---
title: DTC Apparel & Fashion benchmarks | RGM®
url: https://realgrowthmatters.com/tools/benchmarks/industry/dtc-apparel/
updated: 2026-06-10
source_html: https://realgrowthmatters.com/tools/benchmarks/industry/dtc-apparel/
---

[Home](/) · [Tools](/tools/) · [Benchmarks](/tools/benchmarks/) · DTC Apparel & Fashion

### Snapshot

Direct-to-consumer apparel — fast fashion to premium. Highly seasonal; creative cadence is the rate-limiter. Returns and discount cadence are core unit-economics levers.

## Key benchmarks · 2026

Avg blended CVR

1.8–3.2%

AOV

$65–95

Target CAC

$35–55

Healthy ROAS

2.8–4.5x

Payback period

60–120 days

Repeat-purchase rate (12 mo)

32–48%

Return rate

12–22%

Gross margin (typical)

55–68%

## Channel mix notes

Keep going · Free training

### DTC & E-commerce Growth

DTC unit economics get tight fast. Master them — RGM's DTC training covers MER, CAC payback, creative cadence, and the retention math that makes scale possible. Free.

[Start the training →](/training/)

Reels + TikTok drive the bulk of new-customer acquisition. Email lifecycle is the highest-ROAS channel post-purchase. Pinterest is uniquely strong for save-to-purchase journeys with longer measurement windows.

## Primary channels for this industry

[**Meta (Facebook & Instagram)**Platform benchmarks](/tools/benchmarks/platforms/meta/)[**TikTok**Platform benchmarks](/tools/benchmarks/platforms/tiktok/)[**Pinterest**Platform benchmarks](/tools/benchmarks/platforms/pinterest/)[**Google Search**Platform benchmarks](/tools/benchmarks/platforms/google-search/)

**Build a media plan for this industry:** Use the [budget allocator](/tools/budget-allocator/), [CAC payback calculator](/tools/cac-payback-period-calculator/), and [LTV:CAC calculator](/tools/ltv-to-cac-ratio-calculator/).