See how your CPL compares. Explore lead generation cost benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type
November 2024 - November 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Retail lead costs spent much of the year running above the global benchmark, but the story is one of descent with drama: a high-cost start in late 2024, a sharp mid-spring jump, a June trough, and a surprisingly light November 2025 that compressed the gap to the market. Volatility was notably higher than the all-industry baseline, with sizeable month-to-month swings that made Retail’s path choppier even as the general market moved more evenly. This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for Retail across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
Retail Cost Per Lead (CPL) opened at 76.45 in November 2024 and closed at 35.76 in November 2025—a 53% slide across the period. The median averaged 58.4, with a wide range from a 2024 high of 76.45 (November) to a 2025 low of 35.76 (November). The most pronounced movements were a spring surge from March to April (+15.87 points, to 74.59) and the year’s largest single-month drop from October to November 2025 (−19.66 points, to 35.76). June marked another clear trough at 46.25, after which costs rebounded into late summer before easing again into October.
Volatility defined the category: average month-to-month absolute movement was 11.2 points for Retail, versus 4.23 for the global all-industry benchmark—roughly 2.6x more turbulent. The baseline itself traced a calmer arc, peaking at 47.62 in September and finishing at 28.58 in November 2025.
Seasonal contours are visible, if uneven. Q4 2024 was costly for Retail (average 68.8 in November–December), consistent with heightened end-of-year competition. Q1 2025 cooled to a 57.5 average, with February standing out (64.11) amid otherwise softer winter levels. Q2 2025 was the most elevated quarter on average (61.3) due to April’s spike, but it quickly gave way to a June low (46.25). Q3 settled into the upper-50s to low-60s (average 57.9), then softened through October (55.42). November 2025 diverged from typical Q4 pressure, dropping to the series low and pulling Q4 2025 down to a 45.6 average.
Across all months, Retail CPL exceeded the global benchmark by an average of 47% (58.4 vs. 39.8). The premium was widest in April 2025, when Retail nearly doubled the market (+97%), and it narrowed most in June (+13%). Mid-year was the closest alignment with the market; late 2024 and early spring 2025 were the most elevated periods. From November to November, the global benchmark fell 31% (41.51 to 28.58), while Retail declined 53%—a steeper reset that, coupled with higher volatility, underscores Retail’s more erratic cost environment. The market climbed steadily from March to September (+43%), while Retail’s path alternated between spikes and pullbacks before a late-year slide.
Facebook Ads benchmarks for Cost Per Lead in Retail across all countries indicate a year marked by high early costs, a spring peak, and a late-year reset, consistently above the global benchmark but with sharper swings. Understanding Retail CPL trends—alongside CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance—helps situate country-agnostic ad costs within broader, global industry ad performance patterns.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Facebook advertising costs vary based on many factors including industry, target audience, ad placement, and campaign objectives. In the Retail industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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All data is sourced from over $3B in Facebook ad spend, collected across thousands of ad accounts that use Superads daily to analyze and improve their campaigns. Every data point is fully anonymized and aggregated—no individual advertiser is ever exposed.
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A good CPL usually ranges from $10 to $50, depending on your industry and target audience. B2C offers tend to be cheaper, while B2B or high-ticket services may see CPLs over $100.
Your CPL could be high due to weak creative, irrelevant targeting, or an offer that doesn't resonate. Low engagement or poor conversion rates on your landing page can also drive up costs.
Yes. Campaigns optimized for conversions or leads tend to generate cheaper and more qualified leads compared to traffic or engagement objectives. Facebook needs clear signals to find the right users.
Focus on improving your offer, targeting the right audience, and using high-converting creative. Test native lead forms, but make sure you're still qualifying users properly.
If your goal is sales or revenue, optimizing for deeper funnel conversions is better. Optimizing for leads alone can inflate volume but hurt quality.
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