Klaviyo benchmarks 2025 give ecommerce brands a clear picture of where they stand compared to the competition. Instead of guessing whether your open rates, click rates, or revenue per recipient are strong, benchmarks provide real data across industries and regions.
By understanding Klaviyo’s latest benchmarks, you can see if you’re leading the pack or falling behind—and more importantly, what steps to take to improve. These insights help marketers make smarter decisions, optimize automations, and unlock hidden growth opportunities.
In this guide, we’ll break down the most important Klaviyo benchmarks for 2025 and show you how to use them to elevate your email and SMS marketing strategy.
Why Klaviyo Benchmarks Matter
Every ecommerce brand measures performance, but without context, raw numbers can be misleading. A 20% open rate may feel impressive, but is it really good compared to other businesses in your industry? This is where Klaviyo benchmarks become essential. They provide industry-specific averages that act as a reality check, helping you understand whether your results are underperforming, on track, or ahead of the competition.
Industry averages as performance baselines
Benchmarks serve as a baseline to measure against. Instead of guessing, you can compare your open rates, click-through rates, and revenue per recipient to actual industry standards. For example, fashion and apparel brands often have higher engagement rates than electronics retailers. By knowing the averages, you avoid setting goals that are either too low to drive growth or unrealistically high.
Why raw numbers don’t always tell the whole story
Looking at raw campaign metrics in isolation can create a false sense of performance. A campaign that generates 500 clicks might look strong until you realize that your industry’s click-through rate benchmark is 3%, and you only achieved 1.2%. Conversely, what seems like “average” performance could actually place you among top performers. Benchmarks provide that much-needed perspective, making it clear whether you’re ahead or falling behind.
Using benchmarks to prioritize improvements
The biggest advantage of benchmarks is their ability to highlight where to focus. If your open rates are above average but your conversion rates lag, you know the issue isn’t with subject lines but with the checkout or offer strategy. Benchmarks guide prioritization, ensuring you invest time in optimizing the right areas. This data-driven approach prevents wasted effort and helps you move the needle on the metrics that matter most.
In short, Klaviyo benchmarks act as a compass for your ecommerce marketing. They reveal blind spots, keep performance grounded in reality, and provide actionable insights for growth. Without them, brands risk relying on vanity metrics or chasing unrealistic goals.
"Benchmarks aren’t just numbers—they’re the roadmap. With Klaviyo benchmarks 2025, you’ll know exactly where your store stands and how to grow."
Klaviyo Benchmarks 2025: Key Metrics
Klaviyo benchmarks for 2025 give ecommerce marketers a clear snapshot of how campaigns and flows are performing across industries. By looking at these key metrics, you can see not only where you stand but also where the biggest opportunities for growth lie.
Open Rates by Industry
Open rates continue to be a foundational metric, but they vary significantly depending on the sector. In 2025, the average email open rate across Klaviyo users hovers between 25% and 33%, with lifestyle and wellness brands performing at the higher end. What’s considered “good” in 2025 is anything above 30%, which typically places you in the top quartile. Strong subject lines, optimized send times, and recognition of your brand name remain the top drivers.
Click-Through Rates
Click-through rates (CTR) show how well your content inspires action. Across industries, the 2025 average CTR sits at 1.8% to 3.5%, with B2C segments like fashion, beauty, and consumer goods consistently outperforming higher-ticket industries. To improve CTR, personalization is key—dynamic recommendations, tailored discounts, and behavioral triggers deliver far stronger engagement than one-size-fits-all messaging.
Conversion Rates
This is where revenue comes into play. The average ecommerce conversion rate from Klaviyo campaigns in 2025 ranges from 1.5% to 3%, while automated flows (such as abandoned cart or post-purchase series) often perform 2–3 times higher, hitting 4–8% on average. This gap highlights the importance of flows, which leverage timing and personalization to capture intent-driven buyers.
