2025 return on ad spend benchmarks across platforms
Retail ROAS in Q4 (Black Friday / holiday) is the year's peak — many retailers achieve 6–10× ROAS during the 3-week window around Black Friday, offsetting leaner Q1 performance.
Typical Retail ROAS falls between 2.5× and 7×.
Note: Break-even ROAS = 1 ÷ gross margin (e.g. 40% margin = 2.5× break-even)
| Platform | ROAS Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Shopping | 5–8× | ⭐ Highest ROAS for retail |
| Google Search | 4–7× | Brand + product queries |
| Meta Ads | 3.5–6× | Catalog + retargeting |
| TikTok | 3–5× | Impulse purchase |
| Display | 2–3.5× | Cart abandoner recovery |
| YouTube | 2–3× | Brand awareness assist |
| Year | Average ROAS |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 3.5× |
| 2023 | 3.7× |
| 2024 | 3.9× |
| 2025 | 4.1× |
| 2026E | 4.4× |
2026E = projected estimate.
| Quarter | Index | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 79 | |
| Q2 | 93 | |
| Q3 | 97 | |
| Q4 | 131 |
Retail advertisers should calculate break-even ROAS before setting targets: 1 ÷ gross margin. At 35% margin, break-even is 2.86×. Target ROAS should be 1.5–2× your break-even to maintain profitability.