How to Start an Online Store Without Inventory and Experience in 2024
The print-on-demand market is expected to reach $45.6 billion by 2030. This number is massive, and wouldn’t it be great to be a part of it?
The eCommerce industry offers numerous business models for running an online store without the need for inventory, concerns about shipping logistics, or a background in marketing. Let’s take a look at how to create a successful eCommerce store while keeping your time and product quality secure.
We’ll guide you through selecting the best eCommerce business model and platform that aligns with your goals and simplifies the selling process through automated order fulfillment. Let’s dive into the steps to build a successful online store.
Table of Contents
- Business Models for eCommerce Without Inventory
- Print on Demand (POD)
- Dropshipping
- Selling Digital Products
- Affiliate Store
- Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
- Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA)
- How to Sell Online Without Inventory: Step-By-Step Guide
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Not Having an Inventory
- How to Start Selling Products Online With No Inventory in 5 Steps
- FAQ
- Why Start Selling Online With Printify?
Business Models for eCommerce Without Inventory
There are many approaches online entrepreneurs use to open an online store without stock. Selling online always starts with picking the right eCommerce business model that matches your level of involvement and knowledge of the eCommerce industry.
Start selling products online without managing inventory – choose an eCommerce model with an automated order fulfillment system:
- Print-on-demand service
- Dropshipping provider
- Selling digital products or services
- Affiliate stores
- Third-party logistics company (3PL)
- Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
These eCommerce model frameworks have consistently made fantastic sales for online retail merchants with relatively low startup costs and the potential for passive income.
Pick the right business model for your needs, and you’ll have an easier time moving through the setup stage with all the features and functionalities that make eCommerce successful.
Print on Demand (POD)
Print-on-demand services offer various tools and integrations to start a successful business. Merchants can design product mockups online, add them to a print-on-demand store, and a network of partnered fulfillment centers produce and deliver the orders to customers worldwide on the seller’s behalf.
Let’s say you want to create a Shopify online store without inventory. These are the steps you would take when using a print-on-demand order fulfillment service:
- Pick a product. Choose from hundreds of white-label products, from t-shirts and hoodies to wall art and home decor, available in a print-on-demand platform catalog.
- Add your design. Use built-in platform design tools to apply designs on dedicated product areas you want printed. Once done, add a product description and price.
- Create a listing. Pick a sales channel – in this example, you would build a Shopify storefront – and use a print-on-demand integration to add the product to your store.
- Sell your product. Once a customer buys your print-on-demand product, they pay the retail price, and a print provider fulfills and delivers the order while you receive the profit.
Pros:
- No need for upfront investment in inventory
- Easily scale your business
- Simple setup process
- Pay only for what you sell, reducing financial risks
- A choice between multiple manufacturers
- Diverse product customization
Cons:
- Reliant on print provider quality
- Fixed product catalog
- Longer order fulfillment
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is where you find cool stuff from wholesale manufacturers and sell it at a higher price in your own online store. It’s a low-risk way to dive into eCommerce since you don’t need to stock any products yourself. The catch? It’s super competitive, and sometimes the product quality can be hit or miss. But hey, no inventory headaches.
How to dropship without inventory? For example, you can set up an eBay store and partner with AliExpress. While selling their goods, you add value as a merchant by dealing with customer service and advertising. When a customer places an order, it’s forwarded to AliExpress, and they deliver the product.
Pros:
- Wide product flexibility
- High potential for growth
- Easy setup process
- Low costs of entry
Cons:
- Highly competitive market
- No quality control
- Difficult to brand and market
- Smaller profit margin
Selling Digital Products
Digital products have a significant internet presence and a vast list of categories for a profitable business model. Unlike a traditional online store, there’s no inventory needed apart from a hefty hard drive with enough memory storage.
We can separate profitable digital products that can be sold online:
- Artwork and digital graphics
- Photography and image edits
- Video, music, and audio media
- eBooks, blogs, and guides
- Downloadable or web-based software
- Professional services or online courses
We recommend learning how to sell digital art if you’re a freelance artist or content creator who can use an existing online portfolio to earn passive income. Create a social media account or your own website for commissions and use a simple payment gateway like Patreon or PayPal.
Pros:
- No logistics required
- Endless sales potential
- Free creative approach
- Instant delivery to customers
Cons:
- Relies on existing skillset
- Smaller payouts per sale
- Vulnerable to piracy
Affiliate Store
Having an affiliate store means that instead of procuring and listing products independently, you sign up for an affiliate program, receive a personalized affiliate link, and advertise it to your audience. You earn a commission once a viewer clicks on your link and buys the partnered product or service.
Affiliate stores need to create websites online and gain a consistent following before monetizing their niche. However, once applied and accepted, affiliate marketers receive a percentage profit from each sale they make. Try out affiliate marketing with the Printify Affiliate Program for a 5% commission (and no cap on how much you can earn!)
Pros:
- Increases sales and brand awareness
- Customer-centric model
- Prioritizes website traffic
- Logistics handled by affiliate partner
Cons:
- A lower payout from commissions
- Lack of control over affiliate business
- Can’t establish own customer base
Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
Third-party logistics is a model of outsourcing logistics to professional processing companies. 3PLs handle inventory constraints like warehousing, packaging, and distribution to companies with limited financial resources or an excess inventory capacity.
