How Many Products/Items Should You Start With on Shopify? A Complete Guide

How many products should I have on my Shopify store? This is a common question that many new and growing businesses face. The ideal number of products depends on your specific goals, niche, and available resources. In this guide, we’ll break down the key factors and strategies to help you decide whether you’re running a small boutique or managing a large inventory. So, let’s explore right now! 

How Many Items You Can Sell On Shopify?

Shopify allows merchants to list an extensive number of products on their online stores, with specific limitations depending on the plan and product variants:

• Product Limit: While Shopify's pricing plans often advertise "unlimited products," there are practical considerations. For instance, the Basic Shopify plan allows up to 2,500 products, the Shopify plan allows up to 5,000 products, and the Advanced Shopify plan allows up to 8,000 products. For stores with more than 8,000 products, the Shopify Plus plan offers custom pricing and higher product limits.
• Variant Limit per Product: Each individual product can have up to 100 variants. This means you can offer a product in multiple sizes, colors, or other options, but the total number of these combinations cannot exceed 100 per product.
• Daily Variant Addition Limit: For stores with over 50,000 variants in total, there's a restriction of adding no more than 1,000 new variants per day. This limit helps maintain optimal store performance. Notably, Shopify Plus stores are exempt from this daily variant addition limit.

It's important to note that while Shopify provides the capacity to handle large inventories, managing an extensive number of products can be challenging. A vast product catalog may overwhelm customers and complicate inventory management. Therefore, it's advisable to curate your product offerings thoughtfully, ensuring they align with your business goals and provide a seamless shopping experience for your customers.

How Many Products Should You Have On Shopify?

A good starting point for most Shopify stores is 10-30 products. This range lets you test the market, manage your inventory well, and focus on quality without spreading yourself too thin. 

Small Stores (10-30 Products)

This product number is quite great for small, specialty, or unique stores. For example, if you are selling handmade jewelry or custom furniture, 10-30 products are a good number, giving you enough variety without overwhelming your production capacity.

Plus, you will have time to write detailed product descriptions, take great photos, and provide excellent customer service. In fact, many successful boutique stores keep their product lines small. For example, a leather bag store might offer 5 styles in 4 colors, totaling 20 products.

Medium Stores (30-100 Products)

Once you've mastered managing a small store, expanding to 30-100 products makes sense. This range suits stores that want to offer more variety while maintaining quality control. 

For instance, a clothing brand might start with basic t-shirts and expand into hoodies, pants, and accessories. With 30-100 products, you can create distinct collections (like summer/winter lines) without losing track of inventory.

Large Stores (100+ Products)

Stores with over 100 products need solid systems and usually a team to manage everything properly. This size suits established brands or general stores covering multiple categories. 

For example, a home goods store might offer kitchen items, bedroom accessories, and bathroom products. However, don't expand just for the sake of numbers - each product should serve a purpose in your catalog. A successful large store might have 20 product types with 10 variants each, reaching 200 products total.

Practical Tips:

• Start with your best 10-15 products and add more based on customer feedback
• Group similar products as variants rather than separate listings (like different colors of the same shirt)
• Remove products that haven't sold in 6 months unless they're seasonal
• Keep your best-sellers in stock consistently - it's better to have fewer products that are always available than many that are often out of stock
• Plan for storage and shipping - more products mean more space and complex logistics

Warning Signs You Have Too Many Products:

• Taking more than a day to update prices or descriptions
• Regular customer complaints about out-of-stock items
• Struggling to maintain quality product photos and descriptions
• Rising storage costs eating into profits
• Difficulty keeping track of inventory levels

Remember: The right number of products isn't about hitting a specific target - it's about what you can manage effectively while meeting your customers' needs and maintaining profitability.

How Many Products/Items Do You Need to Start Dropshipping?

