There is no universal POAS target by category
A category name does not establish a target. The right question is what contribution remains after product costs, fulfilment, returns and payment fees, relative to ad spend, and what the business needs in cash and customer acquisition. Published category medians are not available here, so the figures previously on this page have been withdrawn.
Fashion and apparel
Returns, size availability, markdowns and seasonal stock can change the contribution left by an attributed sale. Compare products after returns, not on gross revenue alone.
Beauty and skincare
Repeat purchase may matter, but a projected customer lifetime value is not cash received today. Test acquisition economics against observed cohorts and payback.
Supplements and subscriptions
Replenishment and cancellation behaviour affect what a new customer is worth. Check realised retention and the timing of cash before accepting first-order losses.
Home and furniture
Bulky delivery, damage and returns can move contribution far from catalogue gross margin. Long consideration also means attributed sales are not necessarily incremental.
Food and drink
Shelf life, packaging, delivery and waste can constrain contribution. Evaluate each basket and its fulfilment costs rather than borrowing another category's target.
Set a target for your own business
Start with your recorded revenue and variable costs, then compare contribution before advertising with spend. Account for overhead separately and test whether customer acquisition and inventory decisions make commercial sense. Check the cash cycle and whether reported sales are incremental. Do not translate an illustrative category range into a bid target.
For the formula and your own inputs, use the POAS calculator. For the difference between measures, read POAS, MER and ROAS compared. Those pages cover calculation and measurement; this page focuses on why category economics differ.