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August 2025 - August 2026
Detailed observation of presented data
Retail click-through-rate (CTR) performance largely started the year above the global benchmark but finished the 13-month window notably below it. 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.
Across July 2025 → July 2026 the Retail median CTR averaged roughly 2.12%, versus a baseline (all industries/all markets) average of about 2.04%. Retail showed a clear holiday peak in December 2025 and a steep slide into mid‑2026, producing sharper month‑to‑month swings than the global pattern.
Retail CTR opened at 2.12% in July 2025 and closed at 1.81% in July 2026 — a decline of about 15.0% from start to finish. The yearly high for Retail was 2.39% (December 2025), and the low was 1.81% (July 2026). The 13‑month mean for Retail was approximately 2.12%; the global baseline mean was about 2.04% — Retail averaged ~0.08 percentage points (≈3.9%) above the overall benchmark across the period.
Key monthly moves: November → December 2025 delivered the largest single-month jump (≈+0.346 points, the holiday lift), then December → January reversed partially (≈−0.126). The deepest decline occurred from June → July 2026 (≈−0.253 points), taking Retail to its trough. Volatility, measured as average absolute monthly change, was ~0.10 percentage points for Retail compared with ~0.08 points for the global baseline — Retail was materially more variable month to month.
There’s a familiar holiday rhythm: a pronounced December spike (2.39% in Retail), consistent with elevated engagement during Q4, followed by a taper into early Q1. Retail CTR held relatively steady through winter and spring (January–May 2026 hovered between ~2.06–2.27%), then softened into a sharp decline in June–July 2026.
The global benchmark also showed seasonality, but with different timing: baseline CTR rose toward mid‑2026 and peaked at 2.34% in July 2026 — a month when Retail was at its weakest. That mismatch created one of the largest month‑by‑month divergences in the dataset.
Viewed comparatively, Retail started the window ~13.7% above the global CTR in July 2025, and stayed above benchmark most months through early 2026. The narrowest positive gap occurred around June 2026 (~+1.8% vs baseline); April 2026 briefly flipped to slight underperformance (~−1.8%). By July 2026 the relationship inverted sharply: Retail trailed the global benchmark by ~22.8% as the baseline spiked while Retail dropped to its low.
Summarizing the relative moves: the global benchmark rose roughly +25% from July 2025 to July 2026, while Retail CTR fell ~−15% over the same interval — a divergent momentum story that increased the spread and produced the largest end‑period gap.
Understanding Facebook Ads click-through-rate benchmarks and CTR performance for Retail across All countries provides a clear view of seasonal peaks, volatility, and how industry ad performance can diverge from broader market trends. This data-driven snapshot of Retail CTR, set against the global baseline, highlights the rhythm and range of country-specific ad costs and CPM analysis implications for cross‑market comparisons.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Click-Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of impressions that resulted in a click on the 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. 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. 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.
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CTR (Click-Through Rate) is the percentage of people who click your ad after seeing it. It's calculated by dividing total clicks by total impressions, then multiplying by 100. A high CTR indicates your ad resonates with your audience and helps improve your relevance score, which can lower your overall costs.
The average Facebook ad CTR across industries sits around 0.90-1.10%. But there's significant variation. Your specific industry, audience targeting, and campaign objectives should determine your benchmark.
Low CTR usually stems from poor audience targeting, weak creative, or a disconnect between your ad content and audience needs. Your ad might simply not be standingo out enough. Check if your visuals grab attention, your copy addresses clear pain points, and your audience targeting aligns with people genuinely interested in your offer.
Yes—but only in context. High CTR is a signal that your creative works, but it doesn't guarantee conversions. Use it alongside other metrics like conversion rate to get the full picture.
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