Let’s discuss it!

In any business, it’s very important to pick a proper niche. If a certain niche features a great number of potential clients, a moderate level of competition, and a rich range of useful products, you can say this niche is a good one. Here you can read more about how to choose a business niche.

The pet industry, despite a relatively high level of competition, has good potential for an online store. So, if you like the idea of dropshipping pet products, it’s a great choice!

The best thing about this niche is the buyers’ engagement. As your potential customers want the best for their beloved pets, they don’t mind spending a little extra or waiting a bit longer. In order for that to happen, they should consider your offers worthy of their attention, of course.

Want more ideas of a money-making dropshipping niche? Check out this selection of the most profitable niches to try in 2021!

Are you ready to learn how to turn this winning niche into a thriving dropshipping business? Here we go!

How to dropship pet supplies: choose and research your customer market carefully

Dropshipping is a business model that lets you target and serve buyers all across the globe. It doesn’t even matter where you live!

What you should keep in mind, however, is that different countries have different traditions of pet ownership.

In some countries, it might be popular to buy specific exotic types of pets. At the same time, in other destinations the local laws influence the decisions on the pet choice, while in some regions, it’s not typical to keep pets at all.

Of course, the prospects of making money from dropshipping pet supplies will vary from country to country!

Let’s take a look at some region-specific stats to see what I’m talking about:

China

The population of pets here is estimated to reach 755.35 million by 2022. Quite notably, in 2017, there were less than 510 million pets registered in the country. It means that pet ownership is a growing trend here. Therefore, it’s an interesting market from the point of view of the potential customer segment size.

The United Kingdom

In 2005, the total consumer spending on pets and related products in the UK amounted to £2.75 billion. By 2019, this parameter has increased dramatically and reached about £6.89 billion. In the second quarter of 2020 alone, British families spent about £1.85 billion on such goods.

What’s even more curious, the number of pets living in the UK has been decreasing. It means that an average UK citizen has multiplied the expenses per 1 pet. Most surely, it might present you with a great business opportunity!

Germany

Germany leads the list of the EU countries with the largest number of cat owners. In 2019, there were almost 15 million cats registered in German households. And, despite the fact that Germany has a dog tax, there are only about 4.5 thousand fewer dogs than cats in the country!

In other words, when it comes to pet choice and keeping, the financial expenses are not really a big deal here. 😉

Italy

With over 50 million pets registered in Italy in 2019, the most widespread type of them was fish (about 30 million). The gap is outstanding: the next pet type in the list (birds) amounted to only 12.9 million, and the third place in the rating belongs to 7.3 million cats.

Japan

According to the 2020 survey, the number of cats and dogs owned by households in Japan increased by 15% compared to 2019. There are about 9.64 million cats and 8.49 million dogs living in this country.

The United States

According to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey, 85 million American families own a pet. It’s about 94.2 million dogs, 89.7 million cats, 20.3 million birds, and other animals. In 2019, Americans spent about $75 billion on pet food and other products.

As you can see, pet dropshipping stores can expect millions of potential clients if they have high-quality products to sell online and manage to properly advertise their offer.

I got these numbers in only 30 minutes of surfing Google and Statista (which I strongly recommend to any business owner!) and of course, there is much, much to learn about any country you’re going to target. Still, even this brief and quick research proves that the patterns of pet ownership are really diverse across the globe. Without any doubt, they will influence lots of your business actions (product choice, pricing strategy, geographic ads settings, etc.) heavily.

How to dropship pet supplies wisely: be very specific about your competitive advantage

Let’s suppose that by this point, you’ve already chosen the geographic markets you’re going to target with your offers. It’s time to make the next important decision: what will make your product offer interesting to the audience?

It’s common for pet owners to buy supplies from familiar offline stores, or from the marketplaces they have already tested and found satisfactory.

Why would they change their minds? What will motivate them to make a purchase from pet supply dropshippers – retailers they’ve never checked out before?

Surely, to succeed, you need to have a strong competitive advantage, for example:

Additional value of your supplies

The easiest way to give your customers something more than just a product is to provide them with informational support.

It’s especially convenient to do if you run a blog connected to your online store. Through this blog, you can freely educate your followers (and potential buyers) about keeping their pets healthy, entertained, and happy.

This blog will be beneficial not only to your readers, but to your store performance as well. Among other things, it will give you great pieces of content you can share on social networks automatically.

A welcoming community around your brand

When it comes to pet care, many owners, especially the less experienced ones, look for guidance and advice from others.