Revenue per Recipient
Among all benchmarks, revenue per recipient (RPR) is the most powerful. The 2025 average sits at $0.08 to $0.22 per recipient for campaigns, with flows achieving higher returns in the $0.25 to $0.60 range. Because RPR accounts for both engagement and conversion, it paints the clearest picture of profitability. Brands that optimize their segmentation and automation typically outperform these averages by 30% or more.
SMS Benchmarks
SMS continues its rapid rise as a performance channel in 2025. Average click-through rates for SMS sit between 8–12%, with conversion rates averaging 3–6%, making it significantly more responsive than email. However, SMS volume is lower, so the channel works best as a complement to email—reaching customers quickly with time-sensitive offers, restock alerts, and personalized reminders.
Together, these benchmarks serve as a scoreboard for ecommerce marketing in 2025. By comparing your performance against these key metrics, you’ll see not only where you excel but also where targeted improvements can deliver the biggest return.
How to Interpret Benchmarks for Your Store
Benchmarks are only useful if you know how to apply them. Instead of treating them as rigid targets, think of Klaviyo benchmarks as a mirror that reflects where your store stands today compared to the wider market. The way you interpret them can determine whether you simply keep pace with competitors or pull ahead.
Looking beyond averages: median vs. top performers
Most benchmark reports share averages, but averages can be deceptive. A few extremely high or low performers can skew the numbers. Instead, pay attention to medians and quartiles. If your store is above the median but below the top 25%, you’re competitive but still have room to grow. Understanding this spectrum helps set expectations realistically while pushing toward best-in-class results.
Setting realistic goals for growth
If your email open rate is currently 18% and your industry benchmark is 28%, the goal shouldn’t be to jump 10% overnight. Instead, set incremental goals—aim for 22% first, then 25%. Benchmarks should guide progress, not create pressure for unrealistic leaps. By tracking performance quarterly, you’ll steadily close the gap.
Segmenting benchmarks by customer lifecycle stage
Not all customers should be measured against the same yardstick. A welcome series for new subscribers will naturally outperform reactivation campaigns for inactive users. Benchmarks need to be applied by lifecycle stage: acquisition, conversion, retention, and winback. This perspective prevents unfair comparisons and helps you recognize strengths in each part of your funnel.
Example of practical interpretation:
- Open rate below industry average but CTR above average: Subject lines need work, but content is engaging.
- High open rates but low conversions: The right audience is seeing your emails, but your offer or landing page isn’t persuasive enough.
- SMS benchmarks outperforming email: Time-sensitive campaigns may be better suited for SMS, while email handles long-form content and storytelling.
By learning to interpret benchmarks with nuance, you avoid misjudging your store’s performance and instead uncover specific, actionable opportunities for growth.
Tips to Improve if You’re Below Benchmark
Falling short of Klaviyo’s benchmarks doesn’t mean your campaigns are failing—it simply highlights where there’s room to improve. The good news is that even small optimizations can produce significant gains. Here are proven strategies to help close the gap and move closer to top-performing brands.
Optimizing subject lines and send times
Subject lines remain the single most important factor in open rates. Keep them short, relevant, and curiosity-driven. A/B test emotional triggers, questions, and urgency to see what resonates with your audience. Pair this with data-driven send times; Klaviyo’s predictive analytics can automatically deliver emails when each subscriber is most likely to open.
Segmentation and personalization strategies
If your click-through or conversion rates lag, the problem is often relevance. Broad campaigns treat all subscribers the same, but not every customer has the same intent. Break down your audience into meaningful groups—first-time buyers, repeat purchasers, cart abandoners, or high-value customers—and send personalized offers. Even basic personalization, like referencing a recently viewed product, can lift CTR significantly.
Testing automation flows for better ROI
Benchmarks consistently show that flows outperform campaigns. If your metrics are below standard, examine whether your automated flows are active and optimized. Start with essentials like welcome series, abandoned cart, post-purchase follow-ups, and winback flows. Test variations in timing, incentives, and design. Often, the biggest improvements come from automation, not one-off campaigns.
Additional quick wins to boost performance:
- Clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers and improve deliverability.
