What are Industry Benchmarks?

The Industry Benchmarks dashboard compares your store's key retention and LTV metrics against anonymized, aggregated data from other Shopify merchants in your industry and currency. This helps you understand whether your performance is above average, on par, or below your peers.

You will find this dashboard under Benchmarks in the sidebar.

How Benchmarking Works

Datadrew calculates benchmarks using anonymized data from all stores on the platform that share your industry category and currency. Your store is compared against three percentile groups:

Percentile	Label	What It Means
P75 and above	Top 25%	Your metric is in the top quartile — you are outperforming most peers
P25 to P75	Average	Your metric is within the middle range — typical performance
Below P25	Bottom 25%	Your metric is in the lowest quartile — there is room for improvement

A minimum of 4 comparable stores is required to generate meaningful benchmarks. If your industry/currency combination has fewer stores, benchmarks may not be available yet.

What Metrics Are Benchmarked

The benchmarks dashboard covers five key areas:

1. Growth Benchmarks

Revenue growth trends compared to your peers, showing month-over-month or quarter-over-quarter performance.

2. LTV Benchmarks

Compare your AOV, 1-month LTV, 3-month LTV, 6-month LTV, and 1-year LTV against industry percentiles. The chart shows your values as a dark line, with colored bands representing the Top 25% (green), Average (yellow), and Bottom 25% (red) ranges.

3. Repeat Customer Benchmarks

Compare your 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 1-year repeat customer percentages against the industry. This tells you if your retention is competitive.

4. Customer Frequency Benchmarks

A radar chart comparing your distribution of 2-timers, 3-timers, 4-5 timers, and 5+ timers against the industry average. This shows whether your customer base is more or less loyal than typical.

5. RFM Segment Benchmarks

Compare your RFM segment distribution (Champions, Loyal, Promising, New Customers, Need Attention, Should Not Lose, Sleepers, Lost) against industry averages. This helps you gauge the overall health of your customer base.

How to Read the Dashboard

Each benchmark section includes:

A chart — Line charts for LTV and retention, radar charts for frequency and RFM. Your data appears as a dark line; industry bands are color-coded.
A comparison table — Click "See Table" to view exact values for You, Top 25%, Average, and Bottom 25% side by side. Your values are color-coded: green (Top 25%), yellow (Average), or red (Bottom 25%).
A metric tip — A summary indicator at a glance telling you where your key metric falls relative to the industry.

Key Insights to Look For

LTV vs Industry — If your 1-year LTV is in the Bottom 25%, focus heavily on retention strategies before scaling acquisition.
Repeat Rate Gap — A low repeat rate compared to peers means you are leaving revenue on the table. Invest in post-purchase email flows and loyalty programs.
Frequency Distribution — If your 2-timer percentage is below average but your 5+ timer percentage is above average, you have a strong loyal core but struggle with converting first-time buyers into repeat customers.
RFM Health Check — A Champions percentage above industry average is a strong signal. A growing "Lost" segment relative to peers is a red flag.

Actions to Take

Use benchmarks to set realistic, data-driven targets for retention and LTV improvement.
If your LTV is below the 50th percentile, prioritize retention over acquisition — it is more cost-effective to grow value from existing customers.
Share benchmark data with your team to create alignment around retention goals.
Revisit benchmarks quarterly to track whether your improvement efforts are moving you up the rankings.

Need help? Contact us at support@datadrew.io or use the in-app chat.