What Should You Sell in your Green Store? Check out the Big Boys ...

So you want to launch an online store with a green focus.  What should you sell?   Hmmm ... that's an awfully broad question, but let's take a common sense approach in answering it. 

Sell what people want to buy, not just what you want to sell.

We've seen our share of nifty online eco-boutiques, with all sorts of interesting green products, but it makes us wonder how big the market is for bracelets made from reclaimed typewriter keys and recycled polyester t-shirts with catchy earth-friendly slogans.

To keep your business afloat, you're going to have to try to reach as wide an audience as possible.  And that means not just the folks who are intrinsically motivated to buy green (it's an ethical thing), but those who are externally motivated too (it's a cost-saving thing or it keeps my family healthy.)  The latter represents a much larger group of consumers and without them, your business will likely hit a green wall.

What then, to sell?  As we saw in our survey, one of the top reasons our readers passed on a deal was because they were unfamiliar with the brand.  So, to start out with, carry brands that shoppers have heard of. 

This can be a challenge in the green world, since mainstream shoppers are by and large unaware of the vast majority of eco-friendly brands.  (Learn more about this marketing challenge.)   But if you check out what green products mainstream retailers are selling, then you can start to compile your own inventory list.  For example,  take a look at Amazon Green, WalMart's Sustainability section, and do a search on Target's eco-friendly category.  You'll not only see what sustainable products these mega-stores carry, but what are top sellers.

Big Caveat:  The screening process at these giant stores is far from perfect, and you'll find products labelled as "green" that make you scratch your head.  So before you finalize your list, you'll have to do your own vetting.  Check out whether the company is a Green-America approved business, is reviewed by the Good Guide or Consumer Reports Greener Choices, and review its website for certifications and affiliations that burnish their green credentials or energy-saving claims.

Carrying popular brands helps you optimize your online store for search engines, as well.  There are probably not a lot of folks searching for "recycled typerwriter bracelets" but, as our own stats show, there are plenty more who are googling brands like Seventh Generation (cleaning products) or Kate Quinn (organic cotton children's clothing.)

Of course, to compete with the big boys, you're going to have to differentiate yourself.  You can't compete on price.  You can't compete on store name recognition.  You've got to have a unique angle.  Like what? .... More on that in our next post.