20,000 monthly sales with cat harnesses: How Salia Kubi became an Amazon bestseller

People who start with Amazon FBA often dream of finding a successful product that generates four or even five-figure sales every month. The story of Salia Kubi shows just how difficult it can be to actually follow this path. He has managed to achieve bestseller status with a seemingly inconspicuous product - a cat harness - and generate sales of over 20,000 euros every month. In this article, you can find out how Salia went from selling sneakers to becoming a successful Amazon FBA entrepreneur, what challenges he overcame and what tips he has for other sellers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9k0SvbLOTI

Getting started in e-commerce: from sneakers to Amazon FBA

Salia Kubi, now 22, comes from Hamburg and became interested in online retail while still at school. He took his first steps in the sneaker trade, supported by a family tip. He imported cheap sports shoes from Asia and sold them on eBay - the year 2020 brought him his first experience in e-commerce.

But the early days were not easy. The pandemic, rising shipping costs and a disrupted supply chain caused difficulties. The container crisis hit online retail hard - Salia also had to realize that even a good product does not protect against economic downturns.

What Salia learned back then:
"You learn the most from mistakes. There's no point in giving up - it's important to keep going."

Despite the challenges, he lost almost all of his capital. But giving up was not an option for him.

Important stations on Salia's journey

• First online trading experiences: Selling sneakers on eBay, cheap imports from Asia.
• Switching to Amazon FBA: Online ads and coincidences led to the first exploration of the model.
• Raising capital: Delivering drinks as a full-time job to raise start-up capital.
• Expanding knowledge: At the same time, he invested in coaching and acquired specific know-how.

Why did he switch to Amazon FBA? Salia wanted a scalable, predictable business model. Private label and the reach of Amazon appealed to him more than eBay & Co.

From selling sneakers to your own Amazon product

The leap from sports shoes to Amazon FBA was no coincidence, but a conscious decision. Salia realized that although the traditional sneaker trade generated sales, it was not scalable in the long term. In addition, online retail required a lot of working time and capital - a structure was needed.

The first sneakers were inexpensive imports, some without labels, but with a lot of potential at the price level. Looking back, that was the perfect - if not entirely problem-free - starting point. Many sellers, including his interview partner Luca Igel, started out with sneakers.

In 2020, Salia initially remained active in the sneaker trade. It wasn't until the beginning of 2021 that he began to take a closer look at Amazon FBA. He realized: no chance without equity. He took on a full-time job delivering drinks, even if the job wasn't necessarily fun. This was necessary for the goal of generating capital for Amazon FBA.

At the same time, Salia invested in coaching from Niklas. This knowledge helped him to avoid typical mistakes. The product search turned out to be difficult: six months of research, several failed attempts - until the right product was finally found.

Tips from Salia's product search

• Don't let setbacks slow you down.
• Analyze systematically instead of waiting for "the perfect product".
• Use feedback from coaching sessions and networks.
• Look for niches where demand and competition are in balance.

Cat harness: the bestseller that nobody expected

Salia did not find the decisive product through traditional tools such as Helium 10, but by chance and targeted market analysis. Cat harnesses as a sales product sounds unspectacular at first, but turned out to be the perfect niche. He had no emotional attachment to the product, but saw above all the data: high demand, solid margins, manageable competition.

From chance find to top seller

The market launch took place in the depths of winter - a time when cat harnesses are rarely in demand. Despite this, the first 1,000 units were sold in just 20 days. The unit price was around 20 euros, which quickly put a dent in his capital base.

Sales figures for the first launch

With success came the next problem: reordering was the order of the day. But Amazon only paid out the credit from new sellers after around 2-4 weeks. Salia had to continue "pre-financing", supported by his part-time job.

At the same time, the pressure grew not to let demand fizzle out. After 5 to 6 months - and several new product variants - it finally managed to win the bestseller badge in its category.

What counts with Amazon FBA in terms of financing

Amazon FBA Launch Timeline & Financing - Quickfacts:

• Capital-intensive: Pre-financing of initial order necessary.
• Payout: For new sellers, Amazon waits approx. 2-4 weeks until the money is available.
• Growth requires additional capital: fast sales mean faster reordering.
• Variant management: Each new color or size requires new stock and investment.

