Easiest Thing to Sell in Manufacturing: How to Pick Smart and Simple Winners
Jun, 12 2025
Walk through any big-box store or scroll online for ten minutes, and you’ll spot a pattern—simple, everyday items are everywhere, and the shelves never seem to empty. That’s not a fluke. In manufacturing, the easiest things to sell are usually the unsung heroes: products that people buy without thinking twice. We're talking about stuff like phone chargers, water bottles, sturdy tote bags, and even the classic wooden pallet.
Why do these things sell so easily? First, they don’t need a big learning curve or fancy marketing to explain what they do. People know what a phone charger is for, and they’ll gladly buy another one if theirs breaks. Also, simple products have fewer moving parts, so there’s less risk of things going wrong or needing repairs. This means you can make them in bulk, keep costs down, and get them out the door fast.
- Why Simple Products Win
- Real-World Examples from Manufacturing
- How to Spot an Easy Seller
- Tips to Start Selling Fast
Why Simple Products Win
Want to know the secret to fast sales? It starts with keeping things simple. People need straightforward solutions to everyday problems. That’s exactly what simple products in manufacturing offer: quick answers with no confusion or guesswork. When you’re deciding what to make, think about the stuff people grab on autopilot—things like screwdrivers, plain T-shirts, and organizing bins—these sell again and again.
There’s real proof behind this. According to a 2023 report from Statista, over 65% of consumer spending in the US goes toward routine necessities, not fancy tech or trendy upgrades. The same report pointed out that products like reusable containers and basic chargers outsell high-tech gadgets by a factor of 3-to-1 in volume.
If you’re looking for reliable profits, "the simplest products almost always outperform complicated ones," says Lisa Nguyen, sourcing consultant at Small Business Trends. "They’re low-risk, easy to explain, and people buy them without a second thought."
Simple products often have:
- Lower production costs (less material, fewer parts)
- Wider market appeal (everyone needs socks and chargers)
- Faster production times (fewer steps, less oversight)
- Fewer returns or warranty claims (they just work)
Check out this data on top-selling simple items from recent years:
| Product | Units Sold (2024, US market) | Typical Retail Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton T-shirts (plain) | 110 million | $7 |
| Reusable water bottles | 89 million | $10 |
| Phone charging cables | 82 million | $6 |
When the numbers are this strong, it’s no wonder so many successful businesses focus on what’s easy to make and quick to sell. The fewer headaches in manufacturing, the better your chances at real profit.
Real-World Examples from Manufacturing
Alright—let’s get real. You probably want to see what actual products have made it big using the "simple sells" idea in manufacturing. Here’s where the everyday wins really stand out.
Look at water bottles. Some companies, like S'well and Nalgene, built businesses just by tweaking the shape, color, or material of a basic bottle. In 2023, reusable water bottle sales in the U.S. hit about $7 billion. This is just for an item that costs a couple of bucks to make and doesn’t need a complicated instruction manual.
Cotton tote bags are another hot example. With online shopping and a push to ditch plastic, companies like Baggu pumped out millions of simple cotton totes. The catch? They’re cheap to produce, carry strong margins, and are nearly everywhere. That’s not just smart business—it’s about being in the right market at the right time with a dead-simple product.
If you’re after a boring classic that rakes in steady cash, check wooden pallets. About 2 billion wooden pallets are in use at any time in North America alone. Making pallets doesn’t take fancy tools, and big players like CHEP manage fleets of millions—just by moving simple rectangles of wood in and out of warehouses.
Then there’s the world of phone chargers. It’s not glamorous, but the world churns through more than 3 billion phone and device chargers each year as older ones fray or break. Big names like Anker and Belkin started with these basics and built up whole catalogs from plug-and-play tech.
| Product | Estimated U.S. Annual Sales (2023) | Why They Sell |
|---|---|---|
| Reusable Water Bottles | $7 billion | Eco trend, daily need, easy to customize |
| Wooden Pallets | $10 billion | Universal logistics need, simple to make |
| Cotton Tote Bags | $1.6 billion | Environment push, custom branding |
| Phone Chargers | $6 billion | Repeat purchase, tech upgrades |
The main takeaway? The easiest thing to sell usually isn’t hiding in a lab or patent vault—it’s something obvious, useful, and always in demand. These everyday manufacturing winners keep things basic, and that’s exactly why they rake in serious money without the headaches.
How to Spot an Easy Seller
If you’re eyeing manufacturing, don’t just make what you like—pick what people actually buy without hesitation. The trick is getting into the customer’s head and spotting patterns before you start making anything.
The easiest thing to sell is usually hiding in plain sight: stuff people use every day or replace often because it breaks, gets lost, or is just plain cheap to get more of. Think about kitchen sponges, phone cables, notebooks, or socks.
Here’s what you should look for:
- High demand, low explanation: Does your product solve a basic need, or is it something people just get because it's there? If you don’t have to explain the product, you’re golden.
- Low competition from big brands: If the market isn’t flooded by giant companies, you have a shot. Nobody dreams of brand loyalty when they buy a plastic food container.
- Simple to make: Fewer steps and cheap materials mean it’s easier to start and scale. Fixing mistakes won’t cost a fortune.
- Small and lightweight: Cheaper to ship, easier to store. The more products you can fit in a box or on a shelf, the better.
Some numbers to prove it’s not just talk. Here’s a quick look at how everyday products stack up for small manufacturers:
| Product | Avg Monthly Online Searches (US) | Retail Markup (%) | Frequent Repurchase? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reusable Water Bottles | 75,000 | 50-70% | Yes |
| Phone Chargers | 60,000 | 40-60% | Yes |
| Notebooks | 90,000 | 35-55% | Yes |
| Kitchen Sponges | 22,000 | 35-60% | Yes |
So, ask yourself: can you spot a simple product that checks all these boxes? If yes, you’ve likely found your easiest thing to sell in manufacturing. Buyers love what makes their life friction-free—stick with that, and you’ll stay in business.
Tips to Start Selling Fast
If you want to get moving in manufacturing, skip the guesswork and start with these steps. Most people overthink it, but speed matters when you're testing what sticks. Here’s how to get your product out there quickly, without tripping over common mistakes.
- Pick a proven product: Look at current top-selling items in your target stores or online shops. Don’t try to invent something brand new at first—classic items move fastest because demand is already there. For example, phone chargers and water bottles sell year-round, not just in trends.
- Source materials locally if possible. Getting parts or raw materials from nearby reduces shipping time and headaches. Local suppliers can save you weeks compared to overseas orders.
- Use simple packaging. Fancy boxes slow you down and eat into profit early on. A basic, sturdy package gets your product into shops or online buyers’ hands a lot quicker.
- List your item on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy—even if you have your own website. According to a 2024 Statista report, over 60% of new manufacturers say their first online sales came from these platforms.
- Don’t waste time on a perfect logo or branding. People shopping for basic stuff care more about price and fast delivery than a pretty design.
Want to increase your chances? Get feedback fast. Ask friends, family, or even your social media followers to try your product and give honest opinions. That’s way more helpful than guessing what customers want. Remember, in the easiest thing to sell game, speed and simplicity win every time.