I. When Seasons Dry Up, Necessity Goods Are Left
So many Amazon sellers sell seasonal products. In other words, stuff that consumers buy for Christmas, Valentine’s, Thanksgiving, Easter, and the like. Sales spike and valley all the time, and are usually dependent on a change in income or when customers need to buy a gift for a birthday or a wedding. But what happens in those awkward in-between months when nobody needs pumpkin spice or a pool float? That’s when necessity goods become your bread and butter.
These are the types of goods that are boring, unglamorous, and unlikely to go viral on TikTok. Examples of necessity goods include toothpaste, dish soap, razors, socks – essential items that aren’t affected by trends. Or seasons. Or the Trump Reciprocal Tariff List. They’re recession-proof.
So, if you’re scaling internationally and tired of riding the unpredictable highs and lows of seasonal demand, necessity goods provide stability – consistent, cross-border cash flow.
Read on to find out what necessity goods are, and how to incorporate them into your product assortment.
Speaking of luxury goods, you can 100% market your necessity goods with the concept of luxury branding to improve customer perception!
II. What Are Necessity Goods, Really?
In economic terms, necessity goods are products that people will continue buying regardless of changes in income. Unlike a luxury item, which people may purchase if they have extra disposable income (and will buy less of if the season doesn’t call for it), customers buy these goods even if it’s not Christmas or graduation, or the economy is bad, or the kids’ tuition needs paying. Customers continue to buy these goods even if their income decreases; quite often, they’re everyday must-haves, and essential for survival.
These goods have a positive income elasticity of demand – meaning demand rises slightly as income increases – but that elasticity is low, typically between 0 and 1. (For a more in-depth perspective on elasticity of demand, check out this article on Investopedia.) In other words, consumers are likely to buy more of them as income increases, but not dramatically more.
Think toiletries, cleaning supplies, basic cookware, or pantry staples like canned goods, milk, and so on.
Compare that to luxury or Veblen goods – products with a high positive income elasticity of demand, or stuff that people buy to display wealth. Or even demerit goods, like cigarettes or junk food, which may be taxed or discouraged due to social costs. Then you’ve got inferior goods (like instant noodles or cheap margarine) that have a negative income elasticity of demand – people buy less of them as their income increases.
This low elasticity makes them an Amazon seller’s secret weapon. While Veblen goods thrive on status signaling and demerit goods battle regulation and stigma, necessity goods generate consistent, predictable sales. They’re not sensitive to economic downturns, and they don’t vanish from carts when consumer confidence dips. In fact, they’re often the last items people cut when trimming expenses.
III. Necessity Goods by Country: Not One-Size-Fits-All
Here’s why localization is important. The perception of luxury differs per country. One seller’s staple is another seller’s slow-mover. Necessity isn’t defined purely by survival; it’s shaped by lifestyle, climate, social norms, and economic development. For example, Asian Vibes reported in May that these countries have the highest rice consumption, so sellers catering to these nationalities might sell a rice cooker as a necessity good. On the other hand, a rice cooker may be seen as a luxury product in the US and Europe, where rice isn’t eaten as often.
If you’re scaling to global marketplaces, understanding local necessity goods is a game-changer.
Here’s a quick look at how necessity goods vary by country, based on what we’ve observed:
| Country | Necessity Goods | Comments |
| Brazil | Chicken, beef, rice, potatoes, reusable food containers | Low-income individuals are driven by necessity-driven circular economy practices |
| India | Grains, vegetables, fruit, water receptacles, bicycles | Most Indians are vegetarian and need access to clean water |
| USA | Flashlight, radio, cleaning supplies | Americans don’t usually outsource household chores or repairs. Furthermore, emergency items are good to have in areas that experience tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. |
| Germany | Bread, beer, warm blanket | Aside from favorite dietary staples, Germany can get quite cold, so almost every single household has a warm duvet |
These are just an interesting snapshot of how different cultures have a different concept of necessity past the usual food, shelter, and clothing. For example, selling a meat grinder to an Indian may not bode well, since many Indians follow a vegetarian diet. On the other hand, selling survival kits to the Swiss – Switzerland has a robust infrastructure and doesn’t experience many natural disasters – may not be well received. When you’re looking to expand your product portfolio to necessity goods, ask yourself, is this a product that these people need to survive? Remember, necessity and luxury goods mean different things to different cultures.
Understanding these local needs lets you stock the right SKUs, write relevant copy, and avoid launching a “necessity” that flops because it’s not their necessity. Don’t sell fleece sweaters to Brazilians; your Swedish customers are more likely to look at those as necessities.
Necessity goods are not sensitive to changes in economy or income. Perhaps you’re already selling a product that can become a necessity good with a touch of product localization.
IV. How Necessity Goods Can Help You Manage Income Elasticity of Demand
Adding necessity goods to your product mix is more than just a revenue cushion—it’s a strategic move toward long-term growth and customer retention.