Why not turn your store’s social networks into a supportive community where pet owners share their experiences, daily routines, funny stories and other aspects of their life with pets? If you combine and mix these pieces of user-generated content with your promotional and educational posts, it will give people a good extra reason to check out your feed.

Availability of unusual or limited products

It doesn’t make much sense to dropship pet products identical to the ones sold in other retail stores. Maybe, your markup will be lower than theirs and your prices will be more appealing to the buyers, but you can’t always be sure about it. To set your prices right, you’ll need to research the local retail market thoroughly, and keep monitoring it on a regular basis.

An alternative way to make your store offer more competitive is to pick the right products for it. And here’s what our next tip is all about!

How to dropship pet supplies: a guide to choosing products

Most likely, you’ll be using AliExpress to find pet supplies dropshipping wholesalers. There, you’ll need to filter out the items suitable for your niche, and evaluate their prospects in terms of clients’ demand and potential profit.

If you don’t want to do it all manually, there is a great time-saving solution you can use instead! A database of the best selling AliExpress items is available to every entrepreneur whose dropshipping store is based on the AliDropship plugin. Plus, these products’ details (titles, descriptions, picture galleries) are already edited by an experienced team. It makes it even easier for a user to start dropshipping these products right away.

Let’s take a look at 5 examples of the pet niche products taken from this database:

With over 10,000 AliExpress orders, these items will surely make a lovely (and highly profitable) addition to your dropshipping store.

Want to see more promising items from this or any other product category? Check out our database of pre-edited AliExpress products, and make the first 50 imports for free!

Now, I hope you have a much clearer idea on working with an online store within this niche. I can’t wait for you to follow the advice from this article!

If you’d love to dropship pet supplies, enjoy this action plan and hurry to launch a dropshipping store meeting all your business needs!

Learn how to dropship pet supplies.

50 Cute Products From AliExpress For Your Dropshipping Store

March 30, 2021March 29, 2021 by Olga L.

Products that feature emotional value are a good choice for dropshipping since such items can trigger impulse purchases. In this article, we have gathered a list of 50 cute products for your business.

When you look for the perfect items for your dropshipping store, the most efficient strategy is to consider your customers’ needs and wants.

Obviously, their preferences and interests can differ a lot (by the way, are you sure you know everything about your target audience?), but there is always something that unifies all of us.

Do you know what it is?

It’s emotions!

As you remember, the commercial success of your dropshipping business heavily depends on your ability to generate impulse purchases. Before buying a functional item, we usually weigh up the pros and cons. But when people see an ad of a cute and affordable product, they simply want it! This is why you can safely rely on emotions to create an appealing and profitable product range in your store and get your share of sales.

People choose various ways to fight their bad mood and cheer themselves up, and shopping is definitely one of the most common things to do when you’re upset. So how about creating a store that sells adorable, heart-melting and cute products that cause an immediate desire to buy them right now?

To pick such items, we went on AliExpress and used the same methodology we’ve described in this article: simply speaking, we were choosing offers with free shipping, 4* and higher rating, and relatively low price (all the items listed in this article cost less than $10). And here are the products we recommend.

Cute products for creating a comfortable environment around you

Fancy LED lantern

Price – US $5.32 – 7.85, rating – 4,7*, number of orders – 4895

Adorable luminous plush toy

Price – US $9.41, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 6941

Chalkboard wall sticker for cute messages

Price – US $3.91, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 4446

Geeky portable speakers

Price – US $7.68, rating – 4,7*, number of orders – 1433

Cute unicorn earphones

Price – US $2.00, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 2904

Cute kitty pillow

Price – US $4.50, rating – 4,6*, number of orders – 8754

Luminous wall sticker

Price – US $4.21, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 1042

Cute products that help you arrange stuff

Retro style organizer

Price – US $2.94 – 3.94, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 14011

