sumi ink
Skip itA small market ($56K/yr) — this niche doesn't clear our bar today.
Returns
Great1.2%return rate — above 6% kills the launch gate
Review moat
Great380.44avg incumbent reviews — the moat a new listing must climb
Conversion
Good6.6%search→purchase rate — share of searches ending in a sale
Competition
Okay60%top-5 click share — leaders hold, buyers still browse
Avg price
Okay$10.56avg listing price — sweet spot $15–$100
Brand share
Okay86%top-5 brand share — brands hold most of the demand
Price range
Okay$5.94–$18.22cheapest to priciest tracked listing — scored on the share inside $15–$100
Quality gap
Bad4.6★avg incumbent rating — lower means beatable quality
Growth
Bad-12.4%90-day search growth — must beat 0% to launch
Market size
Bad$56K$56K/yr · 80K searches
Competition
The top 5 products take 60% of clicks — established leaders, but buyers still shop beyond them.Brands
11 falling
Sellers
70
Top-5 brand share
86%
Open market
11%
- Yasutomo27%
- 開明25%
- SEAMEW16%
- Flmouce11%
- I-MART7%
- Zig3%
- Open — no brand owns it (5 brands, 11%)
Product shelf
Each bubble is one product — market share against review moat; bubble size tracks estimated sales, color grades how beatable the incumbent looks.
All 16 tracked products in this niche — three views at once, no toggling.
Top sellers
by 90-day click share
Moon Palace Sumi Ink 180ml
開明$7.334.8★916 rev
Flmouce 250ml Black Sumi Ink Chinese Brush Calligraphy Ink (8.45oz)
Flmouce$11.254.4★154 rev
Yasutomo Bokuju Liquid Ink - 12oz Sumi Ink for Calligraphy and Artwork - Black Drawing Ink for use with Japanese Ink Brushes and Dip Pens
Yasutomo$18.224.6★183 rev
Yasutomo Liquid Sumi Ink 2oz Black (KF2)
Yasutomo$7.944.8★318 rev
SEAMEW 250 ML/8.8 OZ Calligraphy and Sumi Liquid Ink - Versatile Elegance for Chinese Traditional Art Works and Japanese Brush Art
SEAMEW$11.164.4★163 rev
Newest
by launch date
I-MART Sumi Ink for Chinese Calligraphy & Japanese Brush Art Calligraphy Ink for Traditional Artworks India Ink Black for Painting & Writing (3.5 fl oz/100 ml Black)
I-MART$5.9456 rev
Qi Ming Wen Fang Calligraphy and Sumi Liquid Ink Traditional Black Sumi Ink for Chinese Calligraphy Painting and Japanese Brush Art Light Glue (3.5oz/ 100ml)
Qi Ming Wen Fang$7.69101 rev
Flmouce Sumi Ink Chinese Calligraphy Ink Liquid Black Carbon Ink Manga Ink (500ml (17oz) Black)
Flmouce$14.17154 rev
Flmouce 250ml Black Sumi Ink Chinese Brush Calligraphy Ink (8.45oz)
Flmouce$11.25154 rev
SEAMEW 250 ML/8.8 OZ Calligraphy and Sumi Liquid Ink - Versatile Elegance for Chinese Traditional Art Works and Japanese Brush Art
SEAMEW$11.16163 rev
Trending
90-day click momentumSEAMEW 250 ML/8.8 OZ Calligraphy and Sumi Liquid Ink - Versatile Elegance for Chinese Traditional Art Works and Japanese Brush Art
SEAMEW$11.164.4★
Yasutomo Bokuju Liquid Ink - 12oz Sumi Ink for Calligraphy and Artwork - Black Drawing Ink for use with Japanese Ink Brushes and Dip Pens
Yasutomo$18.224.6★
Flmouce Sumi Ink Chinese Calligraphy Ink Liquid Black Carbon Ink Manga Ink (500ml (17oz) Black)
Flmouce$14.174.4★
Moon Palace Sumi Ink 180ml
開明$7.334.8★
Flmouce 250ml Black Sumi Ink Chinese Brush Calligraphy Ink (8.45oz)
Flmouce$11.254.4★
Demand & seasonality
Weekly Amazon search volume, last 104 weeks — -12.4% search growth over the last 90 days.No pronounced peak months · busiest ÷ quietest = 1.4×
Reviews
What buyers praise and complain about, mined from review topics.What buyers love
“Quality is good”
“I also love the traditional colors, absolutely beautiful”
“Good value”
“Good ink and black enough”
“I dont mind the earthy smell”
“dries quickly”
“good for caligraphy”
“Great Flow Texture”
“Exactly as described”
“Good liquid ink”
What buyers complain about
“It is not water-resistant”
“Poor quality control”
“it has a peculiar smell”
“let is dry”
“The description says that once dried it is insoluble in water. THIS ISN’T true.”