Understand how your CPM compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Retail CPMs spent most of the year below the broader market, then surged into Q4. Across all countries, median Retail cost per thousand impressions held in a tight $14–$16 band through late summer before lifting in October and spiking to $23.75 in November, narrowing a persistent gap versus the all‑industry global benchmark. Volatility was measured but consistent, with the sharpest move concentrated in the holiday run‑up.
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 compared to the global benchmark.
Against this, the all‑industry global baseline averaged $19.92, ranging from a January low of $17.80 to a November high of $25.47. Its month‑to‑month volatility was similar at $1.20.
Seasonality is clear on both series. Retail CPMs were soft in Q1, found a steady mid‑year equilibrium around the mid‑$15s, and then accelerated sharply in Q4. The October lift signaled tightening inventory, while November delivered the steepest move of the year, consistent with holiday demand. The pattern mirrors the global market, where costs typically rise into late Q3 and peak in Q4 as competition intensifies, with the strongest monthly print also in November.
Averaging the periods highlights the shift: January–September Retail CPMs averaged $15.44, while October–November averaged $20.75—about 34% higher. The global baseline increased from $19.08 in January–September to $23.45 in October–November, a 23% rise.
Retail stayed below market throughout the year but closed the gap late:
Volatility profiles were nearly identical (about $1.2 monthly), suggesting Retail’s lower CPM level—not a more erratic pattern—drove most of the year’s under‑market positioning until the holiday surge.
Facebook Ads benchmarks underscore that CPMs for the Retail industry across all countries averaged $16.26 for the period, below the $19.92 all‑industry global baseline but with a pronounced Q4 catch‑up. This CPM analysis helps frame country‑agnostic, industry ad performance and situates Retail’s country‑specific ad costs within broader Facebook Ads benchmarks. Understanding CPM performance for Retail across all countries clarifies how the channel prices reach during the year and how holiday dynamics reshape the spread versus the global market.
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.
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.
This dataset updates frequently as new ad data flows in. It will only get bigger and better.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
Average cost per click benchmarks across industries
Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
Benchmark click-through rates for Facebook ads
Cost per lead across different markets
Average cost per purchase benchmarks across industries
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