Eco style laundry basket

Price – US $7.47, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 4099

Funny bathroom accessories holder

Price – US $1.39, rating – 4,5*, number of orders – 131

Bright earphones storage bag

Price – US $0.89, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 766

Cube fabric baskets

Price – US $8.35-8.67, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 632

Socks and underwear storage

Price – US $2.60, rating – 4,6*, number of orders – 796

Adorable health & beauty supplies

Lovely mini hair straightener

Price – US $4.77, rating – 4,7*, number of orders – 3162

‘Delicious’ hair comb

Price – US $0.79, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 592

Cartoon style makeup bag

Price – US $1.59, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 6372

Unisex colorful socks

Price – US $1.80-2.40, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 2826

Self expression patches

Price – US $0.36-0.99, rating – 5,0*, number of orders – 5009

Toothpaste tube squeezer

Price – US $0.21-0.97, rating – 4,7*, number of orders – 2954

Portable pill cases

Price – US $1.98, rating – 4,7*, number of orders – 1599

Cute products for making a fancy working environment

Desktop blackboard for motivational writings

Price – US $6.92, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 432

Green plants stickers

Price – US $0.87, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 2979

Kawaii pens

Price – US $2.34, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 6285

Planning stickers

Price – US $0.90, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 3897

Calendar stickers

Price – US $2.20, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 882

Cute cable managers

Price – US $0.49, rating – 4,9*, number of orders – 1224

Doctor badge holder

Price – US $3.49, rating – 4,8*, number of orders – 550

Cable holders

Price – US $1.69, rating – 4,6*, number of orders – 437

Cute make-up products

Kitty make-up bag

Price – US $1.99, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 947

Eyelash curler

Price – US $2.89, rating – 4.7*, number of orders – 583

Peach-shaped lipbalm

Price – US $1.78, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 606

Small anti-fall mirror

Price – US $1.15, rating – 4.6*, number of orders – 148

Cat ears make-up headband

Price – US $1.40, rating – 4.7*, number of orders – 2401

Makeup brushes set

Price – US $5.99, rating – 4.7*, number of orders – 126392

Makeup sponges set

Price – US $8.90, rating – 4.7*, number of orders – 3088

Cute baby products

Cute baby socks
Price – US $4.99, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 9450

Waterproof silicone baby bib

Price – US $5.57, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 2380

Plush rabbit and bear toys

Price – US $4.45, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 3040

Cute baby hat and bib

Price – US $1.99, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 3132

Baby knotted headband

Price – US $1.86, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 5019

Baby tableware set

Price – US $3.97, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 4690

Cute teether

Price – US $3.80, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 4861

Cute products for kitchen and dining room

Cat-shaped cup

Price – US $4.97, rating – 4.7*, number of orders – 1075

Egg timer

Price – US $3.82, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 3646

Sink sponge holders

Price – US $0.31-3.01, rating – 4.6*, number of orders – 2869

Fridge sticker

Price – US $3.88, rating – 4.6*, number of orders – 911

Cat-shaped coffee spoon

Price – US $1.68, rating – 4.6*, number of orders – 504

Bear ice mold

Price – US $7.54, rating – 4.8*, number of orders – 589

Dinosaur tea infuser

Price – US $5.40, rating – 4.9*, number of orders – 610

Cute canapé sticks

Price – US $2.40, rating – 4.6*, number of orders – 453

Well, we hope you got the idea! 🙂

By the way, you can easily evaluate the potential of any dropshipping niche at your choice: all you need to do is use this free niche research tool developed by our team.

Here, we are just giving you a general direction for your search for cute products to dropship. Feel free to explore these topics further, and enjoy a great performance of your dropshipping store!

Read about cute products.

100 Things Under 5 Dollars You Can Find On AliExpress

March 22, 2021 by Timur Y.

When choosing what to dropship, it’s important to find affordable goods. In this article, we will take a look at 100 things under 5 dollars on AliExpress.

What makes a good product for dropshipping? Of course one wants high-quality because happy clients leave positive reviews, which helps attract new customers. Delivery time is another important issue as nobody likes to wait for their order. And finally, it’s crucial to find reliable suppliers.

But today we’re going to talk about money!

Dropshipping low-cost stuff grants you two major benefits. First of all, when you can offer cheaper alternatives, it’s much easier to beat competitors. Second, cheaper goods allow you to enjoy a higher margin.

That’s why in this article, we have gathered 100 AliExpress products that cost not more than 5 dollars.

Cellphones & accessories

The first product category in this list is cellphones and accessories. Today almost everyone has a smartphone, and the industry has developed many useful (and not so much) things for phone owners. Moreover, there are lots of affordable stuff, which makes them a great choice for dropshipping.