- Use SMS strategically for flash sales, restock alerts, and time-sensitive offers.
- Add clear, compelling calls-to-action in every campaign.
- Analyze top-performing emails and replicate elements that worked—such as layout, tone, or offer type.
By systematically addressing each weak point—whether it’s opens, clicks, or conversions—you’ll move closer to or even surpass Klaviyo’s benchmarks. Consistency matters: regular testing and refinement build compounding improvements over time.
Common Mistakes with Benchmarks
While Klaviyo benchmarks are powerful tools, many brands misuse them and end up with skewed expectations or wasted effort. Avoiding these common mistakes will ensure benchmarks guide your growth rather than mislead your strategy.
Comparing across irrelevant industries
One of the biggest pitfalls is benchmarking against the wrong category. A jewelry brand comparing its conversion rates to a subscription-based software company will always feel underwhelmed. Benchmarks must be matched to your industry, product type, and sales model to be meaningful.
Treating benchmarks as fixed targets
Benchmarks are averages, not finish lines. Hitting the “industry average” is not the ultimate goal—it’s simply a baseline. Top performers consistently exceed averages by 20–40%. Instead of stopping when you hit the benchmark, use it as motivation to keep improving.
Ignoring brand-specific audience behavior
Every customer base is different. A luxury skincare brand with a niche audience will naturally have lower list size and engagement patterns compared to a mass-market fashion retailer. If you rely too heavily on generic benchmarks, you risk ignoring your unique audience insights. Balance industry data with brand-specific trends to get the clearest picture.
Other frequent missteps include:
- Overreacting to short-term dips without considering seasonal factors.
- Failing to segment benchmarks by campaign type (flows vs. one-off campaigns).
- Using benchmarks to justify poor performance rather than to identify improvement opportunities.
Benchmarks are a guide, not a rulebook. The smartest brands combine them with their own data to build realistic, actionable strategies that move performance beyond “average” into “exceptional.”
Breaking Through “Average”: Why Benchmarks Are Only the Starting Point
Benchmarks are valuable, but treating them as the finish line limits growth. Many ecommerce brands discover that while they’re “average,” they’re also leaving significant revenue on the table. This case study shows how benchmarks can be a springboard to outperform competitors.
Case Study: From Below Average to Top Performer
Situation:
A mid-size home décor retailer noticed their Klaviyo dashboard showed open rates at 19%—well below the industry benchmark of 28%. Click-through rates were also stuck at 1.1%.
Problem:
The team relied on generic newsletters sent to the full list, with no segmentation or optimization of subject lines.
Steps:
They began A/B testing subject lines, segmented their list into active and inactive subscribers, and built three automated flows: welcome, abandoned cart, and winback. They also layered in SMS reminders for time-sensitive offers.
Results:
Within 90 days, open rates rose to 31%, CTR nearly doubled to 2.2%, and revenue per recipient grew 3.5x compared to their pre-optimization baseline.
Data: The 2025 Picture
- Klaviyo’s 2025 benchmark report shows: segmented campaigns average 29% open rates, while unsegmented blasts lag at 18–20%.
- Automated flows deliver: 2.5–3x higher conversion rates than standard campaigns.
- Brands that actively test subject lines see: 15–20% improvements in engagement within six months.
These numbers highlight the clear advantage of applying benchmarks as a guide, not an endpoint.
Perspective: Perception vs. Reality
What people think: “If my metrics are close to benchmarks, I’m doing fine.”
Reality: Benchmarks are medians—by definition, half of brands are doing better. Settling for “average” means leaving growth potential untapped.
Why: Top performers use benchmarks as a health check, then dig deeper into their own data to set higher, brand-specific goals. That’s where compounding improvements happen.
Summary and Implications
Benchmarks provide the map, but your store’s data is the compass. By interpreting benchmarks as a starting point and layering in brand-specific insights, you can leap from “average” to “exceptional.” The key takeaway: don’t chase benchmarks—use them to identify gaps, prioritize improvements, and push for top-quartile performance.
