After nearly two years of living through a global pandemic, it’s no surprise that consumer behavior has evolved. Existing trends have accelerated, and the pandemic has shaped new consumer preferences.¹ Navigating 2022 retail and consumer products trends requires organizations to proactively align offerings to market and consumer forces, strengthen talent and customer engagement, and invest in key infrastructure to build and maintain a leading position.

In this evolving competitive marketplace, brands need to keep up with consumer and product trends to thrive in 2022 and beyond. If you don’t meet consumer needs, customers can and will find alternatives.

In this post, we’ve listed the top 10 product trends for 2022.

Covid-19 Pandemic-Induced Trends Are Here to Stay

As COVID-19 changed the way that consumers live and work, retailers evolved their product mix, delivery models, and even brand positioning to accommodate trends in what, how, and why consumers make buying decisions. Despite a projected early 2022 return to the physical office for more of the workforce, trends in clothing (the popularity of athleisure) and food (shifting toward health-conscious options)—which many could argue were exacerbated by a year of life “at home”—remain sticky. 

Amid strong competition and ever-increasing customer expectations, retailers and consumer products companies also need to evolve their delivery models—namely, in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) space—as the “at home” economy grows. As buying channels proliferate, companies have invested in innovative DTC strategies to meet customers where they shop.²

The “why” behind consumer behavior is rapidly changing and influencing retail and consumer products trends in 2022. As a new COVID variant emerges and consumer trust in corporations and institutions lags, companies that communicate clearly and consistently about their brand’s purpose—one that now, more than ever, promises a focus on societally conscious choices including sustainable products (which customers reported seeking 37% more than they did pre-pandemic)—can earn loyalty and sales dollars. Brands with a well-articulated purpose continue to see customers four times more likely to buy and trust the brand into the new year. With more than one in five shoppers planning to support purpose-driven businesses in the coming months, companies should adopt this as a core business mandate for 2022.³

Top 10 Product Trends

The following list provides the top 10 product trends to look out for in 2022:

• Home Decor Items

Home decor items confirmed their trend during 2020 with a market value of $641.4 billion and, although these products have become trending during the pandemic period, this growth is not destined to slow down. The forecast is of constant growth of 4,8% between 2021 and 2026. We know that during covid-19 working from boosted the will to create a comfortable atmosphere and so the demand for home decor but it’s not the only reason right now. Real estate is recovering fast and there are plenty of new householders every month looking for this kind of thing.⁴

Product subcategories include:

• Home carpets
• Home beddings
• Household storage containers
• Towels

• Hair Styling & Beauty Products

If you are looking for a successful trending product to sell in the beauty industry, you should know that hair styling tools and accessories are more and more searched on Oberlo, Google, and AliExpress.⁵

Product subcategories include:

• Hair wigs
• Headscarfs
• Fake eyelashes
• Nail extensions

• Eco-Sustainable & Biodegradable Products

This is a fairly new trend that is supposed to last for the next 30 years at least, based on the path many governments are taking. If you look at all countries in the European Union, for example, they are moving into the ecological transition that is a process that will finish around 2055. Even if most of the planned activities concern the reduction of emissions and dependence on fossil energy sources, the topic of environmental sustainability and biodegradability has never assumed such an important character as now. Moreover, consumers are aware of the consequences of climate change, and many are looking on their own how to reduce their carbon footprint.

Tech products and accessories built with environmentally friendly materials, for this reason, are something to evaluate when it comes to launching a new business since it can be the right time to create a solid brand for the years to come.⁶

Product subcategories include:

• Eco-friendly laptop sleeves and phone cases
• Cork-compostable yoga mats

• Healthcare Products

As you can imagine, due to the pandemic, the interest of people in self-care and health products has been increasing during 2021 and this growth will continue also in 2022.⁷ 

Product subcategories include:

• Green powder
• Detox tea and juice
• Keto bars

• Hi-Tech Products and Accessories

Technology is an evergreen category that includes lots of trending products to sell online responding to the needs of different target groups.⁸

Product subcategories include:

• Car phone holder
• Wireless charger or wireless charging station
• Wearable devices

• Pet Products

The pet supplies market is one of the most stable: establishing yourself within this segment can guarantee you lasting success. Online stores selling products for four-legged friends (dog and cat kennels, fur care accessories, canned food, games, etc.) are enjoying some success.⁹

Product subcategories include:

• Pet food
• Pet bathing tools
• Pet carriers

• Fashion and Jewelry Products

Fashion always has a great appeal to women and men who care about their appearance, and it’s also a sales segment suitable for e-commerces. For this reason, you can find hundreds of trending products to sell online in the fashion and jewelry market.¹⁰

Product subcategories include:

• Bra-top
• Shape-wear
• Minimalist jewelry

• Sports Products

Another way to self-care that has spread during the pandemic is sport: at home, at the gym, or outdoor. It’s not surprising, then, that sports items are trending products in 2022. What can you sell online in this category? If you use the drop-shipping method, you can potentially cover any need, from clothing to accessories up to sports equipment (weights, exercise bikes, rackets, balls, etc.). Otherwise, you can choose to specialize in a specific sport and offer articles related to that discipline.¹¹

Product subcategories include:

• Athleisure 
• Sports bottles
• Mesh shoes

• Artificial Intelligence Products

A Juniper Research study found that investments in artificial intelligence (AI) in the retail sector are growing with each passing year, so much so that global retail spending on technology will reach $7.3 billion annually by 2022. It’s easy to see those investments trending upward during this year as retail businesses accelerate their AI implementations to catch up with new consumer habits.¹²

Product subcategories include:

• Smart assistants
• Virtual travel booking agent

• Mental Health Products

It’s impossible to go through a pandemic and not think about our physical and mental wellbeing differently. Many of us spent much of this time taking action to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. We’ve praised healthcare and frontline workers around the world. And we’ve seen how quickly lives can change. As a result, there’s been a step-change in how many consumers think about their health and how they manage it.

Product subcategories include:

• Gravity weighted blanket
• Adult coloring book
• Essential oil diffuser

Conclusion

We all know that trending products don’t change radically from one year to another; if you have researched what to sell online in 2021, you have probably already encountered some of the aforementioned products. And that’s positive: now you have the confirmation that those items are a winning choice because they are trending products to sell online in 2022 too. In fact, if a trend remains constant over time or even grows, it means that there is market demand for that product and that your e-commerce can find a space in the offer.

We, therefore, encourage you to open your personal e-commerce store and we remind you that an online store – unlike a traditional one – can offer a greater variety of products and it can expand or modify its catalog according to customer requests. E-commerce is the perfect solution for those who want to dedicate themselves to sales and do not have the capital to start a physical business.

About Exporta Technologies

Exporta Wholesale is the largest marketplace connecting suppliers in Latin America with buyers in North America. Today, we have a network of over 5,000 Latin American suppliers serving a variety of consumer goods and product categories in the United States. 

Exporta’s marketplace offers buyers a full service experience in the origination, sourcing and managing of products. The platform was founded on the idea that curation and service are the most important elements in the buyer’s journey. Exporta’s marketplace is building technology that addresses the pains of sourcing products internationally at attractive prices.

References

1. https://thekeenfolks.com/6-key-consumer-trends-that-will-shape-2022-and-beyond/

2. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/early-2022-retail-and-consumer-products-industry-trends.html
3. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/early-2022-retail-and-consumer-products-industry-trends.html
4. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
5. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
6. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
7. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
8. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
9. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
10. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
11. https://vetrinalive.com/blog/trending-products-to-sell-in-2022/
12. https://risnews.com/5-retail-consumer-products-trends-watch-2022