| Metric | Benchmark | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat purchase rate (DTC) | 20-30% typical; 30-40% strong for non-consumables; 40%+ strong for consumables; 50%+ exceptional | The share of customers who buy again. Track it over 30, 90, 180 and 365-day windows, and by cohort: a blended repeat rate is a vanity number. |
| Electronics and accessories | 10-20% over 365 days; 12-36 month repurchase cycle | A long replacement cycle, so cross-selling accessories matters more than re-buying the product. |
| Home and lifestyle | 15-25% over 365 days; 6-12 month cycle | Grow the relationship sideways, into new product lines, because re-buying the same item is rare. |
| Apparel and fashion | 20-35% over 365 days; 60-180 day cycle | Repeat is about desire and seasonality, not replenishment. |
| Beauty and skincare | 30-45% over 365 days; 60-90 day cycle | Routine and replenishment drive it. |
| Baby and kids | 35-50% over 365 days; 30-90 days for consumables, 90-180 for apparel | Map products to developmental stages. |
| Supplements and wellness | 35-50% over 365 days; 30-60 day cycle | Habit and efficacy drive it, and subscription works well here. |
| Pet products | 35-55% over 365 days; 30-60 day cycle | Replenishment plus emotional loyalty. Consumables run higher, accessories lower. |
| Food and beverage | 40-60% over 365 days; 7-30 day cycle | Make reordering a habit. |
| 90-day repeat (consumables) | 30%+ | For consumables, a 90-day repeat rate north of roughly 30% can be a strong sign of product-market fit. |
| Subscription churn | Replenishment 5-8%, supplements 7-10%, curation boxes 10-15%+ a month | Treat 5-10% as a blended starting range, not a universal target. Top quartile runs a few points under typical: under 5% for replenishment, 7% for supplements and 10% for boxes. |
| Cancel save rate | 15-25% | Skip, swap and pause options convert 30-40% of would-be cancellations. Payment failures cause 20-40% of all subscription churn, so aim to recover 60%+ of failed payments. |
How to use these benchmarks
These ranges are directional, not guarantees. They are drawn from The DTC Playbook and Rob Ward's operating experience taking Quad Lock from $0 to a $500M exit, cross-checked against widely cited DTC data. The point is not the exact number - it is whether you sit above or below it, and what to do about the gap. Judge yourself against your own category and trend as well.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Benchmarks are refreshed as the playbook is updated.
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