Facebook Ads CPC Benchmarks for Retail in France

Introduction

Retail advertisers in France spent most of the year paying well below the global going rate for Facebook Ads clicks, but with a more jagged path to Q4. CPC began the year at a low base, spiked sharply in March, then climbed steadily through late summer to a November high before easing in December. The standout months were February at the bottom and November at the peak, with a late-year pullback that still closed the year well above where it started. Compared to the global benchmark, France remained consistently cheaper, though the gap narrowed into Q4.

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 in France compared to the global benchmark.

The story in the data

Retail CPC in France averaged 0.50 for the year, with a median of 0.50, ranging from 0.19 in February to 0.79 in November—a more than 4x swing peak-to-trough. The year opened at 0.25 in January and ended at 0.59 in December, a +140% lift from start to finish. The most abrupt move came early: CPC dropped from 0.25 to 0.19 in February, then surged to 0.69 in March (+260% month over month), before retrenching to 0.46 in April (−33%).

From May through September, CPC advanced in smaller steps—0.36 in May and 0.38 in June gave way to 0.45 in July, 0.54 in August, and 0.64 in September—setting up a strong Q4. October reached 0.67, November peaked at 0.79 (the yearly high), and December eased to 0.59 (−25% vs November) while remaining elevated versus the first half. Volatility averaged 0.14 points month to month in France, more than double the global average, highlighting a choppier market even as the overall trajectory trended upward.

Seasonal and monthly dynamics

The pattern for France followed a classic seasonal rhythm with sharper accents: a soft Q1 trough through February, a pronounced March rebound, and a measured build across the summer. Q4 was the priciest period, aligning with wider marketplace pressure as competition intensifies around peak retail moments. Notably, France’s December dip contrasts with the November peak, suggesting late-season CPC relief even as costs stayed above mid-year levels.

Country vs. Global

Against the global Facebook Ads benchmarks, France’s Retail CPC remained materially cheaper throughout the year. France averaged 0.50 versus the global 1.13—about 56% below market. Monthly gaps typically ranged from 40% to 83% below global levels. The widest gap appeared in February (France at 0.19 versus 1.13 globally, −83%), while the narrowest occurred in October and November (France at 0.67–0.79 versus 1.12–1.32, roughly −40%).

The global trend was comparatively steady for most of the year, hovering near 1.10 before a pronounced peak in November (1.32) and a December step-down to 1.05. Globally, CPC ended the year about 6% lower than January, while France closed 140% higher—an inverse momentum. Volatility underscores the difference: France’s average monthly change was 0.14 points versus 0.06 globally, pointing to more pronounced local swings even with a shared Q4 peak-and-cool pattern.

Closing

Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for Retail in France—how CPC trends evolved by month, how volatile the market was, and how far France sat below global country-specific ad costs—helps contextualize industry ad performance against the worldwide baseline. This CPC analysis shows France’s Retail market ran cheaper than global levels, with a strong Q4 and notable intra-year swings that distinguished local dynamics from the global pattern.