Much like a dropshipping partner, 3PL services lease out space and offer tracking technology to fulfill orders for potential customers, making logistics and fulfillment easily accessible to online retailers.
Pros:
- Potential for cost savings
- Professional servicing
- Easier to scale operations
Cons:
- Less control over business image and customer service
- Difficult to secure a like-minded and trustworthy 3PL
- Loss of potential in-house experience
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
Fulfillment by Amazon takes the burden off independent sellers by providing storage space, packaging, and shipping through one of the many Amazon fulfillment centers worldwide.
Create an Amazon selling account and log into Seller Central to apply for FBA. Add your listings via FBA inventory. Then, prepare your products for a secure shipment, following Amazon’s inventory shipping requirements and packing guidelines to enable fulfillment.
Pros:
- Added brand prestige and quality customer service
- Can offer purchase deals and discounts
- Added shipping location flexibility
Cons:
- Increased logistics costs
- Possible increased returns
- Must meet product preparation requirements
Make It Happen Today!
How to Sell Online Without Inventory: Step-By-Step Guide
When you’ve chosen your desired business model to sell products, it’s time to roll up your sleeves.
Creating a successful online store without inventory management requires learning about market research, customer service issues, digital customization, financing expenses, business licenses, and eCommerce management tools and platforms.
eCommerce is flexible but requires some patience.
Still, selling online with no inventory can be much easier than opening a traditional brick-and-mortar store. Here’s the basic guide:
1. Choose a Niche and Products to Sell
A niche is a specialized market segment of people who share common interests and are likely to purchase similar products. Your niche will determine what products you’ll sell – digital products or tangible goods – and how to market, brand, and personalize them.
To find a niche, start with your interests – apparel and accessories, creative arts, popular online media, sports and health, etc. Then, research the size of your potential audience, the range of subjects within the niche, and competitor products using analytics tools like eRank and Google Trends.
2. Set Up Your eCommerce Store
Creating an online store is necessary for any business model, whether you’re selling digital products or tangible goods. Sales channels are the infrastructure through which your store can operate – it’s the final link between customers and products.
Your first option is to use an eCommerce platform like Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and others. These content management systems will help you build a website with plugins and features for analytics, tracking, and your user interface.
With a monthly subscription fee and a registered domain, successful Shopify stores and other platforms enable all necessary eCommerce functionalities while offering tools to build personalized pages from custom templates.
Alternatively, run your t-shirts and other products through an eCommerce marketplace like eBay or Etsy. These websites are easier to start with since they already have an existing user base, and you’ll only be in charge of the actual storefront and listings.
Learn more about creating your first eCommerce store, going into more detail about Etsy shop ideas and Shopify store examples.
3. Market Your Online Business
Once you have the foundation of a good online store without inventory hassle, you’ll need a way to bring in customer purchases. There are two ways to ensure all your hard work pays off and you land sales: search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing.
Search engine optimization relies on keywords and phrases likely to attract users searching for your niche online. To boost traffic and promote site visibility, it’s important to manage a website with fast loading speeds, readable page and content structures, and optimized metadata (titles, descriptions, and tags).
Marketing can exist in many forms or through word-of-mouth alone, but to grow your reach, consider trying multiple marketing strategies used by other sellers just like you (even if you have no previous marketing skills):
- Content marketing. Create engaging content, like blog articles, videos, Instagram posts, TikToks, and others, to promote your business through education or entertainment.
- Email marketing. Try various strategies to engage your audience, including promotional emails, announcements of new product launches, seasonal campaigns, educational content like tips and how-tos, requests for customer feedback, and loyalty rewards for regular customers.
- Social media marketing. Use a branded business account for consistent posts about your unique brand perspective.
- Offline marketing. Advertise the old-fashioned way with event promotions, posters, stickers, and more.
- Influencer marketing. Hire an influencer or partner with an agency to promote through an established social media personality.
- Paid advertising. Buy ad space on the social media platforms and websites your customers are known to frequent.
4. Offer Great Customer Service
Even without your own inventory, tracking shipments and offering quality service is still important. Here are some steps to consider that make for great customer service.
First, you’ll need an orders and returns policy prioritizing customer satisfaction. Second, customers need open communication channels to share testimonials. Finally, ensure consistent updates and produce new content for events and seasonal campaigns.