Magnetic USB Cable

Price – US $1.53-3.56; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 416,000

Protective Glass For iPhones

Price – US $1.37-3.96; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 250,662

Fast Charger

Price – US $4.98; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 77,139

Artistic Silicone Case For iPhones

Price – US $1.54-2.65; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 34,768

Magnetic Phone Holder For Cars

Price – US $4.27; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 31,983

Webcam Cover

Price – US $1.27-2.70; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 17,217

Hydrogel Film For Samsung

Price – US $2.92; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 7,992

Shockproof Case For Xiaomi And Redmi

Price – US $3.98-4.98; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 24,614

Waterproof Phone Case

Price – US $1.99-2.84; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 6,186

Leather Flip Case For Samsung

Price – US $2.28-4.98; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 5,901

Computer accessories

This is another popular category of things under 5 dollars one can find on AliExpress. A lot of consumers own personal computers, laptops and tablets. Although few of them purchase complicated electronics on AliExpress, various accessories show really high demand.

FSU HDMI Cable

Price – from US $1.42; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 43,145

3.5 mm AUX Cable

Price – from US $2.64; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 23,949

TECHKEY USB Flash Drive

Price – from US $3.41; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 12,485

Gaming Mouse Pad

Price – from US $3.27; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 11,778

Wireless Optical Mouse

Price – US $4.23; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 10,990

Hard Disk Case

Price – US $4.98; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 6,722

GOOJODOQ Stylus

Price – US $4.99; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 5,230

Smartphone / Tablet Holder

Price – US $4.99; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 4,815

Silent LED Cooling Fan

Price – US $1.69-3.88; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 4,576

USB Wi-Fi Adapter

Price – US $4.27; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 4,198

Consumer Electronics

As you can see, customers buy a lot of electronics including small and relatively simple devices. Therefore, one can find a number of interesting products designed for other needs. So, as a dropshipping store owner, you may want to offer simple gadgets, accessories, and tech under 5 dollars.

Xiaomi Mi Band

Price – US $1.14-1.23; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 56,040

USB Cable Winder

Price – from US $3.57; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 25,610

Gamepad Thumb Stick Cover

Price – US $3.02; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 2,647

Silicone Protective Case For Sony Controller

Price – US $2.59-4.19; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 11,850

Battery Charger

Price – US $4.60; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 10,631

Cable Tape

Price – US $4.32; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 25,729

Mini Tripod For Smartphones

Price – US $4.36; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 4,518

Universal EU Plug Adapter

Price – US $1.25-1.29; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 3,921

Earphone Storage Case

Price – US $1.00; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 3,427

Foam Ear Pads

Price – US $3.45-5.00; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 3,254

Fashion jewelry & accessories

When you’re looking for things under 5 dollars to sell, fashion jewelry comes to mind naturally. After all, such products are small, which is why they’re easy to ship. Besides, they can make a great gift! In addition, the variety of choices makes them suitable for dropshipping.

Acrylic Earrings

Price – US $2.63-4.98; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 62,019

Men’s Bead Bracelet

Price – US $1.81-2.78; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 34,161

Leather Bracelet

Price – US $4.13; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 19,894

Custom Name Necklace

Price – US $3.74; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 19,145

Geometric Earrings

Price – US $1.27-2.70; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 17,838

Silver Ring for Women

Price – US $3.98; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 14,283

Leaf Open Bracelet

Price – US $2.23-4.53; rating – 4.6; number of orders – 13,642

Custom Name Pendant

Price – US $3.99-4.99; rating – 4.6; number of orders – 11,789

Cute DIY Charms

Price – US $3.36; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 19,566

Ear Cuffs

Price – US $3.22-3.59; rating – 4.4; number of orders – 26,143

Products for kids

When choosing products for dropshipping, it’s important to pick both useful goods and the ones with emotional value. So, try the ‘Mother & Kids’ category on AliExpress as you will find quite a number of popular things under 5 dollars there.

Nylon Hair Band

Price – from US $3.71; rating – 4.6; number of orders – 45,687

Child Safety Lock

Price – US $3.43-3.69; rating – 4.6; number of orders – 36,904

Child Hairpins

Price – US $1.80-4.50; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 24,134

Children Pantyhose

Price – US $3.13-4.13; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 15,826

Sneakers For Newborn

Price – US $3.48-4.56; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 15,097

Children Hat

Price – US $1.03-1.99; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 11,848

Car Seat Head Support For Babies

Price – US $4.80; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 11,427

Cotton Blankets For Babies

Price – US $4.69-4.99; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 9,211

Baby Stroller Hooks

Price – US $1.86; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 7,345

Power Socket Protection

Price – US $4.77; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 8,970

Lights & lighting

Among lighting products on AliExpress, there are many useful and purely decorative devices for affordable prices. Moreover, most of these goods are relatively simple, which reduces the likelihood of damage during transportation. So, it’s a good choice for a dropshipping store.

