sumi ink
Skip itA small market ($56K/yr) — this niche doesn't clear our bar today.
Returns
Great1.2%return rate — above 5% 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
According to Flapen's Amazon United States niche tracking, sumi ink is a $56K/yr Amazon United States market (80K searches/yr). The top 5 brands hold 86% of demand. Verdict: Skip it — 40/100.
Data updated Jul 10, 2026 · scored weekly · How we score niches
sumi ink market data
- Units sold / yr
- 6K–8K
- avg 250–500/product
- Revenue / yr
- $63K–$84K
- units × avg price
- Conversion rate
- 6.6%
- Avg BSR
- #80
- Page quality
- 0%
- Prime
- 100%
- Sponsored
- 75%
- Out of stock
- 4.5%
- Avg brand age
- 81 months
- Avg seller age
- 160 days
Competition & brand share
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%
Top 20: 100%
Top-5 click share
60%
Top 20: 100%
Open market
11%
- Yasutomo27%
- 開明25%
- SEAMEW16%
- Flmouce11%
- I-MART7%
- Zig3%
- Open — no brand owns it (5 brands, 11%)
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×
Top sumi ink search terms
- sumi ink42K/yr
- chinese ink9K/yr
- chinese calligraphy ink9K/yr
- sumi5K/yr
- japanese ink5K/yr
- tinta china4K/yr
- gyotaku ink3K/yr
- yasutomo sumi ink3K/yr
Top sumi ink 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 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★
What buyers say about sumi ink
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.”
Top return reasons
Common questions
- Is sumi ink profitable to sell on Amazon United States?
- The niche generates $56K/yr across 16 tracked products. 90-day search growth is -12.4%. Flapen's verdict: Skip it (40/100).
- How competitive is the sumi ink niche?
- 11 brands and 70 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 60% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 86% of demand.
- What do buyers complain about in sumi ink?
- Top complaints mined from reviews: Water Resistance, Quality-Overall, Smell. The return rate is 1.2%.
- When does demand for sumi ink peak?
- Demand is steady year-round — the busiest month runs 1.4× the quietest.
- What does it cost to enter the sumi ink niche?
- Listings span $5.94–$18.22; the average listing price is $10.56 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 380 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.