eCommerce PPC Benchmarks 2026
These eCommerce PPC benchmarks are built from original data across Run The Numbers®’s portfolio of UK eCommerce Google Ads accounts. Updated quarterly with fresh performance data so you can measure your campaigns against real results, not industry averages pulled from thin air.
Last updated: April 2026 · Based on aggregate data across Run The Numbers’s managed eCommerce accounts
Average ROAS by Vertical
These figures represent the median Return on Ad Spend across our managed accounts in each vertical. Ranges reflect the spread between accounts at different maturity stages and align broadly with Google’s Shopping ads best practices. New accounts typically sit at the lower end; accounts with 6+ months of optimisation and clean product feeds consistently hit the upper range.
Fashion & Apparel
4x – 6x
Shopping-heavy vertical. Feed quality and imagery drive the biggest variance between accounts.
Home & Garden
5x – 8x
Higher AOV products push ROAS up. Seasonal peaks (spring, Q4) can hit 10x+ with the right strategy.
Health & Beauty
4x – 7x
Repeat purchase rates help here. Subscription products and bundles consistently outperform single-item campaigns.
Sports & Outdoor
6x – 10x
Strong brand loyalty and high intent searches. Niche products with less competition regularly exceed 8x.
Food & Drink
3x – 5x
Lower AOV makes this the tightest vertical. Subscription models and hamper/gift products push toward the upper range.
Google Shopping vs Performance Max
The shift toward Performance Max has been the biggest structural change in eCommerce advertising over the past two years. Here is what we are seeing across our accounts when comparing standard Shopping campaigns against PMax.
Standard Shopping
ROAS: Typically 10-20% higher than PMax for mature, well-structured accounts
Control: Full visibility on search terms, bid adjustments, and negative keywords
Best for: Accounts with strong feed data, established conversion history, and need for granular reporting
Weakness: Limited reach beyond Shopping placements; requires more manual management
Performance Max
ROAS: Competitive with Shopping once the algorithm has 6-8 weeks of data
Control: Limited. Search term reporting is partial; audience signals guide but do not control targeting
Best for: Newer accounts, broad product catalogues, and brands wanting cross-channel reach (YouTube, Display, Discover)
Weakness: Can cannibalise brand traffic; harder to diagnose performance drops
Our approach: we run both. Standard Shopping for top-performing product groups where we want maximum control, and Performance Max for broader catalogue coverage and new customer acquisition. The split depends on your catalogue size, margin structure, and growth goals.
eCommerce PPC Benchmarks: Average CPC Trends
Cost per click varies significantly by vertical, competition level, and campaign type. These eCommerce PPC benchmarks reflect the CPC ranges we see across our UK accounts in 2026.
| Vertical | Shopping CPC | Search CPC | PMax CPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fashion & Apparel | £0.18 – £0.35 | £0.45 – £1.10 | £0.22 – £0.50 |
| Home & Garden | £0.25 – £0.55 | £0.60 – £1.40 | £0.30 – £0.65 |
| Health & Beauty | £0.20 – £0.40 | £0.50 – £1.20 | £0.25 – £0.55 |
| Sports & Outdoor | £0.15 – £0.30 | £0.40 – £0.90 | £0.20 – £0.45 |
| Food & Drink | £0.12 – £0.28 | £0.35 – £0.85 | £0.18 – £0.40 |
CPCs have risen 6-13% year-on-year across most verticals, driven by increased competition and Google’s shift toward AI-powered bidding. The accounts that resist this inflation are the ones with strong feed quality scores and tight negative keyword management.
The Feed Optimisation Impact
Your product feed is the foundation of every Shopping and Performance Max campaign. Poor feed data means poor results, regardless of how clever your bidding strategy is. Here is what we see when we rebuild feeds through proper product feed optimisation using DataFeedWatch.
Before Feed Optimisation
3.2x
Average ROAS across accounts before feed rebuild. Titles are auto-generated, descriptions are thin, and custom labels are non-existent.
After Feed Optimisation
4.3x
Average ROAS after optimised titles, enriched descriptions, strategic custom labels, and proper GTIN/brand mapping. A 34% improvement from feed changes alone.
Feed optimisation is the single highest-ROI activity in eCommerce PPC. It costs nothing in additional ad spend and improves every campaign that touches your product data. If you have not had a professional feed audit, you are leaving performance on the table.
Frequently asked questions
How often are these benchmarks updated?
We update this data quarterly. Each refresh pulls from the latest 90 days of performance across our managed accounts. We exclude outlier months (like Black Friday) from the baseline figures so the numbers reflect sustainable, repeatable performance rather than seasonal spikes.
How many accounts is this data based on?
We aggregate data across all actively managed eCommerce accounts in our portfolio. We do not disclose exact account numbers to protect client confidentiality, but these benchmarks represent a meaningful sample of UK eCommerce businesses across the verticals shown.
My ROAS is below these benchmarks. What should I do?
Start with a free ads analysis. We will look at your account structure, feed quality, search term reports, and conversion tracking to identify where the gaps are. Most accounts we audit have at least one significant issue that is suppressing ROAS, and it is usually fixable within the first 30 days.
Do these benchmarks include brand traffic?
No. Brand campaigns artificially inflate ROAS figures and make comparisons meaningless. All benchmarks shown here are non-brand only, covering generic Shopping, Search, and Performance Max campaigns. If someone quotes you a 15x ROAS without specifying brand versus non-brand, ask questions.
Are these benchmarks relevant to my business size?
Our client base ranges from £1,000 to £30,000 monthly ad spend. The benchmarks apply most directly to businesses in that range. Enterprise accounts with six-figure monthly budgets operate in a different competitive environment and should benchmark differently.
See how your campaigns measure up
eCommerce PPC benchmarks give you a useful reference point, but they do not tell you what is wrong with your specific account. Get a free, no-obligation analysis of your Google Ads performance and we will show you exactly where you stand against these figures.