primer
Skip itPrices mostly outside the sweet spot ($3.34–$8.55) — this niche doesn't clear our bar today.
Returns
Incredible0.0%return rate — above 5% kills the launch gate
Conversion
Great11.1%search→purchase rate — share of searches ending in a sale
Market size
Great£1.2M£1.2M/yr · 1.8M searches
Quality gap
Good4.4★avg incumbent rating — lower means beatable quality
Growth
Bad-5.1%90-day search growth — must beat 0% to launch
Competition
Bad76%top-5 click share — a locked-up shelf
Review moat
Bad17,965.43avg incumbent reviews — the moat a new listing must climb
Avg price
Bad£6.02avg listing price — sweet spot $15–$100
Brand share
Bad96%top-5 brand share — brand-locked demand
Price range
Bad£3.34–£8.55cheapest to priciest tracked listing — scored on the share inside $15–$100
According to Flapen's Amazon United Kingdom niche tracking, primer is a £1.2M/yr Amazon United Kingdom market (1.8M searches/yr). The top 5 brands hold 96% of demand. Demand peaks in Nov. Verdict: Skip it — 46/100.
Data updated Jul 21, 2026 · scored weekly · How we score niches
primer market data
- Units sold / yr
- 150K–200K
- avg 10,000–12,500/product
- Revenue / yr
- £903K–£1.2M
- units × avg price
- Conversion rate
- 11.1%
- Avg BSR
- #8
- Page quality
- 0%
- Prime
- 100%
- Sponsored
- 79%
- Out of stock
- 0.0%
- Avg brand age
- 55 months
- Avg seller age
- 151 days
Competition & brand share
The top 5 products capture 76% of clicks — a locked-up shelf that new listings rarely crack.Brands
7 flat
Sellers
196
Top-5 brand share
96%
Top 20: 100%
Top-5 click share
76%
Top 20: 100%
Open market
2%
- e.l.f.50%
- Maybelline28%
- Essence Cosmetics8%
- NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP6%
- Rimmel4%
- W72%
- Open — no brand owns it (1 brand, 2%)
Demand & seasonality
Weekly Amazon search volume, last 104 weeks — -5.1% search growth over the last 90 days.Peak months: Nov · busiest ÷ quietest = 3.0×
Top primer search terms
- primer518K/yr
- elf primer305K/yr
- maybelline240K/yr
- primer makeup221K/yr
- grippy primer40K/yr
- elf power grip primer58K/yr
- face primer55K/yr
- maybelline grippy serum primer34K/yr
- makeup primer51K/yr
- maybelline primer35K/yr
Top primer products on Amazon
Each bubble is one product — market share against review moat; bubble size tracks estimated sales, color grades how beatable the incumbent looks.
All 14 tracked products in this niche — three views at once, no toggling.
Top sellers
by 90-day click share
e.l.f. Power Grip Primer Gel-Based & Hydrating Face Primer For Smoothing Skin & Gripping Makeup Moisturizes & Primes 0.811 Fl Oz Clear
e.l.f.£7.084.5★41,453 rev
Maybelline New York Grippy Serum Makeup Primer Glides On Like A Serum Up To 24H Wear Instantly Plumps & Hydrates Skin +2% Niacinamide Water-Based Formula Suitable For All Skin Types (30ml)
Maybelline£6.434.6★1,753 rev
essence jelly GRIP HYDRATING PRIMER moisturizing/hydrating smoothing priming natural translucent (29ml)
Essence Cosmetics£3.344.4★4,051 rev
e.l.f. Power Grip Primer + 4% Niacinamide Gel-Based & Hydrating Face Primer Evens Skin & Brightens Grips Makeup Vegan & Cruelty-Free 0.811 Fl Oz
e.l.f.£7.644.4★13,668 rev
NYX Professional Makeup Primer The Face Glue Primer Gripping Primer for Face Up to 24 Hour Hydration and Makeup Wear Polyglutamic Acid Non-Comedogenic 35ml
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP£5.524.4★10,864 rev
Newest
by launch date
e.l.f. Power Grip Primer Mini Gel-Based & Hydrating Face Primer For Smoothing Skin & Gripping Makeup Moisturizes & Primes
e.l.f.£4.8241,453 rev
Maybelline New York Grippy Serum Makeup Primer Glides On Like A Serum Up To 24H Wear Instantly Plumps & Hydrates Skin +2% Niacinamide Water-Based Formula Suitable For All Skin Types (30ml)
Maybelline£6.431,753 rev
NYX Professional Makeup Primer The Face Glue Primer Gripping Primer for Face Up to 24 Hour Hydration and Makeup Wear Polyglutamic Acid Non-Comedogenic 35ml
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP£5.5210,864 rev
essence jelly GRIP HYDRATING PRIMER moisturizing/hydrating smoothing priming natural translucent (29ml)
Essence Cosmetics£3.344,051 rev
Rimmel Lasting Finish 48hr Hydration Boost Primer Face Plumping Smooths Fine Lines & Wrinkles Dewy Finish Flawless Makeup Enriched with Biopeptides Strengthens Skin Boosts Natural Collagen
Rimmel£4.55213 rev
Trending
90-day click momentumessence jelly GRIP HYDRATING PRIMER moisturizing/hydrating smoothing priming natural translucent (29ml)
Essence Cosmetics£3.344.4★
Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer Transparent 30 ml
Rimmel£4.994.4★
Maybelline New York Grippy Serum Makeup Primer Glides On Like A Serum Up To 24H Wear Instantly Plumps & Hydrates Skin +2% Niacinamide Water-Based Formula Suitable For All Skin Types (30ml)
Maybelline£6.434.6★
e.l.f. Power Grip Primer + 4% Niacinamide Gel-Based & Hydrating Face Primer Evens Skin & Brightens Grips Makeup Vegan & Cruelty-Free 0.811 Fl Oz
e.l.f.£7.644.4★
e.l.f. Power Grip Primer Gel-Based & Hydrating Face Primer For Smoothing Skin & Gripping Makeup Moisturizes & Primes 0.811 Fl Oz Clear
e.l.f.£7.084.5★
What buyers say about primer
What buyers praise and complain about, mined from review topics.What buyers love
“Excellent product”
“Great value for money”
“This is lovely to use on my skin”
“Soft skin”
“drys clear”
“Does exactly what it says”
“Applies great”
“Sticky”
“Does the job”
“Love this primer feels lovely on the skin great coverage would recommended”
What buyers complain about
“Didnt work as promised”
“The product was less sticky than I anticipated”
“Avoid for dry skin”
“Doesn't grip a thing”
“better primers on the market for similar price”
“Also the bottle lid isnt great and breaks easily”
“Its okay for me not like wow since I have oily skin this primer do not help with that bit makeup stay on better then nothing on the face”
“the texture was too thick”
“Is quality control that bad”
“even if the smell is a bit abnormal at first”
Top return reasons
Common questions
- Is primer profitable to sell on Amazon United Kingdom?
- The niche generates £1.2M/yr across 14 tracked products. 90-day search growth is -5.1%. Flapen's verdict: Skip it (46/100).
- How competitive is the primer niche?
- 7 brands and 196 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 76% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 96% of demand.
- What do buyers complain about in primer?
- Top complaints mined from reviews: Functionality-Overall, Adhesion/Stickiness, Suitability Dry Skin. The return rate is 0.0%.
- When does demand for primer peak?
- Demand peaks in Nov; the busiest month runs 3.0× the quietest.
- What does it cost to enter the primer niche?
- Listings span £3.34–£8.55; the average listing price is £6.02 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 17,965 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.