LED Lights String

Price – US $1.82-4.77; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 40,942

USB LED Photo Clips

Price – from US $3.27; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 34,261

LED Bulb

Price – from US $2.30; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 26,964

Smart WC Night Light

Price – US $2.84-4.27; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 21,480

Sensor Mini Nightlight Lamp

Price – US $1.70-1.84; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 21,279

USB Light Strip

Price – from US $2.35; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 14,345

Outdoor LED Spotlight

Price – US $4.95; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 5,158

Spotlight Bulb

Price – US $1.26-1.57; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 12,952

USB Glowing Strip

Price – from US $2.36; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 10,181

Flame LED Bulb

Price – from US $4.70; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 5,664

Home improvement

It’s also a good idea to offer customers things under 5 dollars to help them in different situations at home.

Double-Sided Magic Tape

Price – from US $2.80; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 33,664

Neodymium Magnets

Price – US $1.55; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 26,904

Adhesive Cloth Tape

Price – US $0.99-2.99; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 17,510

Wire Insulation

Price – US $2.73; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 10,584

Plug Socket With USB Ports

Price – US $4.99; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 6,206

Caulk Remover Set

Price – US $1.69; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 64,407

Power Supply Adapter

Price – from US $2.82; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 5,616

Glass Knobs

Price – US $0.73-1.69; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 5,398

Silicone Cabinet Bumpers

Price – US $0.98-1.98; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 5,102

Wire Connector

Price – US $0.43-1.40; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 4,728

Stationery & scrapbooking

Stationery is another good category of products to dropship as these items are small, simple and can cost very little. The numbers on AliExpress show that they’re quite popular.

Cute Gel Pens

Price – US $1.28-1.57; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 18,400

Super Glue

Price – US $2.85; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 12,048

Waterproof Markers

Price – from US $1.22; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 10,834

Adhesive Tape For Scrapbooking

Price – US $3.11-3.21; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 8,917

Stickers For Scrapbooking

Price – US $1.16; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 8,789

Highlighter Capsules

Price – US $3.00; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 8,066

Pencil Case For Kids

Price – US $2.40-4.50; rating – 4.5; number of orders – 2,957

Mechanical Pencil Set

Price – US $3.35-3.68; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 5,430

2.0 mm Pencil

Price – US $1.17-1.53; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 5,090

Wall Calendar

Price – US $3.50; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 4,225

Underwear & sleepwear

Now, let’s get a little provocative! Sleepwear and underwear prove to enjoy high demand. Besides, there is a wide choice of things under 5 dollars.

Ultra Thin Panties

Price – US $1.60-1.99; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 20,626

Women’s Wool Socks

Price – US $2.44; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 16,626

Women’s Summer Socks

Price – US $3.99; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 12,145

Crop Top

Price – from US $3.99; rating – 4.6; number of orders – 10,311

Men’s Boxers

Price – US $4.00-4.99; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 6,547

Nightgown

Price – US $3.99-4.35; rating – 4.5; number of orders – 6,455

Thigh-highs

Price – US $3.60; rating – 4.6; number of orders – 5,523

Fishnet Stockings

Price – US $2.25; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 5,415

Bra Extenders

Price – US $1.86; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 4,928

Seamless Bras

Price – US $4.98; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 3,520

Household goods

A dropshipping store related to housekeeping can choose from numerous household products on AliExpress. Although many of such goods are cheap, lots of people will find them extremely useful or pretty.

Razor Holder

Price – US $4.80; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 17,120

Seal Bags For Food

Price – from US $2.65; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 16,616

Silicone Baking Mat

Price – US $2.10-4.20; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 15,648

Plastic Cake Plate

Price – US $1.59-4.66; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 14,230

Silicone Pastry Bag

Price – US $2.24-3.49; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 33,532

Rotating Kitchen Hook

Price – US $3.15-4.48; rating – 4.9; number of orders – 17,276

Hydroponic Vases

Price – US $1.68-4.55; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 9,398

Paper Roll Holder

Price – US $4.58; rating – 4.7; number of orders – 19,521

Silicone Flour Mixing Bag

Price – US $4.41; rating – 4.8; number of orders – 3,995

Coffee Filters

Price – US $3.19; rating – 4.6; number of orders – 6,637

As you can see, AliExpress offers low-cost items in many categories. These are just the ones that show the highest demand. Therefore, you can find similar products for any niche.

Are you feeling ready to start your own business? Order a custom store so that you don’t have to build it on your own!

Read about things under 5 dollars on aliexpress.

20 Anti-Stress Products That Improve Your Customers’ Lives

March 15, 2021 by Olga L.

