In terms of market research, Father Christmas has it easy. He can sit in the North Pole and wait for customers to tell him what’s on their wishlist. Real-life dropshippers, though, need to dig deep into market data to find out what products will be trending this month.
To help out, we’ve compiled our own ‘Nice’ list of the top items that UK shoppers will be searching for this holiday season (leaving the mistletoe and wine firmly off the table).
But as all good sellers know, adding new products to your inventory takes time. It’s best to be ahead of the curve if you want to build a sustainable dropshipping business. That’s why we’ve also looked ahead at what products will be popular with consumers in early 2025.
Read on for a sneak preview of what the bestsellers will be. Or, for more inspiration, check out our guide to over 100 winning dropshipping products to sell all-year round.
1. Scent beads
Around this time of year, when your laundry starts to smell like mulled mildew, consumers start looking for a little boost to get them into that springtime mindset. No surprises then that scent beads (tiny fragrance beads used alongside laundry detergent) have been trending up.
Laundry scent boosters dissolve in the wash, infusing fabrics with long-lasting fragrance. Exploding Topics data indicates that between November 2023 and 2024, searches for the term have almost doubled, while searches for popular bead brand Downy surged by 546%.
Consumers are specifically hunting for dissolvable beads. If you hop on this trend then stay away from products with harmful ingredients that end up in waterways. Other keywords to use in product descriptions include “booster scent beads” and “in-wash scent beads”.
2. Aeropress Coffee
Everybody loves a cup of Joe in the morning; especially when the colder temperatures start to hit. This year, coffee nuts are swapping the french press for an air press, a cheaper device that uses air pressure extraction to replicate traditional espresso brewing.
Credit for the trend must be given to the AeroPress maker, which is now third in all Amazon wishlists. With a retail price of over £30, however, the AeroPress is a premium stocking filler, and there is still space for dropshippers to cater to customers after a cheaper cafetière.
If you’re just starting dropshipping, this could be the ideal product to launch your store with. You’ll find many portable air press coffee makers across supplier marketplaces such as AliExpress, that will no doubt give you plenty of beans to count going into 2025.
3. Hand warmers
We couldn’t write this list without mentioning hand warmers. Every year, the humble hand warmer dominates the Amazon bestseller lists as Brits drive or bike to the office and spend the rest of their day typing away with stiff fingers (and remote workers aren’t immune either).
Forget microwave pads or glove hot water bottles, though. With tech wear clothing all the rage, today’s consumers are after a mini radiator for their paws. Amazon is already reporting a spike in searches for rechargeable hand warmers with customisable warmth settings.
All low-cost heating solutions are likely to be a winner. As electricity prices continue to rise, data from leading online cashback marketplace, OnBuy finds that Brits are also after electric blankets and heaters. Searches for electric jackets, meanwhile, have surged by 300%.
4. Lash clusters
For all who celebrate, December is party month. Whether you’re attending the office social, grabbing a pint on Christmas Eve, or getting glammed up for Boxing Day, the festive season is basically one giant Saturday. That’s why beauty products are a big win this month.
The latest make-up trend is Lash Clusters. Since the start of 2023, internet searches have increased by 368%, up from 12.5k per month to a whopping 159k per month this November.
Unlike extensions, lash clusters are applied to a group of lash strands with a bulb-like end that you fix to your eyelid. They are a great alternative if lash technicians are fully booked (as they often are in December) before a night out, making them an in-demand item this month.
5. Banana ketchup
Banana ketchup was invented during the Second World War, when a shortage of tomatoes resulted in Filipino housewives turning to mashed bananas to make a sweet, tangy alternative to red sauce. So why has this Pacific rationing staple become so popular now?
It turns out that in May this year, banana ketchup brand RoniB won ‘Aldi’s Next Big Thing’, a TV show that offers artisan food makers the chance to be stocked in over 1,000 UK Aldi stores. It’s apparently a key ingredient for Filipino hot dogs, another trending food stuff.
Consumers have caught on in time for Christmas. Exploding Topics data shows that since September, searches for ‘banana ketchup’ have risen by 203%, peaking just shy of 50k. If you’re a foodie dropshipper, this could be your secret sauce of success in 2025.
6. Monitor light bar
It’s 4pm. You glance outside the window, and it’s dark already. All the light you’ve seen today has been the blue light from your computer screen. Is it time to get a monitor light bar?
Monitor light bars are LED lights that attach to the top of computer monitors to provide ambient lighting, reducing eye strain in these dark winter months. Their popularity has surged, especially on TikTok Shop, where they’ve become a part of the broad TechTok trend.
Google Trends data shows that searches for ‘monitor light bar’ peaked this November. Around 16k Brits now type the term into Google each month and, with several months to go until the clocks spring forward, this is a voguish product with a long tail sales opportunity.
7. Remineralising gum
Dentists will hate this. Moving away from the seasonal trends, we come to mineralising gum. It’s the next health craze that promises to remove sugar and plaque from your pearly whites and speed up teeth remineralisation (the natural repair process for tooth lesions).
Consumers have already been won over. Startups research finds that over 3,000 people search for the gum each month and in November, searches surged by 23%. If you’re selling to the US, interest is even higher, with the trend reportedly growing by 6,800% since 2023.
Flogging any products that claim to better health requires caution. Check that any items you sell contain ingredients like calcium, phosphate, and fluoride, which have been proven to improve teeth health. Encouraging customer reviews could also be a great way to build trust.
8. Anything to de-ice a car
Yes, it’s obvious, but it’s also worth mentioning. As Brits begin their yearly battle with the elements, more of us are rushing to purchase de-icing equipment for the morning commute or school run (others are using items in the kitchen cupboards, to disastrous effect).
35% of eBay’s top-fastest selling items in November were related to de-iceing. That includes car magnetic window covers, microwave window devices, and the classic scraper tool. If you’re selling everyday household goods, this is a great category to jump onto.
Because it’s a fairly well-known product already, digital marketing strategies will naturally be your best friend here. Take the time to build a website and set yourself apart from the competition, and your sales will set on fire — even in the snow.
