Today’s back to school Amazon products are nothing like what they used to be. Back to school has increasingly less to do with fashion and crafts, and more to do with software and science. So, what products should Amazon sellers stock up on next year?
Whether you’re looking for some school supply sourcing ideas or trying to squeeze in some last-minute shopping for yourself or your family, you may find our short list of products helpful. If nothing else, it will show you that ‘back to school’ is starting to have new meaning to children and their parents.
People spend less and less on notebooks and shoes, and more on new types of tools that can help them study and get ahead in school or at work. To be able to anticipate some of the items they will need and be happy to spend money on, you should think many months ahead. In fact, now would be the time to start liaising with the manufacturers and doing your research to see what other projects are likely to be launched by September 2017.
Here are 5 popular types of products that people buy for school:
Portable Classroom Kits
What if you could buy or sell something on Amazon that teaches children coding, tangram, words, logic, art, and everything to do with numbers? Well, you can. One example is the Osmo Genius Kit sold on Amazon. It’s already being used in 15,000 schools across the world, replacing classic notebooks, pens, magnetic letters and other stationery with compatible tiles, crayons and accessories. By this time next year, these student kits could be a common sight in many more schools.
Mini-Robots that Help with Homework
There’s no shortage of robots for sale on Amazon that can help children do their homework without a computer. From Echo to the I-Que robot, nearly all of them can answer standard questions. Wouldn’t you rather buy or sell one that can play pranks, have emotions, recognize your face, or build a relationship with you, though? That’s Cozmo – on pre-order and already a bestseller. Odds are many more robots like this will be available to sell on Amazon next year.
Show-and-Tell Projects
Show-and-Tell. Again?! Not a problem for those who have a Makey Makey Invention Kit. It opens up the imagination and enables anyone to come up with fun research projects to show at school. Need a cat photo booth or a human synth? Easily done. There’s no shortage of invention kits on Amazon, so whether you want one for your child’s school project, or hope to sell some to Amazon buyers, school’s never out for you.
Virtual Reality Explorer
This is an inexpensive way for students to learn about wildlife, marine life, tourist attractions, and the Solar System It helps them to visualize planets and satellites as if they were in front of them, admire The Parthenon from the comfort of their home, explore reef species under water, among others. Believe it or not, virtual reality devices like these can help them deepen their understanding of geography, physics and biology, and broaden their horizons.
This and similar virtual reality explorers and accessories are selling like hotcakes on Amazon, along with classic slides and 3D reels. If you missed your chance to sell one before school started this year, keep an eye on these virtual reality devices for 2017.
Chemistry App
It’s hard to get your head around chemistry when you don’t practice it. ‘Chemist’ by THIX is one of the most realistic chemistry labs available to the general public for a small fee. No accidents, no messy desks, and no more yawning! The app is not available on Amazon yet, but many others are. We’ll probably see much more advanced versions in 2017, and that’s bound to raise the general public’s interest in science and lab equipment.
If you need help identifying Amazon back to school items to sell in 2017, we could offer you guidance and advice on using Profit Bandit to source profitable products, Sellery to test your pricing strategy, or SellerEngine Plus to manage your inventory and FBA shipments. Get in touch with us to learn more.
Melanie takes an active interest in all things Amazon. She keeps an eye on the latest developments, and keeps Amazon sellers up to speed