Is highlighter stick profitable to sell on Amazon United States?

The niche generates $240K/yr across 56 tracked products. 8 of 10 products launched in the last 360 days are still selling. 90-day search growth is -2.5%. Flapen's verdict: Worth a look (56/100).

How competitive is the highlighter stick niche?

31 brands and 130 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 32% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 62% of demand.

What do buyers complain about in highlighter stick?

Top complaints mined from reviews: Color, Brightness/Shine/Glow, Smell. The return rate is 1.1%.

When does demand for highlighter stick peak?

Demand peaks in May; the busiest month runs 1.5× the quietest.

What does it cost to enter the highlighter stick niche?

Listings span $2.08–$33.96; the average listing price is $10.40 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 11,345 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.

highlighter stick

Worth a look

Shows low returns (1.1%), but a failed launch gate (market size, growth, or returns) keeps it on the watch list.

Returns

Great1.1%

return rate — above 5% kills the launch gate

Competition

Great32%

top-5 click share — an open shelf

Brand share

Good62%

top-5 brand share — brands hold most of the demand

Quality gap

Good4.4★

avg incumbent rating — lower means beatable quality

Price range

Good$2.08–$33.96

cheapest to priciest tracked listing — scored on the share inside $15–$100

Market size

Okay$240K

$240K/yr · 659K searches

Conversion

Okay3.5%

search→purchase rate — share of searches ending in a sale

Avg price

Okay$10.40

avg listing price — sweet spot $15–$100

Growth

Bad-2.5%

90-day search growth — must beat 0% to launch

Review moat

Bad11,345.27

avg incumbent reviews — the moat a new listing must climb

Signals No Dominant Brand

According to Flapen's Amazon United States niche tracking, highlighter stick is a $240K/yr Amazon United States market (659K searches/yr). The top 5 brands hold 62% of demand. Demand peaks in May. Verdict: Worth a look — 56/100.

Data updated Jul 15, 2026 · scored weekly · How we score niches

highlighter stick market data

Units sold / yr: 20K–25K; avg 250–500/product
Revenue / yr: $208K–$260K; units × avg price
Conversion rate: 3.5%
Avg BSR: #56
Page quality: 0%
Prime: 100%
Sponsored: 82%
Out of stock: 3.3%
Avg brand age: 47 months
Avg seller age: 129 days

Competition & brand share

Clicks spread well past the top 5 (32% combined) — an open shelf where new products get seen.

Brands

31 flat

Sellers

130

Top-5 brand share

62%

Top 20: 93%

Top-5 click share

32%

Top 20: 69%

Open market

31%

wet n wild18%
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP13%
e.l.f.11%
SHEGLAM10%
L'Oreal Paris10%
Essence Cosmetics7%

Demand & seasonality

Weekly Amazon search volume, last 104 weeks — -2.5% search growth over the last 90 days.

Peak months: May · busiest ÷ quietest = 1.5×

Open Trend

Top highlighter stick search terms

highlighter stick222K/yr -2.8%3.5% conv.
highlighter palette101K/yr -6.0%1.7% conv.
cream highlighter49K/yr -13.7%2.0% conv.
highlighter makeup stick42K/yr -7.6%3.4% conv.
essence highlighter28K/yr -0.6%2.8% conv.
powder highlighter makeup18K/yr +29.8%2.9% conv.
highlighter stick makeup23K/yr +17.5%3.2% conv.
highlight stick17K/yr +11.8%3.1% conv.
highlighter makeup palette22K/yr -20.7%1.8% conv.
glitter highlighter makeup20K/yr -15.3%0.4% conv.

All search terms

Top highlighter stick 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.

Beatable (≤4.3★) Contested Strong incumbent (>4.7★)

All 24 tracked products in this niche — three views at once, no toggling.

