Free · cited · 2026

2026 ecommerce ad & profit benchmarks

What good looks like in 2026, by industry: Meta ad costs (CPM, CPC, CTR, CVR) and the unit economics behind them (gross margin, AOV, CAC, repeat rate), plus the break-even ROAS each implies. Directional medians from cited sources. Free to cite and embed.

Meta ad benchmarks by industry (2026)

Directional 2026 medians on Meta (Facebook and Instagram). A metric like CPM is judged by what it produces, never on its own: a high CPM is fine if the conversion rate, order value and margin behind it pay for it.

IndustryCPMCPCCTRCVR
Ecommerce (general)$13.00$1.351.60%2.81%
Apparel & fashion$10.00$0.891.91%3.24%
Beauty & personal care$12.50$1.631.76%2.97%
Food & beverage$9.00$0.782.18%3.56%
Fitness & wellness$11.00$1.541.83%2.43%
Electronics$8.00$1.470.89%1.73%
Pet supplies$9.50$1.121.70%2.68%

Source: DigitalApplied / Superads / Lebesgue 2026. Run any of these against your funnel in the CPM, CPC and conversion rate calculators.

Unit economics by industry (2026)

The numbers that decide whether ads can ever be profitable: gross margin sets your break-even ROAS (1 / margin), and AOV, CAC and repeat rate decide how much you can spend to acquire. Click an industry for the full breakdown and its break-even ROAS.

IndustryGross marginAOVCACRepeatBreak-even ROAS
Apparel / fashion55%$85$7024%1.8x
Beauty / cosmetics72%$60$9535%1.4x
Supplements / CPG70%$55$8940%1.4x
Electronics35%$150$13018%2.9x
Home / furniture42%$200$6515%2.4x
Jewelry & accessories60%$180$8015%1.7x
Pet supplies40%$65$6537%2.5x
Food & beverage42%$70$5532%2.4x
Baby & kids45%$85$5530%2.2x
Sports & outdoors45%$150$7021%2.2x
Footwear50%$130$7520%2.0x
Skincare / personal care70%$55$9538%1.4x
Eyewear65%$150$11016%1.5x
Bags & luggage55%$150$8515%1.8x
Candles & home fragrance60%$55$6032%1.7x
Toys & games42%$85$6022%2.4x
Automotive accessories45%$200$7522%2.2x
Health & wellness devices52%$150$12022%1.9x
Digital products / courses90%$120$7018%1.1x

Sources: Eightx margins, Eightx CAC, Polar Analytics. Directional; they vary widely by price point and stage.

How to use these benchmarks

A benchmark is a starting point, not a verdict. The only number that tells you if you are winning is your own: drop one product into the Target ROAS calculatorand it works your full P&L backwards to the exact ROAS and ad budget per sale you need. Free to cite this page or embed any of the calculators on your own site.

From benchmark to your number

Turn any of these into the exact target your product needs to profit.

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