New Approaches to Independent E-commerce Entrepreneurship

2025-12-30 01:43:35

Many online posts about starting an independent e-commerce site contain outdated information. They often consist of lists of old data, which not only have limited reference value for users but also easily mislead beginners, wasting their time, money, and effort.

Business opportunities stem from everyday life and emerging needs. Only by maintaining keen observation, embracing the latest trends, and avoiding rigid thinking can one discover new opportunities and find a market of one’s own.

For example, consider the following insights:

  • According to the Japanese website Aucfan, over the past 10 years, the average selling price of many second-hand figurines has increased.

  • In 2024, the global second-hand luxury goods market will be 2.4 times larger than in 2017. Trading cards featuring animated or cartoon characters are currently highly popular. Scarce cards are traded worldwide at very high prices, with one card reportedly sold for approximately 700 million JPY (around 36.16 million RMB). Large U.S. e-commerce companies such as eBay have begun offering storage services for these expensive trading cards in large warehouses.

  • Fruits like cherries are expensive in many countries, but if you sell dried fruit instead, shipping costs are greatly reduced, and shelf life is significantly extended.

  • The humanoid robot industry is emerging, and drones are trending globally. Even if you cannot sell the complete products, selling related components can also capture opportunities aligned with the latest trends.

  • MUJI has launched a pet shampoo made from 100% natural ingredients, effectively removing dirt and oils.

  • Sharp will release a cartoon-style desktop mini-robot using its proprietary AI technology. The robot responds empathetically or encourages users when they share daily events or feelings.

  • Casio’s 2024 ring-shaped watch (CRW-001-1JR) includes functions like time and date. Multiple releases sold out quickly, and public attention continues to rise.

  • Huawei introduced the “Smart Hanhah” AI toy at the Mate80 series launch, developed in collaboration with Luobo Intelligent. It sold out immediately upon release, and even after multiple restocks, it continued to sell out.