Top sellers

by 90-day click share

wet n wild MegaGlo Makeup Stick Buildable Color Versatile Use Cruelty-Free & Vegan - When the Nude Strikes

wet n wild$4.204.3★40,209 rev

essence | Pure NUDE Highlighter 10 Be My Highlight | Natural and Subtle Glow | Vegan & Cruelty Free | - Beige

Essence Cosmetics$4.904.4★2,648 rev

SHEGLAM Cream Highlighter Stick Long Lasting Brightening Non-Caking Highlighter Makeup - Vanilla Frost

SHEGLAM$6.804.5★497 rev

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Jumbo Eye Pencil Blendable Eyeshadow Stick & Eyeliner Pencil - Milk (White)

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP$5.454.3★86,427 rev

LOreal Paris True Match Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick Reflective Translucent Glassy Highlighter for Face and Body 610 Glassy Pearl Eclat 0.17 Oz

L'Oreal Paris$9.764.1★2,893 rev

Newest

by launch date

Jolilab 6 Color Highlighter Stick Set - Multi-Tone Luminous Glow for Face All-Skin-Friendly Creamy Highlighter Kit for Daily Party & Travel

Jolilab$8.7446 rev

3mo ago

e.l.f. Halo Glow Silky Powder Highlighter Long-Lasting Luminous Face Finish Cake-Resistant With Micro-Shimmer Vegan & Cruelty-Free Soft Pearl Era

e.l.f.$8.96969 rev

6mo ago

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Buttermelt Highlighter Powder Highlighter Makeup With Up to 12H Wear and High Impact Glow - 05 Bright and Butta (Light Champagne)

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP$11.34726 rev

7mo ago

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Body Shimmer Stick with Vitamin E 30g/1.1Oz Radiant Highlighter Makeup for Body Glow Provides 48-Hour Moisture All Skin Tones & Types Dermatologist Approved

Palmer's$7.12594 rev

1y ago

LOreal Paris True Match Lumi Le Glass Highlighter Stick Reflective Translucent Glassy Highlighter for Face and Body 610 Glassy Pearl Eclat 0.17 Oz

L'Oreal Paris$9.762,893 rev

1y ago

What buyers say about highlighter stick

What buyers praise and complain about, mined from review topics.

What buyers love

Brightness/Shine/Glow23%

“Gives a glow”

Color18%

“Beautiful colours”

Quality-Overall9%

“Very affordable for the quality”

Value For Money7%

“Excellent value”

Soft Feel6%

“Glides on smooth”

Suitability Combination Skin5%

“Great for sensitive skin”

Ease Of Use3%

“Easy application”

Ease Of Application3%

“Easy to apply”

Durability2%

“Its very durable”

Advertised Vs Actual Product2%

“Does exactly as it says”

What buyers complain about

Color11%

“Color is off”

Brightness/Shine/Glow9%

“Too shiny”

Smell6%

“Weird smell”

Size-Overall6%

“It is a small tube”

Durability5%

“Didn't last”

Quality-Overall4%

“Not the quality that I was expecting”

Value For Money3%

“Too expensive”

Texture/Consistency-Overall3%

“it's very patchy”

Adhesion/Stickiness3%

“the stick came completely out”

Allergies2%

“felt like skin burning”

Top return reasons

Color36%

Advertised Vs Actual Product9%

Brightness/Shine/Glow9%

Adhesion/Stickiness8%

Functionality-Overall5%

Defective Material/Parts5%

Product Condition3%

Quality-Overall3%

Size-Overall3%

Weight Light2%

Common questions

Is highlighter stick profitable to sell on Amazon United States?: The niche generates $240K/yr across 56 tracked products. 8 of 10 products launched in the last 360 days are still selling. 90-day search growth is -2.5%. Flapen's verdict: Worth a look (56/100).
How competitive is the highlighter stick niche?: 31 brands and 130 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 32% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 62% of demand.
What do buyers complain about in highlighter stick?: Top complaints mined from reviews: Color, Brightness/Shine/Glow, Smell. The return rate is 1.1%.
When does demand for highlighter stick peak?: Demand peaks in May; the busiest month runs 1.5× the quietest.
What does it cost to enter the highlighter stick niche?: Listings span $2.08–$33.96; the average listing price is $10.40 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 11,345 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.