How to check product demand before ordering a batch

Before ordering a batch, check three things on the marketplaces where the product already sells: how many units actually sold, whether reviews keep coming in recently, and how wide the price spread is between sellers. If sales are real, reviews are fresh and you can price competitively after all costs, the product is worth a test order. Below is how to read each signal on 1688, AliExpress, Shopee and Amazon, and a checklist you can reuse.

Signal 1. Real sold count

The sold count is the strongest signal because it reflects money spent, not views or wishlists. Each platform shows it differently:

• 1688: sold volume over a recent period is shown on the product page. It reflects wholesale orders, so one order can be dozens of units.
• AliExpress: the “sold” counter is shown on the listing. It is a total over the listing’s life, so an old listing can look strong while sales have stopped.
• Shopee: shows “sold” on the listing and in search results.
• Amazon: many listings show “N bought in past month”. There is no total sold count on the page.
• Lazada: does not show sold count at all. You can only estimate demand from the number and freshness of reviews.

What to look for: not one bestseller, but several listings of the same product with solid sales. One seller with huge numbers can be an exception. Five sellers with steady numbers is a market.

Signal 2. Review dynamics

The total review count tells you little. Look at dates.

1. Open reviews and sort by newest.
2. Count how many reviews arrived in the last 30 days and in the 30 days before that.
3. If recent reviews are growing or stable, demand is alive. If the newest review is three months old, the product has cooled down.

Also read the complaints. If the same problem repeats (wrong size, weak packaging, breaks after a week), you will inherit it, and your ratings will suffer. A product with good demand and a fixable complaint is an opportunity: you can pick a better supplier or fix the description.

Signal 3. Price spread

Collect prices from 5-10 sellers of the same or a very similar product.

• Narrow spread, low prices: a crowded market where sellers compete on price. Hard to enter without a cost advantage.
• Wide spread: room to position yourself in the middle with better photos and a clearer listing.
• Your landed cost: add purchase price, shipping to your warehouse, customs, marketplace commission, logistics and returns. If the result is close to the median market price, there is no margin.

Signal 4. Rating

A rating below 4.5 on AliExpress or Shopee, or below 4 on Amazon, usually means product quality problems. Demand without satisfaction leads to returns.

The opportunity score idea

Checking these signals by hand for 20 products takes a long time. A simple way to compare is to combine sold count, price and rating into one number. That is what the demand check in HelpTools extensions does: it gives a 0-100 opportunity score based on the real sold count, price and rating from the product page.

How to use it:

1. Install AliExpress & 1688 Helper from the Chrome Web Store. For Shopee and Lazada use Lazada & Shopee Helper, for Amazon use Amazon Helper.
2. Open a product page and run the demand check in the extension panel.
3. Compare scores across several candidates and several sellers of the same product.

What the data is based on:

• on 1688, AliExpress and Shopee the score uses the real sold count shown on the page;
• on Amazon it uses “N bought in past month”;
• on Lazada there is no sold count, so the score is an estimate from reviews.

The score is a quick filter, not a final answer. Use it to cut a list of 20 ideas down to 3-5, then do the manual checks below for those finalists. The demand check is free with a small daily limit, PRO ($4.99 per month) makes it unlimited.

Checklist before you order

1. At least 3-5 sellers of this product have solid sales on the platform.
2. Reviews from the last 30 days exist and are not declining.
3. You read 20-30 recent negative reviews and know the main complaints.
4. Your landed cost leaves a margin at the median market price, after commission and returns.
5. The product is not branded, not restricted in your marketplace category and not seasonal at the wrong time.
6. The supplier answers questions, can send extra photos or a sample.
7. You start with a test batch, not a full container.