Facebook Ads Insights Tool

Facebook Ads CPM Benchmarks for Retail

Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type

CPM (Cost Per Mille) for Retail

October 2024 - October 2025

Insights

Detailed observation of presented data

Key takeaways

  • Based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks, Retail CPM across all countries runs about 13% below the global baseline on average.
  • Clear seasonality: costs surge in Q4 (peaking in December) and soften in January–February, then stabilize with a modest climb into late summer.
  • Volatility is higher in Retail than the global trend: average month-to-month movement is ~2.23 points (~13% of the Retail average) vs ~1.60 points (~8%) globally.
  • Over the full window, Retail CPM rises 19.4% from October 2024 to September 2025, while the global baseline falls 5.0%.

What this analysis covers

This analysis looks at cost-per-thousand-impressions (CPM) trends for industry Retail and target country All countries available compared to the global trend.

Retail CPM overview (selected data)

  • Average CPM: 17.23 across the period.
  • High and low:
  • High: 24.09 in December 2024.
  • Low: 14.30 in February 2025.
  • First-to-last change: up from 15.77 in October 2024 to 18.82 in September 2025 (+19.4%).
  • Volatility:
  • Average month-to-month absolute change: 2.23 points.
  • Largest jump: +6.56 from October to November 2024.
  • Largest drop: −8.78 from December 2024 to January 2025.
  • Notable spikes/dips:
  • Q4 surge: October → November → December accelerates to the annual high.
  • Q1 trough: January–February marks the lowest prices.
  • Gradual rebuild: from March onward CPMs trend upward, reaching 18.82 by September.

Comparison with the global baseline

  • Average CPM: 19.80 globally vs 17.23 for Retail (Retail is ~2.57 lower; ~13% below market).
  • Highs and lows:
  • Global high: 24.67 in November 2024; Retail high is close at 24.09 in December (about 2% lower).
  • Global low: 17.97 in January 2025; Retail dips deeper to 14.30 in February (about 20% lower than the global low).
  • First-to-last change:
  • Global: 20.32 in October 2024 to 19.31 in September 2025 (−5.0%).
  • Retail: +19.4% over the same span, indicating a stronger late-period recovery.
  • Month-by-month positioning:
  • Retail sits below the global CPM in 11 of 12 months; December 2024 is the one exception, where Retail is ~17% above the global value.
  • Volatility:
  • Global average month-to-month absolute change: 1.60 points, below Retail’s 2.23, indicating steadier global pricing.

Seasonal patterns to note

  • Both Retail and the global trend show pronounced Q4 escalation, consistent with holiday buying windows.
  • The sharpest pullback occurs in January, with a further dip in February for Retail, before a steady normalization through spring and a mild lift into late summer.

Understanding cost-per-thousand-impressions benchmarks on Facebook Ads in industry Retail across all available countries helps advertisers make more efficient budget and creative choices.

Understanding the Data

Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs

Cost Per Mille (CPM) is the cost advertisers pay for 1,000 impressions of their Facebook ad. 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.

Why we use median instead of average

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.

Key Factors Affecting Facebook Ad Costs

  • Competition within your selected industry and audience demographics
  • Ad quality and relevance score – higher quality ads can lower costs
  • Campaign objective and bid strategy
  • Timing and seasonality – costs often increase during holiday periods
  • Ad placement (News Feed, Instagram, Audience Network, etc.)

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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The data behind the benchmarks

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.

This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.

What affects CPM rates on Facebook Ads?

CPMs are heavily influenced by competition, seasonality (e.g., Q4 costs more), audience size, and ad quality. Smaller audiences and lower relevance scores often lead to higher CPMs.

Why does my CPM vary so much between campaigns?

Different campaign objectives, bidding strategies, and even time of day can change your CPM. For example, conversion campaigns usually have higher CPMs than traffic ones. Also, broad targeting tends to drive lower CPMs.

What's a competitive CPM for 2025?

In most industries, CPMs range from $5 to $18 depending on the region and objective. Retail and e-comm campaigns often sit at the higher end. Our live data above shows a breakdown by country and industry.

Does audience size or targeting affect CPM more?

Both matter, but audience quality (intent + match with your offer) usually has more impact than pure size. However, extremely tight audiences often lead to expensive CPMs due to limited delivery opportunities.

Should I worry more about CPM or CPC?

Depends on your goal. For awareness, CPM is more relevant. For performance campaigns, CPC and CPA matter more. But all are connected—inefficient CPMs can inflate your entire funnel.