Great customer service is about making each customer feel valued and heard. By implementing these practices, you’ll create a supportive and responsive environment that encourages customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Not Having an Inventory
Let’s compare the advantages and disadvantages of running an online store without inventory. While not having an inventory makes your own store easier to manage, you should still consider whether it’s the right business method for you and your potential products.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Saves money in storage costs | Difficult to ensure top product quality |
| Streamlines shipping to professionals | Lower average profit margins |
| Limits initial setup costs and preparation | Fewer opportunities for what to sell |
| Can be done exclusively online by a smaller team | Less control over delivery times and where products get fulfilled |
| Offers more free time for market analysis |
| Advantages |
|---|
| Saves money in storage costs |
| Streamlines shipping to professionals |
| Limits initial setup costs and preparation |
| Can be done exclusively online by a smaller team |
| Offers more free time for market analysis |
| Disadvantages |
| Difficult to ensure top product quality |
| Lower average profit margins |
| Fewer opportunities for what to sell |
| Less control over delivery times and where products get fulfilled |
How to Start Selling Products Online With No Inventory in 5 Steps
Start selling print-on-demand products with a fully centralized platform that takes your best design ideas and turns them into unique brand merchandise in as few steps as possible:
1. Sign Up for Printify
The first step towards your online store without inventory is to create a free account with Printify and add your business information.
2. Create Your Products
Go to the Catalog and browse over 920 print-on-demand products. Add your designs using Printify’s easy-to-use Mockup Generator and save the finished product.
3. Order Samples
Move onto the product page on your Printify account dashboard and click the sample order option to order a sample product. Follow expected delivery times and check the quality of products to ensure they match your standards.
4. Connect Your Own Online Store
Use any of Printify’s eCommerce integrations to set up a sales channel. We offer integrations with many top-selling eCommerce platforms and marketplaces such as Shopify, Etsy, eBay, WooCommerce, Walmart, and more.
5. Publish and Start Selling
Once you’re satisfied with the final design, set up a price margin, add a description and tags, and publish your new product through the product page on your Printify account. Sell online, and we’ll take care of the rest.
FAQ: How to Start an Online Store Without Inventory
Is it possible to sell products online without inventory?
Yes. Multiple automated order fulfillment systems can hold storage and make deliveries on your behalf – dropshipping and print-on-demand stores use the advantages of third-party logistics and print successfully every day.
What is the easiest online business to start with no money?
The easiest way is to start an online store with POD. Customize your own products to reduce market competition while selling without inventory, all with limited upfront costs.
How do I use Shopify without inventory?
Sell on Shopify, offering either digital products or kickstart an inventory-free business by using a POD service like Printify. Create custom-printed products that you can publish and sell on a Shopify store; the product fulfillment process will be done automatically on your behalf.
How to start an online store without inventory on Amazon?
Dropshipping services are by far the easiest way to sell on Amazon without holding any inventory. Sell wholesale products as your own listings through global manufacturers.
Alternatively, use the Fulfillment by Amazon feature to hold your product storage in their warehouses.
Why Start Selling Online With Printify?
Printify holds one of the largest custom printable catalogs for you to sell with zero inventory – featuring over 920 products. Create unique items in just a few clicks and offer best-selling merchandise with custom designs for any niche.
We partner with merchant-vetted Print Providers worldwide to ensure top-quality goods with fast shipping times. Create a marketing strategy, set your own margins, and create passive income by selling to your target market with Printify’s all-in-one POD service.
Make It Happen Today!
Written by
Janis Lazda
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10 comments
I am based in South Africa but want to sell to other parts of the world. Can I use Printify to create my digital products to sell in the approved countries like UK, USA?
Hi there,
Yes, you certainly can, you can read more about taxes here and feel free to reach out to our Support team with additional questions.
I want to sell numerous random items but do people that end up doing these kind of sales actually become successful?
Hi April,
Yes, they do. You can check out the Success Story section on our blogs to learn more about our most successful merchants. You can also join our Facebook group, POD Rockstars, to get in touch with our other merchants and see how they built their print-on-demand stores to become successful.
I am wondering how you get others in the world to see or find your Shopify or woocommerce store? Also, let’s say I want to use Bible verses on a shirt or notebook – are there copyright issues? How do we stay clear of legal problems in this way? Thanks, Jules
Hi Julie,
To answer your first question, there are multiple different ways how to make sure your stores can be found. You need to use the right SEO, as well as you can look into different marketing tactics – those can be Google Ads, Facebook ads, you can also collaborate with influencers to market your product. You can check out our blog for other articles on marketing tips.
As for your second question, the Bible verses might be copyright free. You can always check this kind of stuff on different platforms, which you will find with a simple Google search.
How do you set up the dropshipping ? That’s the only thing I don’t understand. I understand the setting up the website without the inventory bug how do you like the website to the drop shippers sites once the customer purchases?
Hi Jay,
No worries, Printify takes care of fulfillment and shipping. If you have connected your Printify account to your store, then, as soon as your customer will place an order, it will automatically come through to Printify, and we will take care of the rest.
HI MY NAME IS JOYCE .IAM LIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA I WANT TO START A BUSINESS.AN I WANT TO DO SHIPPING BUT I DONT HAVE ANY EXPIRENCE ABOUT TRADE . INEED SOME ASSISTANCE .AN I WANT TO SELL BEDDING AN KITCHEN STAFF .
Hi Joyce,
that’s great news! You will be able to find a lot of useful information here in this blog and Printify’s Help Center. If any assistance is needed with setting up or just answering your questions to make things clearer, you can always reach out to our merchant support team via [email protected].
As for the products you are interested in, we do have some options for bedding, as well as kitchen products. You can see all of them in our product catalog.