Have you ever considered selling anti-stress products and other relaxing items in your niche store? Let’s look deeper into this idea!

As we have mentioned before, niche stores offering a limited range of items perform much better than general stores selling everything at once. So, how about a narrow niche idea for your future online store?

Much like our previous selection of healthy sleep items, our today’s set of promising dropshipping products is aimed at the buyers’ life improvement.

This is what I personally like about dropshipping business. Through this easy-to-launch venture, it is possible to actually make a difference – and to help thousands of people all over the globe solve their burning issues.

This Google Trends graph shows that, unfortunately, the matter of stress relief concerns more and more people worldwide.

Obviously, I’m not saying that stress relief toys and gadgets can replace traditional therapy and treatment. Still, these tools provide comforting distraction and a calming sensory experience, which is why they can rightfully be considered an easily available supplementary way to support one’s mental health.

Why sell anti-stress products in your niche store?

While operating in a stress management niche, you’re not just being a socially responsible entrepreneur. You’re also getting a range of noticeable business benefits, such as:

Large buyers’ audience

As you have already understood it, the community of people potentially interested in relaxing tools is rapidly growing. This can both be attributed to the change in political and socio-economic climate, and to the diversity of buyers’ needs satisfied with these products.

Multiple customer segments

Indeed, the range of stress relief products use is impressive. Office workers and students buy them to improve their focus and concentration. People with specific perception peculiarities (autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, panic or anxiety disorder, etc.) rely on these items to release tension and calm down. Parents offer these toys to children in order to improve their tactile sensitivity and nerves stimulation, etc. You can reach and target any of these segments or even all of them at once, and the demand level will be sufficient.

Appealing product range

Stress-relieving tools come in all sizes and shapes. As they solve various user issues, they can be divided into several distinctive types (slimes, fidget toys, squeeze toys, etc.) with their own unique features. So, it’s up to you to decide what mental health products to sell.

Let’s take a look at the options available, shall we?

Stress reducing massage products

When you come home after a long day at work and want to reduce stress and relax, the first thing to come to mind is probably a massage. A massage can relieve anxiety and improve blood circulation. But professional services will cost a lot of money. Besides, not all people have time to visit a therapist. That’s why massage tools are a great choice for your dropshipping business! Here are some product ideas you may like.

Head massage tools

Neck massage pillows

Feet massage tools

Wooden massage tools

Acupuncture finger rings

Face rollers

Anti-stress fidget toys

Another way to relieve stress is to use anti-stress toys. The important feature of these goods is that most of them are portable. Therefore, one can use them in the office or in public transport. Additionally, reducing anxiety is not their only function. Some models develop fine motor skills, which is good for children.

Fidget pads

Magic cubes

Desktop toys

3D puzzles

Mokuru desk toys

Worry beads

Kinetic desk toys

Anti-stress and relaxing substances

At first, one may think that playing with slime is dirty. However, it feels really good to douse your hands in a slimy substance. Besides, you can punch and squeeze it to work off steam. As for magnetic putty, it’s like playing with playdough, except it gravitates to magnets, which makes it even more fun.

Slimes

DIY slime kits

Magnetic putty

Anti-stress squishy toys

The same goes for squishy toys. By squeezing, punching, and stretching them, one can get rid of stress without worrying about the toys. They won’t break. These anti-stress products are portable and affordable, which makes ideal dropshipping goods.

Assorted squeeze toys

Squishy toy balls

Squeeze grape balls

Squishy keychains

If you got the impression that anti-stress products and massage tools are a good choice for your own dropshipping business, launch this niche store as soon as possible! It will feel so good to be enjoying the financial rewards AND to be helping a large community all over the globe, right?

Learn about anti-stress niche store.

10 Useful Things To Buy (And Sell) In March 2021

March 11, 2021March 9, 2021 by Laurence L.

And, we meet again. March. The third month of the year, but also a year since the coronavirus pandemic hit the world. Consumer needs have shifted and retail practices have adjusted a lot to meet the demands and necessities of the new normal in our world. So today, let’s take a look at 10 useful things to buy right now — and what you can add to your dropshipping store to meet online demand.

#1 Personal protection equipment

As strains of the COVID-19 virus continue to mutate, there still is an importance in wearing masks and having protective gear. Thus, any PPE such as masks or face shields are still very much in-demand, and would be great additions or impulse buys for your site.

