Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)E-commerceGrowth

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for E-commerce at Growth

2026 data · Sample size: 225 · Source: CB Insights State of Venture 2025

25th %ile

$75

Median

$111

75th %ile

$158

90th %ile

$259

▲Trending up year-over-year

About This Metric

Total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing, sales, and onboarding expenses.

Total Sales & Marketing Spend / New Customers Acquired

Lower is better · Unit: currency

How to Improve

Shift marketing budget toward product‑led growth motions where the product itself acquires users. Double down on community‑led acquisition by nurturing developer or practitioner communities. Implement lead scoring to focus sales effort on accounts most likely to convert. Negotiate better CPM and CPA rates by consolidating ad platform spend. Explore partnership channels for lower‑cost co‑marketing opportunities.

Ehsan's Analysis

E-commerce CAC has inflated 222% since 2013 according to Profitwell data, and the trend shows no sign of reversing. Meta CPMs are up 89% since 2020. Google Shopping CPCs are up 40%. Most DTC brands now have a blended CAC of $45-65 for a first purchase, which means any product with an AOV under $80 is unprofitable on the first transaction. The brands surviving this environment share a specific strategy: they acquire customers at a loss on a hero product with high repeat potential and recoup through automated email/SMS flows that cost $0.01-0.05 per message. Chewy spends $148 to acquire a pet food customer but recoups within 3 months because pet food is a consumable with 95%+ repeat purchase rates. The question is not "how do we lower CAC" — it is "do we sell something people buy repeatedly?"

Ehsan Jahandarpour

AI Growth Strategist & Fractional CMO

Forbes Top 20 Growth Hacker · TEDx Speaker · 716 Academic Citations · Ex-Microsoft · CMO at FirstWave (ASX:FCT) · Forbes Communications Council

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for E-commerce companies at Growth stage?

The median Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for E-commerce companies at the Growth stage is $111. Top‑quartile companies (75th percentile) significantly outperform this baseline. The most important factor is consistent improvement over time rather than hitting any single target number.

How does Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) differ by company stage in E-commerce?

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) typically decreases as E-commerce companies mature from seed through growth stage. Earlier‑stage companies should benchmark against stage‑appropriate peers rather than comparing themselves to mature companies.

How often should E-commerce companies measure Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)?

E-commerce companies at the Growth stage should track Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) monthly with quarterly deep‑dive analysis. Set up automated dashboards and alerts for significant deviations from your baseline.

What factors most impact Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) in the E-commerce sector?

In E-commerce, the primary factors impacting Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) include product‑market fit maturity, competitive landscape intensity, customer segmentation strategy, pricing optimization, and operational efficiency. Growth‑stage companies should focus on the one or two highest‑leverage factors rather than trying to optimize everything simultaneously.

How does Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for E-commerce compare to cross‑industry benchmarks?

E-commerce Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) benchmarks can differ significantly from cross‑industry averages due to factors specific to the E-commerce vertical including customer acquisition dynamics, competitive intensity, and typical deal sizes. Always compare against industry‑specific benchmarks rather than broad averages for meaningful insights.