Guide
What to sell online in Pakistan: how to choose
A method instead of another list of trending products. Six checks that decide whether a product works on cash on delivery, what the law says you cannot sell, how to read Daraz and Instagram, and how to test demand with a small first batch.
Why lists of trending products do not help much
Search “best products to sell online in Pakistan” and you get lists of 20 or 50 items: graphics cards next to hijabs, mattresses next to face serum. Some quote market sizes with no source. None of them ask the questions that decide whether a product works on cash on delivery: what it costs to post, whether it breaks, whether it comes back for size, and whether the buyer orders again.
A trending product is a product a hundred other sellers saw on the same list. What you want is a product that passes a few checks and that you can test for a small amount of money. If you are still choosing a business model, such as reselling, dropshipping or making your own, start with our online business ideas in Pakistan. This guide is for the next step: deciding what to sell.
Six checks to run on any product
Write each idea down and score it on these. A product does not need to pass all six, but every one it fails costs you money on every order.
1. Margin after courier and returns
The wholesale rate and the selling price are not the margin. Take off the courier charge, packaging, ad spend per order, and the cost of parcels that come back. On cash on delivery some buyers refuse at the door, and you pay the courier on those parcels with no sale to cover it. An item that doubles its cost on paper can still lose money once enough parcels come back.
Put your numbers into the profit margin calculator before you buy stock. Our guide on how to price products in Pakistan walks through every cost in one order, including the tax the courier keeps from COD payouts.
2. Weight and size
Couriers charge for the real weight or the size of the parcel, whichever is higher. Leopards publishes the size formula on its e-commerce page: length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 5,000, for anything bigger than 12 cm by 12 cm by 12 cm, as of October 2026.
- A hijab folded into a 25 × 20 × 2 cm flyer: 1,000 ÷ 5,000 = 0.2 kg. You pay for its real weight.
- A bedsheet set in a 40 × 30 × 10 cm box: 12,000 ÷ 5,000 = 2.4 kg, even if the set weighs less.
Bulky products are fine if the price carries the courier charge. Low-priced bulky products rarely are. Check yours in the courier charges calculator.
3. Breakage
Glass, liquids and anything with a screen travel badly, and a COD return means the parcel travels twice. Do not count on the courier to cover it. Leopards’ insurance policy lists glass and liquids among shipments it cannot insure, and says that without insurance it is liable for Rs 100 per kg. If you sell fragile items, budget for proper packing. Our guide to packaging for an online business covers it.
4. Size and fit
Ready-to-wear, shoes and kids’ clothes come back when they do not fit, and on COD the buyer can refuse at the door. Unstitched suits, scarves, bags and jewellery have almost no fit risk. If you sell sized products, a size chart in inches on every listing is not optional.
5. Repeat purchase
A product the buyer orders again, like skincare they already use, hair oil or a new print every season, pays for the first order’s ad spend over time. A one-off purchase, like a phone stand, needs a new buyer every time.
6. Season
Pakistani demand moves in waves: lawn in spring and summer, the weeks before each Eid, shawls and jackets in winter, formal wear in wedding season. A seasonal product is not bad, but you need to buy early and clear stock before the season ends. Year-round products give you steadier months. For what to start in October and sell through the cold months, see winter business ideas in Pakistan.
What not to sell
- Medicines and anything sold as one. The Drugs Act 1976, section 23, says no person may sell any drug except under a licence issued under the Act, or sell a drug that is not registered. It also bars selling a substance that is not a drug but is presented in a way likely to make the public believe it is one. In April 2026 DRAP asked for action against websites and social media pages selling medicines, Geo reported, and said no therapeutic product may be advertised without approval from its Advertisement Board. Weight-loss pills, “sexual health” products and slimming teas sold with a health claim are where sellers get caught.
- Food without asking your food authority. In Punjab the Punjab Food Authority licenses food businesses; it says a licence lasts a year and the fee depends on the scale of the business. Other provinces have their own food authorities. Ask yours before you sell from a home kitchen.
- Copies of brands. A fake of a known brand gets reported, and buyers who expected the real thing refuse at the door.
Read the competition on Daraz and Instagram
Competition is a good sign. It means buyers exist. What you are looking for is a gap.
- Daraz. Search the product and look at the top listings: their price range, how many ratings each has, and what the one-star reviews complain about. Many ratings means people buy it. Complaints about quality, size or late delivery are what you can fix.
- Instagram and TikTok. Search the product and its hashtags, then open a few sellers. Look at what gets comments asking “price?” and what sits at a few likes. Note who sells the same item from the same wholesale market at the same price, because you cannot win on that.
- Your angle. If ten sellers carry the same thing, you need one reason to buy from you: a niche (modest wear for working women, not “ladies suits”), better photos, honest sizes, or faster dispatch.