Here is an example of a high-selling N95 respirator mask that has high reviews and over 7,000 orders. This type of item will surely sell well. Despite Google Trends showing a gradual decline in search queries with the term “face mask,” we can still be confident that PPE in general will still be in-demand, as long as the coronavirus is not 100% contained.

Google Trends also shows the N95 mask as a breakout topic, meaning it is a rising search term lately.

Protective masks will definitely continue to be one of the useful things to buy this year, so if they fit your niche or work well as impulse-buy items, add these to your store.

#2 Massage gear

One word: stress. It’s rocketed since the start of the pandemic, leaving many parents, students, and essential workers frazzled out and unable to loosen up. With the on/off closures of personal services like massages or salons, many people have had to resort to buying their own equipment to help find at-home relief while in lockdown.

That’s why we suggest adding equipment such as this massage gun to your store if it fits your niche or offering. There are many variations of massage equipment such as fit-to-the-neck or made-for-the-back models, so find a variety that can add valuable selection to your online store.

We can see a Google Trends search showing up-and-down trends for the term “portable massager,” with a high peak a month or so ago. It’s safe to assume this kind of item will continue to ride this trend and have customers seeking out these self-use machines for personal use. We all need to destress from time to time as is.

#3 Athleisure wear

Although trendy already for some time now, clothing that merges casual wear with athletic wear — “athleisure wear,” as it’s called — really exploded in popularity in 2020 as people started working out and working from home. And the trend isn’t stopping here in 2021.

We see here on Google Trends how demand for “leggings,” for example, has been pretty steady, even peaking near the end of 2020.

Anything athleisure wear — even for men — can be a sure-hit to sell, as people have become accustomed to functional comfort with the changing trends in fashion.

#4 Cord organizers

Wires, wires, wires. In a time where many people are still learning and working remotely, there’s bound to be a party of cables and cords jumbled up around the kitchen table, coffee table, or one’s personal work desk.

That’s why we believe cord organizers such as this one can be a hot-seller for your store; the multi-piece sets are especially good because the varying sizes mean you can adjust for just one — or two — or three — cables, providing a fit for everyone. These organizers are adhesive on the back and also work great in the car for on-the-go device charging.

Unsurprisingly, Google Trends shows growing interest in this kind of product. And we are confident consumers will continue to seek out device accessories for added convenience and help.

#5 Posture correctors

With a large percentage of the working class (and learning world) all tuned in digitally right now (even still as of March 2021), that’s a lot of hours in front of a laptop, work desk, or tablet. What happens over time though, is a stiff and sore neck, and eventually — slouching and poor posture.

One super hot product now that’s been hot for some time now are posture correctors. Add a top-seller such as the one we show here for a selection of self-care and health-targeted items that shoppers will surely appreciate.

And of course, Google Trends shows us that there has been growing interest for posture-related items, meaning this item is a great add for any online store.

#6 Orthopedic seat cushions

It only seems logical that with the work-from-home and heavy electronic use mentioned in the past two items that orthopedic seat cushions are one the useful things to buy in March 2021.

Helping to balance and redistribute pressure on the spine and buttocks, these seat cushions are ergonomic and great for those who are working from home, spending hours on Zoom calls. Ones such as this are also ideal for students learning from home and attending classes online all day.

Google Trends shows us an up-and-down trend to searches for “orthopedic seat cushion,” but the overall pattern tells us that there is constant demand for this item. A cushion that helps with workspace ergonomics will pair greatly with items such as charging cables or the cord organizer shown above.

#7 Camping tents

With lockdown restrictions worldwide for over a year now, many people have found the only socially-distanced solitude to be out in the wilderness with family or close friends. Thus, camping and hiking have been hot activities during the pandemic. One very-sought-after item has been the camping tent.

We can see an example of a highly-rated tent with over 900 orders here. Tents are in demand since many adventure-seekers will need them to camp out in the wilderness overnight or during the day.

And with overnight trips comes one other in-demand camping item.

#8 Camping lights

Because in the dark, a high-power light will trump the flashlight function on any phone for longer (and for better). Have safety in mind for all travelers with a bright solution.

Portable lights such as this one sell very well thanks to the built-in hook design, selection of bright colors, and powerful LED performance, which include a red SOS light mode.

These lights are a great add-on item along with the tent shown above for many during this time as outdoor adventure is seen as a solace and quick getaway from the turbulent state of the world.

#9 Storage baskets

During the past year, many people stuck inside their homes resorted to one task most of us always avoid or put off — cleaning up the house. And part of that clean fueled the demand for storage solutions such as storage baskets.

