cold medicine
Worth a lookShows low returns (0.2%), but soft demand (-45.0% this quarter) keeps it on the watch list.
Returns
Incredible0.2%return rate — above 5% kills the launch gate
Market size
Incredible$3.9M$3.9M/yr · 5.5M searches
Price range
Good$5.31–$34.09cheapest to priciest tracked listing — scored on the share inside $15–$100
Competition
Good47%top-5 click share — leaders hold, buyers still browse
Conversion
Good5.6%search→purchase rate — share of searches ending in a sale
Avg price
Good$12.63avg listing price — sweet spot $15–$100
Brand share
Okay79%top-5 brand share — brands hold most of the demand
Review moat
Bad4,348.12avg incumbent reviews — the moat a new listing must climb
Quality gap
Bad4.7★avg incumbent rating — lower means beatable quality
Growth
Bad-45.0%90-day search growth — must beat 0% to launch
According to Flapen's Amazon United States niche tracking, cold medicine is a $3.9M/yr Amazon United States market (5.5M searches/yr). The top 5 brands hold 79% of demand. Demand peaks in Jan–Feb–Dec. Verdict: Worth a look — 54/100.
Data updated Jul 11, 2026 · scored weekly · How we score niches
cold medicine market data
- Units sold / yr
- 500K–600K
- avg 10,000–12,500/product
- Revenue / yr
- $6.3M–$7.6M
- units × avg price
- Conversion rate
- 5.6%
- Avg BSR
- #158
- Page quality
- 0%
- Prime
- 100%
- Sponsored
- 90%
- Out of stock
- 0.0%
- Avg brand age
- 93 months
- Avg seller age
- 141 days
Competition & brand share
The top 5 products take 47% of clicks — established leaders, but buyers still shop beyond them.Brands
17 rising
Sellers
674
Top-5 brand share
79%
Top 20: 100%
Top-5 click share
47%
Top 20: 81%
Open market
17%
- Amazon Basic Care29%
- Mucinex21%
- Tylenol14%
- Vicks10%
- Boiron6%
- Theraflu4%
- Open — no brand owns it (11 brands, 17%)
Demand & seasonality
Weekly Amazon search volume, last 104 weeks — -45.0% search growth over the last 90 days.Peak months: Jan, Feb, Dec · busiest ÷ quietest = 3.2×
Top cold medicine search terms
- cold1.1M/yr
- cold and flu1.6M/yr
- cold medicine822K/yr
- cold and flu medicine for adults326K/yr
- cold medicine adults375K/yr
- flu medicine for adults226K/yr
- mucinex cold and flu94K/yr
- mucinex fast max138K/yr
- cold and flu medicine135K/yr
- flu152K/yr
Top cold medicine 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 24 tracked products in this niche — three views at once, no toggling.
Top sellers
by 90-day click share
Amazon Basic Care Vapor Ice Day and Night Severe Cold and Flu Relief Caplets Maximum Strength Multi-Symptom Medicine for Cough Sore Throat Nasal Congestion 48 Count
Amazon Basic Care$11.774.7★5,704 rev
Mucinex Fast-Max Maximum Strength Day & Night Cold and Flu Medicine for Adults Powerful Over-the-Counter Medication for Cold & Flu Symptoms Fast Dissolving Liquid Gels 24 Count
Mucinex$17.044.8★1,479 rev
Tylenol Cold + Flu Severe Daytime + Nighttime Cold Medicine Caplets Combo Pack for Multi-Symptom Cough Sore Throat Headache Nasal Congestion Relief Acetaminophen Pain Reliever 24 Count
Tylenol$7.394.8★10,622 rev
Amazon Basic Care Cold and Flu Relief Daytime and Nighttime Combo Pack Softgels for Multi-Symptom Relief Sore Throat Cough Nasal Congestion Headache 48 Count (Pack of 1)
Amazon Basic Care$9.614.7★7,387 rev
Boiron Oscillococcinum for Relief from Flu-Like Symptoms of Body Aches Headache Fever Chills and Fatigue - 30 Doses
Boiron$25.164.8★23,412 rev
Newest
by launch dateMucinex Fast-Max Maximum Strength Day & Night Cold and Flu Medicine for Adults Powerful Over-the-Counter Medication for Cold & Flu Symptoms Fast Dissolving Liquid Gels 24 Count
Mucinex$17.041,479 rev
Mucinex Rapid Clear Maximum Strength Cold Medicine & Expectorant Fever Pain Headache & Excess Mucus Relief with Acetaminophen & Guaifenesin Rapid Release Caplets for Adults 20 Count
Mucinex$13.701,862 rev
Mucinex Fast-Max Maximum Strength Cold and Flu Medicine for Adults Powerful Over-the-Counter Medication for 6 Different Cold & Flu Symptoms Fast Release Caplets 20 Count
Mucinex$13.68127 rev
Vicks VapoShower Max Tablets Non-Medicated Eucalyptus Shower Steamer Tablets Menthol Aromatherapy 4ct
Vicks$10.10526 rev
Theraflu Severe Cold and Cough Nighttime and Daytime Cough and Cold Medicine Berry Flavor - 8.3 Fl Oz Syrup x 2
Theraflu$13.66883 rev
Trending
90-day click momentum
Amazon Basic Care Maximum Strength Daytime Honey Flavor Severe Cold and Flu Relief Multi-Symptom Non-Drowsy Cough Sore Throat Nasal Congestion Liquid Medicine 12 fl oz (Pack of 1)
Amazon Basic Care$5.664.6★
Amazon Basic Care Nighttime Severe Cold and Flu Syrup Max Strength Liquid Medicine for Cough Sore Throat Nasal Congestion Pain Reliever Fever Reducer Original 12 fl oz
Amazon Basic Care$6.084.7★
Theraflu Combo Daytime and Nighttime Severe Cold Relief Powder Honey Lemon Flavor 12 Count 6 Daytime + 6 Nighttime
Theraflu$13.744.8★
Vicks VapoShower Max Tablets Non-Medicated Eucalyptus Shower Steamer Tablets Menthol Aromatherapy 4ct
Vicks$10.104.5★
Theraflu Severe Cold and Cough Nighttime and Daytime Cough and Cold Medicine Berry Flavor - 8.3 Fl Oz Syrup x 2
Theraflu$13.664.8★
What buyers say about cold medicine
What buyers praise and complain about, mined from review topics.What buyers love
“Great for colds”
“Works perfectly”
“Very affordable”
“Its amazing product nothing complicated”
“as pictured”
“Amazing taste”
“Good for cough”
“Keeping Hands Warm”
“Sinus relief”
“It has come in handy multiple times”
What buyers complain about
“HORRIBLE TASTE”
“Not effective”
“Very costly”
“They are big”
“actually smells a little bit like urine”
“Coughing”
“No warmth”
“Bad quality”
“hard to get on”
“Had a bad case of the flu”
Top return reasons
Common questions
- Is cold medicine profitable to sell on Amazon United States?
- The niche generates $3.9M/yr across 41 tracked products. 90-day search growth is -45.0%. Flapen's verdict: Worth a look (54/100).
- How competitive is the cold medicine niche?
- 17 brands and 674 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 47% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 79% of demand.
- What do buyers complain about in cold medicine?
- Top complaints mined from reviews: Taste-Overall, Functionality-Overall, Value For Money. The return rate is 0.2%.
- When does demand for cold medicine peak?
- Demand peaks in Jan–Feb–Dec; the busiest month runs 3.2× the quietest.
- What does it cost to enter the cold medicine niche?
- Listings span $5.31–$34.09; the average listing price is $12.63 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 4,348 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.