Test demand before you buy stock
- Google Trends. Open Google Trends with Pakistan selected, enter two or three product names and look at the past five years. You will see whether interest is rising, flat or seasonal, and when the peak comes. Then check “Related queries” for the words buyers actually use.
- Search suggestions. Start typing the product into Google and Daraz and note what each fills in. Suggestions like “for girls”, “under 1,000” or a city name tell you who is buying and at what price.
- Ask before you buy. Post photos of supplier samples on your page or in your WhatsApp status and ask people to message for price. Messages are a cheap signal; likes are not. Our guide to social media marketing for small business has a weekly posting routine to run once the stock arrives.
- A small first batch. Buy a few pieces of two or three variants, not a full range. Our guide to wholesale suppliers in Pakistan covers asking for samples and small minimum orders. Sell through, then reorder what went first.
- Or sell before you stock. With a reliable supplier you can take orders first and buy after. Dropshipping in Pakistan explains how that works and where it goes wrong.
After the first batch, look at two numbers you now own: how many orders were delivered out of those shipped, and what you kept per delivered order. If returns are high, our guide to reducing COD returns helps before you give up on the product.
Categories that suit cash on delivery
A rough scorecard against the checks above. It is a starting point, not a ranking: the product you pick inside a category matters more.
| Category | Weight | Breaks | Fit risk | Repeat | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unstitched suits | Light | No | Low | Each season | Strong |
| Hijabs and scarves | Light | No | None | Yes | Mild |
| Artificial jewellery | Light | Low | Low | Some | Weddings, Eid |
| Ready-to-wear and shoes | Light to medium | No | High | Some | Strong |
| Skincare and cosmetics | Light | Liquids, glass | None | Strong | Mild |
| Phone accessories | Light | Low | Model fit | Low | None |
| Bedsheets and home textiles | Bulky | No | Bed size | Low | Wedding season |
| Perfumes and attars | Light | Glass, leaks | None | Some | Eid, Ramadan |
- Unstitched suits are the classic first product: light, no fit risk, and buyers already shop for them online. The catch is that everyone sells them, so you need your own selection and photos, and stock bought for one season does not sell in the next.
- Hijabs and scarves post cheaply in a flyer and rarely come back. Margins per piece are small, so sell sets or bundles.
- Artificial jewellery is light and cheap to stock. Plating that tarnishes within weeks is the risk, so wear a piece yourself before you buy more. Our artificial jewellery guide covers prices, plating and courier rules.
- Ready-to-wear and shoes sell well but carry the highest return risk on COD. Start only once you have a size chart you trust and a clear exchange policy.
- Skincare and cosmetics bring repeat orders. Sell only sealed products with a maker or importer on the label, never anything with a medical claim, and pack liquids properly. Our cosmetic brand guide covers the DRAP and PSQCA rules.
- Phone accessories are easy to post and easy to source, which also makes them crowded. Say exactly which phone models a cover fits.
- Bedsheets have higher prices, which can carry the courier charge, but run the size formula before you price.
- Perfumes and attars have loyal buyers and peak around Ramadan and Eid. Ask your courier whether it carries liquids, and seal every cap.
Questions people ask
What is the best product to sell online in Pakistan?
There is no single best product. The best one for you is light, hard to break, has little size risk, leaves a margin after courier and returned parcels, and is something buyers already search for. Score two or three ideas on those checks and test the winner with a small first batch.
How do I find trending products in Pakistan?
Open Google Trends, set the country to Pakistan and compare a few product names over the past 12 months and the past five years. Then type the product into Daraz search and note the suggestions and how many ratings the top listings carry. A product that keeps rising and has listings with many ratings has real demand.
Can I sell medicines or supplements online in Pakistan?
Not without the right licence. The Drugs Act 1976 says no one may sell a drug except under a licence issued under the Act, or sell a drug that is not registered. It also bars selling something that is not a drug but is presented as one. If a product makes a health claim, ask DRAP before you list it.
What should I sell online with low investment?
Something you can buy in small quantities and post cheaply: hijabs and scarves, artificial jewellery, phone covers or unstitched suits. Buy a few pieces, photograph them yourself and sell them before you buy more. If you have no money for stock, dropshipping is the other route, with thinner margins.
Is it better to sell on Daraz or on my own store?
Daraz brings buyers who are already searching, and charges sellers a commission that varies by category. Your own store has no marketplace commission and keeps the buyer relationship with you. One way to use both: test what sells on Daraz, then build repeat buyers on your own store.
Once you know what to sell, you need somewhere to sell it. Storelala is the Shopify alternative in Pakistan: your own store at yourbrand.storelala.com, cash on delivery, JazzCash, Easypaisa and cards at checkout, no marketplace commission, and you run it from your phone. You book PostEx, Leopards or TCS from the order screen and the tracking number goes to your buyer on WhatsApp. It is free to start, with no card needed. Start your store and list your first batch today.