If your dropshipping store caters to home goods, baby items, women essentials, or modern living supplies, you can’t miss out on storage bins as an offering in your store. With hundreds of designs, shapes, and materials to choose from AliExpress shows an immense selection for you to choose from to upload onto your website. We chose these ultra-cheap (but super quality) linen boxes that come in 21 patterns.

On Google Trends, there is a notably consistent demand for the term “storage basket,” so you can be assured that this kind of item will fare well for e-commerce, and is definitely one of the useful things to buy (and carry, per your website) this time of year.

#10 Planting bags

No surprise here, but due to the lingering effects of last year, 2021 should continue to see an uptick in those who have taken up gardening as a quarantine hobby — and along with that, a demand for gardening products.

So help online shoppers get their plants or homegrown produce situated with something like this massive set of biodegradable planting bags. These will help those quarantined at home continue to grow their own produce or flowers in their downtime.

While trends seem to have fallen off a lot since March of 2020, we continue to see little spikes time to time on Google Trends, leading us to believe that these gardening-related items will continue to be in demand as many who’ve developed a greenthumb over 2020 continue their go-green hobby in 2021.

And there you have it — 10 must-adds to your online store for useful things to buy in March 2021. Remember to always look for suppliers with items that are listed at near five stars and with a history of high orders. This will help ensure quality and popularity with what you are adding to your store.

SUMMARY: Many lifestyle trends from 2020 continue into 2021, even three months into the year. Useful things to buy at this time are those geared toward organization, safety/comfort, and the outdoors, so be sure to look around for the best suppliers to help add these items to your online store.

Explore useful things to buy and sell.

How to find a supplier: what defines the best suppliers

How to find a supplier: points you need to consider

1. Supplier’s online store rating

2. The time the supplier has been active on AliExpress

3. Did you find a supplier with a “Top Brand” sign?

4. The number of followers

5. The last 6 months suppliers rating

6. The last 3-6 months feedback

7. The quality of visual materials

Summing up how to find a reliable supplier

What is VAT?

How does VAT work?

Value added tax in the United Kingdom

Sales tax in the United States

Value added tax in the European Union

Is it profitable to dropship socks from your online store?

8 reasons to dropship socks for profit – and simple tricks to make it right

Neverending demand

Bigger order value

Multiple customer segments

Growing public interest

Low product price and tiny weight

The opportunity to diversify your offer

The ability to add socks to different niche stores

Socks are a great gift

Socks to dropship: printed socks

Classic socks to dropship

Perfect socks for dropshipping: funny and cute ones

Sport socks to dropship

Want to dropship socks? Think of the kids’ ones!

Is it a good idea to dropship socks? Yes, sure!

Why does selling cosplay supplies make sense?

Here’s a great option for those who wonder how to make money as a cosplayer

How to make your dropshipping cosplay business work

Selling cosplay accessories from AliExpress: specific characters’ accessories

Selling cosplay items from AliExpress: generic supplies

Selling cosplay supplies from AliExpress: craft materials

Selling cosplay items from AliExpress: craft tools and equipment

1. What should I do day to day to manage my store?

Manage orders and payments, inventory, and track delivery

Communicate with your customers via email and other means

Drive traffic to your online store

Search and import new products for your store

Edit the content of your pages to make the store look neat and professional

2. What are the costs of running and managing a dropshipping store?

3. What should I do when I receive an order?

4. Will the cost of an item on AliExpress be deducted from my PayPal account?

5. Does the plugin import the shipping costs or do I have to add shipping options to my products?

6. Are the customers able to create an account on my website?

7. Will the customer receive a tracking number? How can our customers track their orders?

8. How can I know if the package was delivered to the customer?

9. My customer didn’t receive the order. What should I do?

10. How will I handle refunds?

How to dropship pet supplies: choose and research your customer market carefully

China

The United Kingdom

Germany

Italy

Japan

The United States

How to dropship pet supplies wisely: be very specific about your competitive advantage

Additional value of your supplies

A welcoming community around your brand

Availability of unusual or limited products

How to dropship pet supplies: a guide to choosing products

Cute products for creating a comfortable environment around you

Cute products that help you arrange stuff

Adorable health & beauty supplies

Cute products for making a fancy working environment

Cute make-up products

Cute baby products

Cute products for kitchen and dining room

Cellphones & accessories

Magnetic USB Cable

Protective Glass For iPhones

Fast Charger

Artistic Silicone Case For iPhones

Magnetic Phone Holder For Cars

Webcam Cover

Hydrogel Film For Samsung