FAQs
Klaviyo benchmarks often raise questions for ecommerce marketers who want to understand how to measure their performance. Below are the most common questions and straightforward answers to help you make the most of benchmark data.
Klaviyo benchmarks are performance averages based on millions of emails and SMS messages sent across different industries. They’re calculated by analyzing anonymized data from Klaviyo users, segmented by industry, region, and company size, giving you reliable baselines to compare against.
In 2025, the average open rate across most industries is 25–33%, with anything above 30% generally considered strong. However, “good” depends on your sector—industries like wellness and lifestyle often outperform higher-ticket categories like electronics.
First, identify your industry category in Klaviyo’s benchmark report. Then compare your open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and revenue per recipient against those averages. Pay attention to quartiles (median vs. top 25%) so you know if you’re simply meeting expectations or approaching best-in-class performance.
Yes. SMS benchmarks are typically much higher because of the immediacy and visibility of text messaging. In 2025, SMS campaigns see average click-through rates of 8–12% and conversion rates of 3–6%, far exceeding email performance on a per-send basis.
Start with small, high-impact changes: test subject lines, optimize send times, and clean your list for better deliverability. Next, build automated flows like abandoned cart or winback sequences, which often outperform campaigns. Finally, personalize messages with segmentation—targeting different customer groups with offers and content relevant to their behavior.
Author’s Review
Klaviyo benchmarks 2025 are more than just numbers—they’re a practical toolkit for ecommerce marketers who want clarity, focus, and growth. Having worked with dozens of brands, I’ve seen firsthand how benchmarks shift vague performance data into actionable insights. Here’s my detailed review:
Data Accuracy: ★★★★★
The benchmarks are built on billions of email and SMS sends across industries, making them one of the most reliable datasets available. Because the numbers are updated annually, they reflect real-world conditions, not outdated statistics.
Practical Usefulness: ★★★★★
Benchmarks make it easy to identify weak points. If open rates are fine but conversions are lagging, you know to focus on offers or checkout flow. This turns guesswork into a step-by-step roadmap for optimization.
Revenue Impact: ★★★★★
Brands that align their strategies with benchmarks consistently see higher revenue per recipient. In my experience, those who act on benchmark insights improve RPR by 20–40% within six months, especially by strengthening flows like abandoned cart and post-purchase.
Ease of Access: ★★★★★
Klaviyo’s benchmark reports are easy to navigate. You can filter by industry, region, and company size, which prevents irrelevant comparisons and ensures you’re measuring against peers that truly matter.
Support & Guidance: ★★★★★
Beyond the data, Klaviyo offers practical recommendations. Their playbooks, case studies, and community support make it clear how to go from “average” to “top performer.” The guidance alongside benchmarks is often as valuable as the numbers themselves.
Overall Verdict
Klaviyo benchmarks 2025 aren’t just metrics—they’re a competitive advantage. They help you understand where you stand, reveal where to improve, and provide the tools to get there. For any ecommerce marketer serious about growth, these benchmarks are an indispensable resource.
Conclusion
Klaviyo benchmarks 2025 are an essential compass for ecommerce growth. They give context to your numbers, highlight opportunities for improvement, and set realistic yet ambitious goals for your store. By focusing on three main points—using industry averages as baselines, interpreting metrics in context, and applying benchmarks to prioritize improvements—brands can transform performance from average to exceptional.
The answer to the main question—why do Klaviyo benchmarks matter?—is simple: they turn raw data into actionable insights. Instead of guessing whether your email or SMS campaigns are effective, you can measure against real-world standards and confidently chart a path forward.
Pro tip: Don’t stop at the averages. Aim for top-quartile performance, test continuously, and let segmentation and automation drive results beyond the benchmark.
If this guide helped you understand how to leverage Klaviyo benchmarks, share it with your team or fellow marketers. The more ecommerce brands that use benchmarks effectively, the higher the standard for customer engagement will rise in 2025 and beyond.