Salia's solution: deliver variants later, calculate stocks cleverly and operate very economically in the first few months.

Marketing and differentiation as the key to success

The market for cat harnesses in Germany is highly competitive. Salia knew that simply offering products was not enough. The decisive factor was to address the one customer problem: Many owners found it difficult to pull the harness over their cat's head. The new product solved the problem with a practical clip fastener.

Together with marketing partners such as Stacvalley, the product was optimally prepared:

• Product images show at first glance that the annoying "pulling over the head" is a thing of the past.
• Blue packaging and an eye-catching main image in the Amazon listing ensure more clicks and better attention in the search results.
• The product benefits are communicated clearly and visually without overloading the listing.

Essentials for successful Amazon marketing:

• Present the main customer problem clearly and visually.
• Explain product features simply, especially functional innovations.
• Pay attention to the first impression of the packaging design and color selection.
• With experienced agencies like Stacvalley, align listing and photography to Amazon optimization.

Conclusion: It is not the most exotic product that wins, but the one whose benefits are communicated clearly and trustworthily.

Scaling: expanding the brand, creating variants, launching new products

A big mistake many sellers make is to constantly look for new cash cow products and neglect their own brand in the process. Salia takes a different approach: the focus is on brand building. His aim is to make the brand so well-known within the cat niche that the competition can hardly keep up.

Therefore:

• Continuous expansion of the range with new colors and sizes.
• Improvement of the product line instead of relying mindlessly on new categories.
• Two further products are already in the starting blocks and will be launched by the end of 2025 and the beginning of next year respectively.

Brandbuilding means:

• Offer variety (different variants, customizations)
• Build customer loyalty through recognition value
• Continuously increase visibility and dominance in the specialty market

A strong brand on Amazon is worth more than short-term sales records.

The most important learnings for aspiring Amazon FBA sellers

What did Salia learn on his journey? Here are his most important findings - open and practical:

Top 5 learnings from Salia Kubi

1. Don't give up at the first setback: The search for the right product usually takes longer than expected.
2. Structure and planning have priority: without a system and clear procedure, things quickly become chaotic.
3. Use network & coaching: Nobody has to do everything alone. The experience of others saves time and money.
4. A good product is more important than the perfect product: the concept has to be right, not every little trend.
5. Keep at it: Perseverance and optimism are the best weapons against doubt.

For anyone looking for support similar to Salia's, professional service providers offer helpful guidance. You can find tools, photos, texts and more at Stacvalley, for example.

Practical tips for FBA beginners

The first few months as an Amazon Seller are the most difficult. Many people make the same mistakes at the beginning - and that's exactly what you can learn from.

Classic hurdles and how to overcome them:

• Don't invest too much time in the search for the "perfect" product
• Realistically assess capital requirements, possibly plan for a part-time job
• Plan repeat orders and variants with foresight
• Do not copy successful products one-to-one, but look for differentiation
• Appreciate small successes: They build trust and experience

Action guide for your start with Amazon FBA

1. Choose a product idea with real customer benefits and moderate competition.
2. Calculate your capital requirements realistically and make sure you have a financial buffer.
3. Use coaching or put together a network to clarify questions quickly.
4. Invest in professional photos, listing texts and a clear brand message.
5. Don't start too late, but keep learning as you build up.

Conclusion: With patience, structure and the right product idea to your own FBA success story

The path to becoming an Amazon bestseller does not lead to your goal overnight. Salia Kubi shows how important perseverance, an open culture of error and a clear plan are. Those who are prepared to gather knowledge, systematically invest their capital and build their brand step by step will have the best chance of being successful on Amazon in 2025.

With product focus, honest marketing and consistent further development, almost any niche product can become a success story - just like the Salia cat harness.

If you need support with your next product launch or listing, it's worth looking at specialized service providers such as Stacvalley, who can make more of your Amazon presence.

But above all: don't be afraid to make mistakes, keep at it - and consistently implement your own learnings.

Good luck building your Amazon business!