Facebook Ads Cost Per Purchase Benchmarks for Retail

Introduction

Retail’s cost per purchase stayed consistently cheaper than the market all year, with a clear seasonal arc: a gentle lift into December, a sharp January peak, then a steady ease through mid‑year before stabilizing and ticking up again in October. Across all countries, Retail maintained a sizable cost advantage versus the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, with narrower gaps late in the period. Volatility was moderate, with fewer sharp swings than the global composite, and standout moments clustered around the turn of the year.

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.

The story in the data

Retail cost per purchase averaged $36.67 across the period, beginning at $33.30 in November 2024 and ending at $37.10 in October 2025. The high came in January at $41.38; the low sat in November at $33.30 (June was close at $33.48). That sets a $8.08 range—tighter than the broader market.

Month to month, the sharpest move was December to January, when CPP jumped by $6.89 (+20%), followed by a swift correction in February (−$3.75, −9%). The late‑spring reset saw another notable drop from May to June (−$3.38, −9%). After June’s trough, CPP hovered in a narrower band through Q3, then lifted into October (+$2.03, +6% from September).

Volatility averaged $2.41 in absolute monthly change, pointing to steadier month‑over‑month rhythm than the global benchmark. Quarterly pacing underscored the arc: Q1 averaged $39.27, Q2 dipped to $36.66, Q3 settled at $35.77, and October suggested a firmer Q4 start at $37.10.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

Seasonality showed up cleanly for Retail across all countries:

• Late Q4 (Nov–Dec) was relatively soft (avg ~$33.89), with a pronounced spike in January as conversion costs climbed to the yearly high.
• From January’s peak, CPP eased through early summer, reaching its mid‑year floor in June.
• Q3 was a holding pattern, with CPP clustered between $35–$37, signaling stable conversion pricing.
• October reopened Q4 with a modest uptick, consistent with tightening competition and higher conversion costs heading into year‑end.

This rhythm mirrors familiar patterns in industry ad performance: heightened purchase costs at the turn of the year, mid‑year relief, and renewed pressure into the holiday build.

Country vs. Global

Relative to the global benchmark across all industries, Retail across all countries was consistently below market. Retail’s average CPP of $36.67 trailed the global average of $49.33 by about 26%. The gap was widest in December (−31%) and tightest in October (−14%), a dollar spread that ranged from −$16.20 (February) to −$6.23 (October). In every month, Retail remained below the global CPP.

Trend lines differed as well. The global series rose to a February high of $53.84 and carried a broader $11.23 range, with average monthly volatility of $2.58—slightly choppier than Retail’s $2.41. Over the full window, Retail climbed 12% from November to October, while the global composite gained a modest 2%, reflecting a narrowing late‑year gap as market costs cooled faster than Retail’s.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks for cost per purchase in Retail across all countries shows a clear pattern: consistently below the global market, a January peak, mid‑year relief, and a measured Q4 lift. These CPP trends help frame country‑specific ad costs within a global context and connect to broader CPC trends, CPM analysis, and CTR performance signals for industry ad performance in Retail worldwide.