Is menthol profitable to sell on Amazon United States?

The niche generates $6.6M/yr across 9 tracked products. 90-day search growth is -29.7%. Flapen's verdict: Skip it (45/100).

How competitive is the menthol niche?

3 brands and 68 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 88% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 100% of demand.

What do buyers complain about in menthol?

Top complaints mined from reviews: Smell, Value For Money, Size-Overall. The return rate is 0.0%.

When does demand for menthol peak?

Demand peaks in Feb–May–Jun; the busiest month runs 2.4× the quietest.

What does it cost to enter the menthol niche?

Listings span $5.03–$23.69; the average listing price is $11.13 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 10,480 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.

Menthol

Skip it

Brand-locked demand (top 5 brands take 100% of clicks) — this niche doesn't clear our bar today.

Returns

Incredible0.0%

return rate — above 5% kills the launch gate

Market size

Incredible$6.6M

$6.6M/yr · 4.7M searches

Conversion

Incredible12.6%

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

Price range

Okay$5.03–$23.69

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

Avg price

Okay$11.13

avg listing price — sweet spot $15–$100

Quality gap

Bad4.7★

avg incumbent rating — lower means beatable quality

Review moat

Bad10,479.67

avg incumbent reviews — the moat a new listing must climb

Growth

Bad-29.7%

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

Competition

Bad88%

top-5 click share — a locked-up shelf

Brand share

Bad100%

top-5 brand share — brand-locked demand

Is menthol profitable on Amazon?

According to Flapen's Amazon United States niche tracking, menthol is a $6.6M/yr Amazon United States market (4.7M searches/yr). The top 5 brands hold 100% of demand. Demand peaks in Feb–May–Jun. Verdict: Skip it — 45/100.

Data updated Jul 11, 2026 · scored weekly · How we score niches

menthol market size & sales

Units sold, revenue, conversion and listing quality across the tracked shelf.

Units sold / yr: 600K–800K; avg 50,000–60,000/product
Revenue / yr: $6.7M–$8.9M; units × avg price
Conversion rate: 12.6%
Avg BSR: #190
Page quality: 0%
Prime: 100%
Sponsored: 33%
Out of stock: 0.6%
Avg brand age: 65 months
Avg seller age: 144 days

Competition: brands, sellers & click share

The top 5 products capture 88% of clicks — a locked-up shelf that new listings rarely crack.

Brands

3 flat

Sellers

Top-5 brand share

100%

Top 20: 100%

Top-5 click share

88%

Top 20: 100%

Open market

Vicks77%
Amazon Basics18%
Mentholatum5%
Open — no brand owns it (0%)

menthol demand & seasonality

Weekly Amazon search volume, last 104 weeks — -29.7% search growth over the last 90 days.

Peak months: Feb, May, Jun · busiest ÷ quietest = 2.4×

Open Trend

Top menthol search terms shoppers use

The exact queries shoppers type, with yearly volume, growth and conversion.

vicks vaporub1.7M/yr -36.9%15.4% conv.
vicks767K/yr -32.8%10.0% conv.
vix486K/yr +3.1%0.5% conv.
vaporub443K/yr -30.1%10.8% conv.
vicks vapor rub272K/yr -29.7%14.3% conv.
mentholatum211K/yr -38.3%9.4% conv.
vick94K/yr -20.6%1.4% conv.
vicks rub101K/yr -52.3%14.3% conv.
menthol73K/yr -1.7%0.9% conv.
vapor rub79K/yr -35.8%9.3% conv.

All search terms

Top menthol products & what they sell for

Every tracked product — its share of the shelf, its review moat, and what it sells for.

