For some businesses, targeting a smaller audience is the secret of their success. Louise Verity, owner of the British online shop Bookishly, explains on an episode of the Shopify Masters podcast how targeting a niche market of book lovers helped her literary boutique succeed during a sharp downturn in business several years ago.
“The more niche we got, the more popular things were,” Louise says. That focused approach transformed her struggling Etsy shop into a thriving brand with customers who return again and again. In this guide, you’ll discover what makes niche stores different from general retailers, explore the specific product categories where specialization works best, and see 20 real examples of businesses that turned narrow focus into loyal followings.
What are niche stores?
Niche stores are physical or online retail businesses that cater to customers with shared interests and buying preferences, known as a niche market. Niche stores differ from other stores in that they curate inventory to serve their specific audience, rather than a broader market, aiming to convert these shoppers into loyal customers.
After Louise began selling framed quotes made from upcycled paper sources on Etsy, she noticed a purchasing pattern. “It became obvious that every time I did something that was bookish,” she recalls, “it was more popular than the very general stuff that I did.”
Louise’s curiosity grew. “I was reading entrepreneur forums, learning about the concept of a niche,” she says, “and I realized it gives you something to talk about on social media and endless material to work from in terms of ideas.” Having identified a market she could tap, she embraced her audience and rebranded as Bookishly.
Many niche stores also market themselves as great places to buy something special for people who are interested in their specialty. Louise says, “We sell the right kind of little gifts for people to send to [book-loving] friends.”
Niche stores vs. general stores vs. one-product stores
A niche store has the opposite business model of a general store, which offers a variety of products aimed at appealing to a broader target audience. One-product stores, on the other hand, sell exactly what the name suggests, seeking to build a loyal following based on one specialty.
Niche stores, as well as the other two types, can exist in a variety of forms. They can be online stores, dropshipping stores, or physical brick-and-mortar stores.
Niche store categories
To better understand what niche stores are, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the many different types of businesses and companies that fall under that umbrella. Here are several examples of niche store categories:
- Health and wellness. Stores that meet customer needs related to everything from skin care to food allergies to mental well-being.
- Specialty apparel. Shops that offer clothes made for an intended purpose, like athletic wear or lingerie.
- Artisanal foods. Businesses that provide food products that are rare, high-quality, or specialty goods.
- Stationery. Shops that appeal to consumers who love to journal, scrapbook, and craft with paper.
- Home goods. Businesses focused on bedding, flatware, décor, or another subset of home goods.
- Local wares. Stores offering products that relate to a particular place or region.
- Outdoor recreation. Businesses targeting consumers who like to explore nature and stay active.
20 examples of niche stores
- Bed Threads
- Bookishly
- Burden of Proof
- FIGS
- Fishwife
- Good Girl Snacks
- Hightide
- House of Intuition
- Masienda
- MìLà
- Now Serving
- Oaklandish
- P.F. Candle Co.
- Parchment Paper
- True Sake
- Section 119
- Shorthand
- Sleepy Jones
- Studio Raton
- Topo Designs
From bedding to books, these niche brands show how targeting specific audiences builds sustainable businesses. Each has carved out its own corner of the market—whether it’s nonalcoholic beverages for the sober-curious or medical scrubs that healthcare professionals actually want to wear.
1. Bed Threads
Using only two fabrics—flax linen and percale—Bed Threads is a bedding and home goods company offering products such as sheets, pillowcases, loungewear, and napkins, tying products together with complementary colors. One of the brand’s unique bedding offerings is a customizable set that lets customers mix and match the colors of their fitted sheets, flat sheets, a duvet cover, and two pairs of pillowcases.
2. Bookishly
Bookishly began as a crafty gift store on Etsy, before finding its niche and pivoting to Shopify. “The book page prints with quotes from literature were the very main part of the business,” says Louise. “Then I started a vintage book subscription. I also then started to employ a designer who had many more skills than me. So now I have designers working for me who are able to create all this amazing artwork that we have for our business, rather than just text on things.”
Bookishly’s artistic creations include calendars, journals, books, mugs, clothing, and a lot more.
3. Burden of Proof
Featuring an expansive stock and informed sales clerks, Burden of Proof is a nonalcoholic beverage retailer that aims to help reduce the stigma associated with alcohol abstinence. The curated selection of NA beers, wines, spirits, and mocktails provides customers with a selection on par with a gourmet liquor store.
4. FIGS
With a target audience of health care professionals, FIGS sells scrubs and other clothing items that are comfortable without compromising functionality. The medical wear comes in fun styles and colors with pockets, elastic waistbands, and other details that doctors and nurses need on the job.
5. Fishwife
Prior to Fishwife’s breakthrough, its target audience may not have commonly thought of tinned fish as a gourmet food. But with creative packaging, thoughtful sourcing, and great marketing, Fishwife put a higher premium on sardines, tuna, and anchovies.
6. Good Girl Snacks
Good Girl Snacks has created a loyal customer base with its signature product—the hot girl pickles. The pickles come in three flavors, appealing to lovers of both classic (original dill) and unique (bread and butter and honey harissa) pickle flavors.
