Do I need to sell my own product or is it provided on the platform?

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

The original poster asks whether they need to source their own products or if Shopify provides them.

Key clarifications:

  • Shopify is a platform for building online stores, not a product supplier
  • Store owners are responsible for their own product sourcing

Product sourcing options explained:

Dropshipping:

  • Purchase products from suppliers (AliExpress, CJDropshipping) and ship directly to customers
  • Import products via apps like Oberlo
  • No inventory needed; supplier handles fulfillment

Print on Demand:

  • Add custom designs to supplier products
  • Supplier manages production and shipping

Own Products:

  • Sell handmade goods, arts, or self-manufactured items

Both dropshipping and print-on-demand allow sellers to mark up prices while outsourcing fulfillment, freeing time for marketing and customer service. Shopify offers free courses on both models and trending product recommendations for those unsure what to sell.

Summarized with AI on October 29. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Hi All,

sorry for the silly question. Just want to know that Do I need to sell my own product (like, first buy and then sell to shopify or it would be provided by shopify?

please explain what is the process?

2

If you are doing dropshipping, you buy a product from aliexpress, cjdropshipping etc and send it to customer. You can import their products to your store via their apps like oberlo for aliexpress etc and you are ready to go

3

Thank you for the answer @alizain !

To build on that answer, Shopify provides you with the essential tools to create and launch your online business; however, we do not have a hand in your day-to-day affairs which would include product sourcing. The products you sell would be managed by you as the business owner.

You’re welcome to sell your own product if you have a product line to sell. Alternatively, if you do not have a product on hand, then you can consider what @alizain suggested, along with print on demand. The difference between the two is that Print on Demand would allow you to place your own design/content onto products, whereas dropshipping allows you to sell already created products. Both dropshipping and print on demand allow you to select products from a supplier, resell the product at an increased cost while leaving the shipping and fulfillment process up to the supplier. Freeing up time for you to focus more on sales, the design of your website, and customer service.

For dropshipping, I would recommend looking at Oberlo as it connects you with suppliers from Ali Express. You can also find other dropshipping apps here. We offer free courses on dropshipping here.

For print on demand, there are a number of apps you can choose from that offer a wide variety of products. You can view print-on-demand apps here. We offer free courses on print on demand here.

If you’re unsure of what to sell, then you could review what products are currently trending through our blog post here.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

4

Hi,

Shopify is a platform where you can build your own online store. It is not a place to find products to sell. You will have to provide your own product to sell, whether that be handmade goods, arts, or something else you are planning to sell.