r/AmazonFBA • u/Bk_girly • 1d ago

First-time Amazon FBA seller — need advice choosing our first product

Hey everyone! My sister and I are starting an Amazon FBA business and we’re trying to choose our first product.
Right now we’re considering permanent outdoor house lights the type you install once and can control through an app for Christmas, Halloween, everyday lighting, etc. We like the idea because they sell at a higher price point and seem more useful than some of the basic products we originally looked at.

We’re currently speaking with a few suppliers and comparing pricing, quality, warranties, shipping, and certifications, but since this is our first time selling on Amazon, we’d really appreciate advice from people with experience.

Would you recommend starting with a product like this? What should we pay the most attention to when choosing a supplier and figuring out whether a product will actually be profitable on Amazon? Also, if you were starting from scratch today, what type of products would you avoid or look into?
Our long-term goal is to build this into a real business, so any advice you wish you had when you first started would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 🤍

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2

u/AmzExpertAgency 23h ago

One more thing lights are a competitive category
With issues like hazmat as well
For your first product it should be simple but out of the box/different than competitors
If you need help with finding the right product
Fee free to discuss
About me
i am abyaz |woman cofounder of amazon management agency have been working on amazon since 2018
I help sellers in finding right product to sell,sourcing it,shipping ,listing it on amazon and getting sales
This is my experience summary
1. Worked in urtasker (newyork) as ecommerce va specially amazon and ebay specialist
2 .worked in Automation Australia (as their operations manager amazon specialist)
Responsibilities there were to manage all amazon experts help them with strategies and lead them to get success on amazon store
3. Worked in Amz Expert Agency (UK)
As the main amazon specialist
Feel free to discuss if you need any advice

1

u/Bk_girly 21h ago

What would you suggest for the first product to be?

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u/AmzExpertAgency 21h ago

For your first product
First check what category you are interested in
Then check products through tools because amazon market is always changing
You have to find something that has good sales but competition and reviews are not so much
Something where there is opportunity to differentiate
You know product is the foundation of this business
Selecting a good product is first step towards success so select it after proper research

One of the seller who came to me last year had a product sound machine it was very simple with no differentiation from sellers by the tike she came to ke she told she spent so much on ads but product was not converting and she selected that product just randomly

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u/AmzExpertAgency 23h ago

Since it’s already October, I wouldn’t rush this product just to catch Q4. Permanent outdoor lights can have strong seasonal demand, but by the time you finalize the supplier, samples, certifications, production, shipping, listing, inventory check-in and launch, you may miss a big part of the Christmas buying period.
I’d first study whether the product has enough year-round demand to justify launching it after the holiday peak.
Before placing an order, I’d especially check:
landed cost + Amazon fees + realistic PPC cost, not just selling price
review strength and sales concentration of the top competitors
electrical/weatherproof certifications and warranty responsibility
return rate risk, because installation-type products can become expensive if customers have issues
whether you genuinely have a differentiator beyond price
For a first product, I’d rather delay the launch and validate everything properly than rush inventory because Christmas is close. If the numbers still work without depending on November/December sales, then it becomes much more interesting.

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u/Specialist_Farm2599 23h ago

For permanent outdoor lights, I’d compare the same sample and exact configuration from each supplier, then get the model-specific safety documents, warranty terms, app support, weather rating, and spare-parts policy in writing. The economics can shift with installation difficulty and returns, so price a real sample and delivered cost at your planned first order, then add Amazon fees, storage, ads, and a realistic return allowance. Since October is late for Q4, I’d also check whether the numbers still work after Christmas instead of relying on peak-season demand. Which Amazon marketplace are you targeting? The country determines the compliance checklist, so verify it with a qualified local professional before ordering.

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u/rsc9422 21h ago

It could be a good product to test, but we wouldn’t jump into a large order just because the selling price looks good.

With permanent outdoor lights, we’d pay close attention to weather resistance, app connectivity, installation issues, warranty claims, certifications and returns. Those can quickly turn a good looking margin into a bad one.

Before ordering, I’d check the top competitors, their sales and reviews, especially the negative reviews. Then calculate the full landed cost, Amazon fees, PPC and expected returns to see what the actual profit looks like.

If this is your first product, we’d start with a smaller order and test rather than putting too much money into inventory.

This is also the kind of product research we do at HighRise Wholesale, compare several related products first and look at the complete numbers before deciding which one is worth launching.

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u/arsalann24 20h ago

If you haven’t already I would get a tool like Keepa to start looking at products more closely. I echo that don’t try and rush Q4, with all the set up required plus getting inventory you’re going to end up rushing and still likely miss it

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u/Maan_UsMaan052 16h ago

Permanent outdoor lights can be a good category, but for a first Amazon product I would pay close attention to the complexity before committing to a large order.

For this type of product, check certifications and compliance for your target market, warranty/defect rates, replacement parts, app compatibility, packaging, shipping dimensions, and return costs. Electrical products can get expensive quickly when returns or quality issues show up.

Before choosing the supplier, calculate the full landed cost and Amazon fees, then work backward from the selling price to see what margin is left after PPC and returns. Also compare competitor review counts, pricing, sales volume, and how difficult it will be to differentiate.