Industry vs industry
Updated 2026-10-21
E-commerce vs Retail Advertising Benchmarks
E-commerce vs Retail — CPC: $4.14 vs $4.14 • CPM: $9.00 vs $7.50 • CPA: $49.40 vs $49.40. 2026 advertising benchmarks.
E-commerce
CPA$49.40
CPC$4.14
CPM$9.00
vs
Retail
CPA$49.40
CPC$4.14
CPM$7.50
Amber underline marks the lower cost on each metric. Ties get neither. Industry swatches are uncolored — these are categories, not brands.
Quick comparison
Quick Comparison
Delta reads left to right: how E-commerce compares to Retail.
| Metric | E-commerce | Retail | Δ E-commerce vs Retail | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost Per Acquisition | $49.40 | $49.40 | 0% | Cost to acquire one conversion in this industry. |
| Cost Per Thousand Impressions | $9.00 | $7.50 | +20% | Cost to buy 1,000 impressions. |
| Cost Per Click | $4.14 | $4.14 | 0% | Cost per click across the industry mix. |
| Conversion Rate | 4.01% | 4.01% | 0% | Board conversion rate for the industry. |
| Competitiveness | High | High | — | How crowded the auction is relative to other verticals. |
Top platforms
Top Advertising Platforms
E-commerce
Meta Ads
Google Ads PPC
Google Display Network
Retail
Meta Ads
Google Display Network
Programmatic Display
Under the hood
How each industry buys
E-commerce
- Profile
- Online retail and shopping - typically lower CPA due to shorter sales cycles
- Competitiveness
- High
- Conversion rate
- 4.01%
Retail
- Profile
- Physical retail stores - often combines online and offline tracking
- Competitiveness
- High
- Conversion rate
- 4.01%
Verdict
When to Use Each Platform
Lean E-commerce when…
- Your product looks like e-commerce
Lean Retail when…
- Your product looks like retail
FAQ
Related Comparisons
Which industry is cheaper to advertise in?
E-commerce CPA is $49.40 versus Retail at $49.40. Cheaper CPA is not always the better buy — conversion rate and deal size still decide.
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