To start dropshipping, having just 5-20 items can be enough to generate revenue. However, the ideal number depends on whether you’re creating a niche or a general store. As a beginner, it’s best to focus on 1-3 products initially. Here’s why:

When you’re new, you need to learn how to market your products effectively, write persuasive product descriptions, and understand the basics of dropshipping. Managing too many products at once, especially if you’re just starting out, can become overwhelming.

That’s why we recommend starting with 1-3 core products. Choose one item that you’re most confident in or passionate about. Focus on highlighting its unique features and benefits to attract customers. This approach makes it easier to market and optimize, helping you attract repeat buyers.

Once you’ve tested your first product, analyze its performance. If it’s profitable, invest in promoting it further. If not, stop marketing it and move on to the next product.

However, you don’t have to put so much effort into a single product. For items you’re not currently focused on, use supplier images from AliExpress and write brief descriptions. This way, you can still offer a variety without investing too much time initially. Remember to price them competitively to attract more customers while you test and refine your strategy.

Factors to Consider When Deciding on the Number of Products

Deciding on the right number of products isn't a simple task when starting or expanding your Shopify store. Your product count should align with your business goals, resources, and market positioning. Here are the key factors to consider when determining how many items to list in your store:

• Storage & Inventory: Dropshipping allows for a large catalog without storage concerns, but if you store inventory yourself, consider space and restocking times to avoid running out of stock.
• Product Management: Each product needs initial setup (photos, descriptions) and regular updates. Managing 100 products could take 100+ hours monthly, especially if you sell seasonal items that need frequent changes.
• Marketing Budget: Budget limitations impact how many products you can effectively market. For a $1,000 monthly budget, focus on promoting 10-15 products to maximize visibility and sales.
• Website Performance: More products can slow down your site, affecting user experience. Proper organization is essential to avoid overwhelming customers, especially if you have 300+ products.
• Customer Service: More products mean more customer inquiries. Handling questions for 100 products could require up to 80+ hours monthly, impacting response times and customer satisfaction.
• Market Competition: For niche stores, 30-50 high-quality products may suffice. In competitive markets, you might need 200+ items to stay competitive, but balance is key to maintaining quality and service.

Strategies for Expanding Product Lines

Expanding your product line can increase sales and attract more customers. Here are some practical tips:

• Add Variations: Offer new products in new colors, sizes, or styles to attract more buyers.
• Create Matching Products: Sell items that pair well with what you already offer, like accessories for primary products.
• Use Customer Feedback: Listen to reviews or surveys to see what customers want and add those products.
• Partner with Brands: Partner with other businesses to create new items and reach new shoppers.
• Test Limited Editions: Launch short-term products to see if people like them before making more.
• Follow Trends with Data: Look at sales data to find popular items and expand in those areas.
• Try Dropshipping: Add products without keeping stock by letting suppliers ship directly to buyers.

Bottom Line

I hope you find this post helpful in understanding how many products you can have on Shopify and how to decide the right number for your store. Remember, the key is not just about how many products you list but how well you manage and market them to meet your customers' needs.

How Many Items Should You Buy On Shopify Store: FAQs

How many products should I start with on Shopify? 

Starting with 10 to 30 products is advisable. This range allows you to manage inventory effectively and focus on quality without overwhelming yourself. 

Is there a limit to the number of products I can add to my Shopify store? 

Shopify allows you to list up to 50,000 products across all plans, including the Basic plan. However, practical limits depend on your plan and business needs.

How does the number of products affect my Shopify store's performance? 

More products can slow down your website's loading time and complicate customer navigation. Each additional product adds about 100 milliseconds to loading time, which can impact user experience.

Can I start with one product on Shopify? 

Yes, many successful stores begin with a single flagship product. This approach allows for focused marketing and brand building before expanding the product line.

How should I expand my product line on Shopify? 

Strategies include adding variations of existing products, creating complementary items, using customer feedback to guide new offerings, partnering with other brands, testing limited editions, following data-driven trends, and exploring dropshipping to add products without holding inventory.