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

Top sellers

by 90-day click share

Vicks VapoRub Original Cough Suppressant Topical Chest Rub & Analgesic Ointment Medicated Vicks Vapors Relief from Cough Due to Cold Aches & Pains 1.76oz

Vicks$6.594.8★10,733 rev

Amazon Basics Chest Rub Cough Suppressant and Topical Analgesic Ointment for Cold Muscle Aches & Pains Relief 3.53 Ounce

Amazon Basics$5.504.6★9,050 rev

Vicks VapoRub Original Cough Suppressant Topical Chest Rub & Analgesic Ointment Medicated Vicks Vapors Relief from Cough Due to Cold Aches & Pains 1.76oz each (pack of 3)

Vicks$18.834.8★12,572 rev

Vicks VapoRub Lavender Scent Cough Suppressant Topical Chest Rub & Analgesic Ointment Medicated Vicks Vapors Relief from Cough Due to Cold Aches & Pains 1.76oz

Vicks$6.734.7★24,243 rev

Mentholatum Original Vapor Chest Rub Topical Analgesic Ointment Vapors Soothe Nasal Passages & Relieve Chest and Muscle Aches Due To Cold & Cough All-Natural Medicated Ingredients 3.0 oz

Mentholatum$5.034.7★16,824 rev

Newest

by launch date

Vicks VapoRub 50 ml/1.7 oz

Vicks$11.02352 rev

1y ago

Vicks VapoStick Solid Balm No Mess Soothing Non-Medicated Vicks Vapors Easy-To-Use No-Touch Applicator Quick Dry Lightweight Skin Feel 1.25oz x 2

Vicks$16.228,581 rev

4y ago

Vicks VapoRub Original Cough Suppressant Topical Chest Rub & Analgesic Ointment Medicated Vicks Vapors Relief from Cough Due to Cold Aches & Pains 1.76oz each (pack of 3)

Vicks$18.8312,572 rev

7y ago

Amazon Basics Chest Rub Cough Suppressant and Topical Analgesic Ointment for Cold Muscle Aches & Pains Relief 3.53 Ounce

Amazon Basics$5.509,050 rev

7y ago

Vicks Childrens VapoRub Topical Cough Suppressant and Analgesic Relieves Coughs and Minor Aches and Pains Clinically Proven Starts Working in Minutes for Fast Relief For Children Ages 2+ 1.76oz

Vicks$6.544,817 rev

9y ago

What reviews say buyers love and hate about menthol

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

What buyers love

Quality-Overall16%

“Just as good as name brand”

Smell12%

“Good smell”

Efficiency9%

“is very effective”

Advertised Vs Actual Product7%

“As advertised”

Value For Money7%

“Good value for money”

Cold Relief6%

“Great for the cold and flu”

Breathability4%

“I can breath again”

Ease Of Use4%

“Many uses, great product to keep around”

Cough Relief4%

“Very helpful for coughing or congestion”

Strength3%

“Strong very good”

What buyers complain about

Smell20%

“very weak smell”

Value For Money13%

“To Expensive”

Size-Overall12%

“Very small portion”

Strength10%

“Not very strong”

Advertised Vs Actual Product8%

“False Advertisement”

Quality-Overall4%

“it simply is not as good”

Functionality-Overall2%

“Weaker strength does not work like it use too”

Ingredients-Overall2%

“Different ingredients”

Allergies2%

“I got this for allergy like nasal congestion Ive been having”

Sleep Quality1%

“This does nothing for my cold or quality of sleep”

Top return reasons

Size-Overall100%

Common menthol questions

Is menthol profitable to sell on Amazon United States?: The niche generates $6.6M/yr across 9 tracked products. 90-day search growth is -29.7%. Flapen's verdict: Skip it (45/100).
How competitive is the menthol niche?: 3 brands and 68 sellers compete. The top 5 products take 88% of clicks and top 5 brands hold 100% of demand.
What do buyers complain about in menthol?: Top complaints mined from reviews: Smell, Value For Money, Size-Overall. The return rate is 0.0%.
When does demand for menthol peak?: Demand peaks in Feb–May–Jun; the busiest month runs 2.4× the quietest.
What does it cost to enter the menthol niche?: Listings span $5.03–$23.69; the average listing price is $11.13 (sweet spot $15–$100). The average incumbent carries 10,480 reviews — the moat a new listing must climb.