Last updated November 4, 2026
CAC is total marketing and sales spend divided by the number of new customers acquired. If a company spends $5,000 on a PPC campaign that results in 50 sales, it spent $100 to bring in each customer. In the sections below, we break down CAC by industry, show how it relates to lifetime value, and outline the customer acquisition funnel strategies that lower it.
In the table below, we break down average CAC for each of the 13 eCommerce industries in our dataset.
Average CAC for eCommerce Companies by Industry, 2026
| Industry | Average CAC |
| Advertising Specialty / Promotional | $64 |
| Automotive Parts | $78 |
| Beauty / Personal Care | $77 |
| Cannabis / CBD | $72 |
| Consumer Electronics | $76 |
| Fashion / Apparel | $79 |
| Food & Beverage | $61 |
| Furniture | $78 |
| Household Goods | $58 |
| Jewelry | $91 |
| Medical | $87 |
| Sporting Goods | $67 |
| Toys / Hobbies / DIY | $59 |
Our researchers took three main points from this data:
- We found Jewelry the most expensive category at $91, followed by Medical at $87.
- Our data showed Household Goods at $58 and Toys / Hobbies / DIY at $59 as the two least expensive categories.
- We found an average of $73 across the 13 industries, with a $33 gap between the highest and lowest.
Understanding the LTV to CAC Ratio
CAC tells a company what a customer costs, and lifetime value (LTV) shows what that customer returns. eCommerce companies typically aim for an LTV to CAC ratio of approximately 3:1. In the table below, we show how to read the ratio.
LTV to CAC Ratio Interpretation, 2026
| LTV to CAC Ratio | What It Suggests |
| Significantly below 3:1 | Acquisition may be too costly, unless this is part of a long-term company strategy |
| Approximately 3:1 | The standard target for eCommerce companies |
| Significantly above 3:1 | The company can likely afford to spend more on growth |
Two points from our analysis:
- We recommend calculating the ratio on an annual basis so seasonal swings do not distort it.
- We suspect repeat purchases matter most in lower-priced categories, where a first order leaves less margin to cover acquisition.
Customer Acquisition Strategies to Lower eCommerce CACs
The most effective way to improve the ratio is to reduce what each customer costs. The best way to lower CACs is by investing in organic marketing channels. Among those, we have found SEO to be the highest-ROI option.
Our research-based recommendations follow from that finding:
- We recommend publishing high-quality content that targets buying-intent searches, such as a blog article comparing a variety of products.
- We recommend that content be repurposed across email and social channels to spread its cost.
- We recommend pairing organic work with an experienced agency where in-house capacity is limited.
Requesting a Copy of This Report
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- First Page Sage Research Study. First Page Sage. November 2026. San Francisco, California.
- Average CAC by Ecommerce Vertical 2026. Eightx. June 2026.
- LTV:CAC Ratio Benchmarks 2026. Foundry CRO. 2026.
- Customer Acquisition Cost Trends: 2026 Report. Focus Digital. 2026. Greensboro, North Carolina.