Necessity goods smooth out revenue dips. You know the drill; your brand performs beautifully in Q4 then sales dip throughout the rest of the year. You might spike again in Valentine’s, Easter, or Independence Day, depending on what you’re selling, but for the most part, there’s an increase in demand closer to Christmas, Prime Day, and special occasions. Necessity goods don’t suffer this same phenomenon. You could consider them your brand’s safety net.
Shoppers don’t buy necessity goods once – they reorder. Introducing high-frequency items like hygiene products (soap, shampoo, toothpaste), home essentials (water tumblers, filtration systems, tools, nails and screws), or essential clothing (underwear, socks, outerwear in colder climates) turns one-time buyers into loyal subscribers, and gives you more data to target and refine your offers. Besides, Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program lets customers automate these purchases, locking in recurring revenue for you. Sellers with consumables or household staples can offer discounts for subscriptions, while increasing their customer lifetime value and reducing churn. According to Amazon, “customers enrolled in Subscribe & Save are more likely to reorder and stay loyal to the brand.”
Next, necessity goods are bundle bait. Offer complementary goods with necessity goods. The demand for necessity goods means you sell the complementary good at the same time. Think of it as a frictionless upsell. Let’s say you’re selling tote bags – likely a seasonal item. Why not offer it along with a first aid kit and position it as a Soccer Mom Bag? Or include it with a folding umbrella for the rainy season? You get the idea. Just make sure to tailor the bundle based on the region you’re selling in.
Necessity goods aren’t glamorous. They’re often quite boring. But they’re the backbone of reliable, repeatable revenue, especially when localized and positioned well.
V. How to Identify Necessity Goods in Your Category
You might think that identifying different types of goods is common sense – not necessarily. As we’ve already discovered, types of goods tend to differ per region. Employ a data-driven approach to identifying necessity goods.
Use Marketplace Tools to uncover steady demand. Check out platforms like Helium10, Keepa, ProductPinion, and Brand Analytics. Analyze purchase frequency, session conversion rates, and sales velocity over time. What are the SKUs that sell consistently week after week, not just on tentpole events like Prime Day or Black Friday? If it moves quietly and reliably, that’s probably a necessity good in that market.
Spot weekly winners, not just one-hit wonders. Check backend reports and third party tools to identify products that show minimal volatility but high reorder rates.
Think D2C ECommerce. Necessity goods are consumed at regular intervals, which fits perfectly into the direct to consumer model. You can control reorder cadence, forecast revenue more accurately, and reduce reliance on discount-driven spikes or platform algorithms. In other words, you can expect monthly recurring revenue (MRR) with less volatility than luxury or seasonal products.
Check out this table below on the advantages of the D2C model for necessity goods:
| Advantage | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Predictable usage | Enables subscription models |
| Full customer access | Builds loyalty and retention |
| Bundle + upsell flexibility | Increases AOV and customer satisfaction |
| Agile testing environment | Validates products before going to Amazon |
| Brand storytelling | Differentiates beyond price |
VI. Scaling Necessity Goods the Smart Way
Once you’ve identified the luxury goods and necessity goods in your product portfolio, it’s time to scale internationally – but not aggressively. Here’s how to build a strong foundation for global success:
Start Small: 1–2 SKUs Per Region
Don’t flood a new market with your entire catalog. Instead, choose 1 or 2 high-potential, culturally aligned SKUs per country. Use them to test the waters, gather localized data, and build brand awareness before expanding your assortment.
Split Test Your Positioning: Emotional Utility vs. Practical Need
Necessity doesn’t always mean boring. You can position the same product as “practical and budget-friendly” in one market, and as “comforting and self-care-focused” in another. Test both angles—especially in regions with distinct shopping psychology—to see what drives clicks, conversions, and reorders.
Don’t Skimp on Packaging, Translations, or Compliance
Necessity goods might be simple, but how you present them still matters. Localize your packaging design, ensure your translations are flawless and culturally appropriate, and triple-check your compliance—particularly in regulated categories like baby care, food, supplements, and health & hygiene. A single misstep here can tank a product’s performance—or worse, get you delisted.
The key to success? Start small, scale smart, and let local trust and steady demand do the heavy lifting.
VIII. Final Thoughts: Your Seasonal Brand Can Be Evergreen
The idea isn’t to ditch your luxury or seasonal goods for necessity goods. You can – and should – still ride the wave of trends. Necessity goods add ballast to your catalogue – products that keep your business stable, even when the market fluctuates.
Necessity goods aren’t viral; they’re vital. They’re reordered, relied on, and remembered. They’re consistent, trusted, and always in demand.
The key to getting them right is through proper localization. What counts as a necessity in one market may not even register in another. Localizing your listings, keywords, packaging, compliance, and messaging isn’t optional – it’s the difference between a product that flops and one that becomes a daily must-have.
In other words, don’t just chase trends, although that’s the fun, sexy part of eCommerce selling. Let your brand live in both worlds: the seasonal and the essential. That way, you can expect higher sales when income rises and special events come a-knockin’, but still rely on steady sales throughout the year.
Happy selling!
There’s much to learn from the big guys in luxury and necessity products. The question is, will you be a Colgate or an NVIDIA? Read up on the top brands in the world and see where you can incorporate their strategy in your selling journey.