7. Hightide
While primarily a stationery store, Hightide also incorporates many unique Japanese goods into its selection. The Japanese brand sells stationery, toolboxes, storage caddies, home décor, and apparel. This crossover of product types enables Hightide to appeal to the specific niche of enthusiasts with a fondness for Japanese design.
8. House of Intuition
House of Intuition is dedicated to spiritual practices, crystals, and other metaphysical ritual supplies, catering to its own specific demographic of new age followers. Whether shoppers are looking for a new tarot deck, a candle for manifesting inner peace, or a new piece of rose quartz, House of Intuition has an impressive selection of all things eclectic and spiritual.
9. Masienda
The flagship product from tortilla experts Masienda is its heirloom masa harina corn flour, but the brand also offers the tools to make tortillas yourself. Its selection of tortilla presses, seasoned comals, and mortar and pestles (molcajetes) makes Masienda a go-to retailer for amateur and professional chefs alike.
10. MìLà
Specializing in gourmet frozen dumplings, MìLà provides Asian fare in convenient and tiny packages. MìLà has cornered the market for consumers who long for traditional dumplings that require minimal cooking effort, and the products are available in stores and online.
11. Now Serving
Now Serving offers an extensive selection of cookbooks and culinary supplies, making it a solid shopping destination for home cooks looking for both tools and inspiration. The in-person retail space in LA’s Chinatown neighborhood also hosts cookbook signings and Q&As with celebrated chefs.
12. Oaklandish
Though it hosts a variety of product categories, Oaklandish is a niche store for people who have Oakland pride. The site offers gifts, apparel, and many other products that celebrate the beloved Bay Area city. Whether you’re a local or have a friend with ties to the area, Oaklandish is a one-stop shop for Oakland memorabilia.
13. P.F. Candle Co.
While the name suggests a focus on candles, it’s even more about the scent. P.F. Candle Co. also offers its fragrances in the form of flameless room diffusers, car air fresheners, hand soaps, and other home and body care products. By offering unique, limited-run scents in various form factors, the company encourages customers to try scents before they rotate out of season, in the form that best suits their needs.
14. Parchment Paper
Specializing in all things food-themed, Parchment Paper offers an eclectic assortment of unique products, like butter-inspired stationery, a hamburger dog toy, raspberry-scented candles, and more. Its carefully curated selection makes Parchment Paper a go-to shop for culinary enthusiasts and people shopping for their favorite foodies.
15. True Sake
With an online store and a brick-and-mortar presence in San Francisco, True Sake positions itself as an expert in the niche category of the Japanese fermented rice wine. The brand’s online store includes a vast selection, as well as information to educate consumers on the varieties of the drink. True Sake also publishes a blog and a newsletter that feature news from the sake world, introduce new products and brands, and inform readers about upcoming events.
16. Section 119
While other specialty apparel shops focus on categories like yoga clothes, gymwear, or swimsuits, Section 119 is dedicated to the niche of jamband enthusiasts. Offering traditional t-shirts and hoodies alongside knit sweaters, robes, and golf shirts that feature logos from bands like Phish and the Grateful Dead, Section 119 has established itself as a jamband merch company with an upscale twist.
17. Shorthand
Shorthand is a stationery store that offers quality journals, pens, and more. The brand also creates customized stationery for those who want something more personal for their desk, and offers gift wrap featuring in-house prints that shoppers can purchase at customizable sizes.
18. Sleepy Jones
Sleepy Jones is a clothing company specializing in pajamas and loungewear. The catalog includes vintage-inspired flannel pajamas as well as two-piece leisure suits in a variety of patterns. Focusing on the niche of sleepwear allows the brand to create quality products in an often overlooked category.
19. Studio Raton
Originally called iLikeMaps, Studio Raton specializes in different types of prints for a sprawling assortment of major global cities. The store sells aesthetically designed maps in graphic styles like chroma, art deco, and black-and-white, making for unique décor. The extensive selection makes it easier for shoppers to find maps of smaller cities that other retailers often overlook.
20. Topo Designs
Topo Designs combines the utility and durability expected from outdoor gear with pops of color for a unique approach to camping supplies. The backpacks, luggage, and other travel products have an exciting visual appeal that feels intentionally chromatic. Additionally, it offers a Build Your Own Kit option that helps consumers pair bags and suitcases based on their colors and functionalities.
Niche stores FAQ
What is a niche store?
A niche store is a shop that curates its selection to satisfy the demands of a particular consumer segment. These stores provide a higher-quality shopping experience for a smaller niche audience instead of offering a less focused selection with the intent of meeting the needs of a broader audience. Popular niche categories include specialty foods, gifts, clothing, and beauty products.
What is an example of a niche market?
Artisanal food is an example of a niche food business. Rather than offer the same mass-produced goods that one finds at traditional grocery stores, artisanal food retailers sell products made by smaller-scale food makers with an emphasis on quality over quantity.
What are some niche brands?
Some niche brands include FIGS—a retailer of quality medical scrubs— tinned fish brand Fishwife, and Bookishly, seller of book-themed gifts. Niche brands follow a business model of specialization in their particular niche in order to provide high-quality goods and services to their specific audiences.
