Compare CPC benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type.
September 2025 - August 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
Retail cost-per-click (CPC) trended below the global benchmark for most of the 13-month window but carried distinct momentum swings: a fall-to-rebound arc around the year-end and a gradual lift into mid-2026. 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 All countries available compared to the global benchmark.
Retail CPC started at $0.78 in July 2025 and finished at $0.87 in July 2026 — a net rise of roughly 11%. Across the period the Retail median CPC averaged about $0.86, ranging from a low of $0.65 (December 2025) to a peak of $1.12 (November 2025). That is an absolute range of roughly $0.47, representing a peak-to-trough swing near 73% when measured off the low point.
Monthly momentum shows a steady climb from summer into a November 2025 spike (+$0.24 from October), followed by the sharpest single-month drop in the series (−$0.47 into December). After December’s trough the market recovered gradually: January held near $0.67, then a steady ascent through spring into a secondary high of about $1.01 in June 2026 before easing back to $0.87 in July 2026. Average month-to-month absolute movement was roughly $0.11, reflecting meaningful month-level volatility.
Seasonal rhythm is evident: late autumn produced the highest point (November) before an abrupt December decline. The year-end swing is the standout seasonal dynamic — a pronounced spike into November, then a rapid readjustment in December, followed by a multi-month rebound through Q1 and Q2 of 2026. The mid-year period (April–June 2026) shows more sustained uplift, while the final month in the series trimmed some of that gains.
Against the baseline (global) benchmark, Retail CPC in All countries available ran lower the majority of months. The global median averaged about $1.05 over the same interval, meaning Retail’s $0.86 median sat roughly 17–18% below the global level on average. Monthly gaps narrowed through early 2026: the Retail-to-global gap went from about 27–35% below in several winter months to roughly 9–10% below by May–June 2026. Notably, July 2026 inverted that trend — Retail CPC (~$0.87) exceeded the global July baseline (~$0.77) by about 13%. Volatility in Retail (average monthly abs. change ≈ $0.11) was modestly higher than the baseline’s month-to-month movement (~$0.10), indicating slightly choppier behavior relative to the global mix.
Understanding Facebook Ads benchmarks, CPC trends, and CPM analysis in the context of industry ad performance and country-specific ad costs for Retail in All countries available clarifies how seasonal spikes, holiday adjustments, and market-specific volatility shape cost-per-click dynamics.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Retail industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs through regional competition and user engagement. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CTRs. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
The dataset updates as new ad data is available.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
CPC varies by region, industry, and campaign objective. Use the filters to compare benchmarks that match your campaign. The US is one of the more expensive markets.
Audience targeting, industry competition, ad relevance score, and creative performance affect CPC. Low engagement or relevance can increase CPC.
CPC can increase with more competition in your target audience, seasonal trends such as holidays, lower ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check whether your audience is too narrow or your creative is showing fatigue.
Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop CPCs because there is more mobile inventory. Segment performance by placement to see where clicks come from.
For most businesses, conversion optimization produces better ROI than CPC alone. CPC optimization can suit awareness campaigns or content promotion when clicks are the goal.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher because of purchase intent and advertiser competition. Results also depend on the audience and creative.
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