Repeat-purchase rates by segment
| Segment | Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All e-commerce (average) | 25–30% | Mobiloud |
| DTC average (156K+ customers) | 18.8% | B&S Co |
| CPG consumables (target) | 40–60% | Mobiloud |
| Repurchases within 90 days (of those who return) | ~76% | B&S Co |
Second-purchase probability ladder
| Purchase count | Odds of next purchase | Source |
|---|---|---|
| After 1st purchase | ~27% | Finsi |
| After 2nd purchase | ~45% | |
| After 3rd purchase | ~54% |
Cart abandonment reasons
| Reason | Share of abandoners | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Unexpected shipping / tax / fees | 39% | Baymard |
| Forced account creation | 19% | |
| Don't trust site with card | 19% | |
| Checkout too long / complicated | 18% | |
| Overall abandonment (50 studies) | 70.22% | Baymard |
| Mobile abandonment | ~85% | Statista |
CAC & unit economics
| Metric | Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median DTC CAC | ~$130–$156 | EightX |
| Healthy CAC payback (DTC) | < 6 months | Nine.am |
| LTV:CAC target (mature base) | 3:1 | Burkland / Skok |
| Meta median CPM (2025) | ~$17.73 → ~$25.22 | Right Side Up |
| Repeat customers share of revenue | ~44% from ~21% of base | Mage Loyalty |
Subscription benchmarks
| Metric | Benchmark | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CPG average subscription rate | 5–12% | Industry composite |
| Program-default brands | 30–40% | Dumo Digital client data |
| Skip/swap/pause reduces cancellation | 20–40% | Loop |
| Subscribe when cancellation is easy | 82% more likely | Subscription Insider |
| Billing-three retention (healthy) | > 40% of initial subs | Dumo Digital benchmark |
Related insights
- The second purchase is where CPG brands actually grow
- The psychology of subscription framing
- Checkout friction and cart abandonment
- CAC to LTV when retention is real
- AOV architecture for CPG
- Scaling Meta before fixing the storefront
- AI search and CPG product discovery
Frequently asked questions
What is a good repeat-purchase rate for CPG consumables?
DTC e-commerce averages 25–30% repeat purchase overall; CPG consumables (food, beverage, supplements) should target 40–60% because the product runs out.
What is the average cart abandonment rate?
Baymard compiles 50 studies at 70.22% average abandonment. Mobile runs higher — around 85% vs ~68% on desktop.
What LTV:CAC ratio should a young DTC brand use?
The 3:1 benchmark requires mature cohorts and payback under 12 months. For young brands, CAC payback under 6 months is the more honest scaling signal.
What subscription retention number actually matters?
Billing-three retention — subscribers still active after the third charge. Above ~40% of initial sign-ups is durable; below ~40% means the headline subscription rate is vanity.
Where should I start improving retention?
Calculate 90-day second-purchase rate for customers acquired in the last six months. Below 30% is a structural retention problem no ad spend will fix.
Want help building retention systems against these benchmarks? Work with Dumo Digital — Shopify CRO and Klaviyo retention for CPG brands, rated 4.97/5.