28 E-commerce Email Benchmarks Statistics

Data-driven insights into open rates, click-through rates, deliverability, and revenue impact for Klaviyo users and DTC brands

E-commerce email marketing remains the highest-ROI channel available to brands, yet 1 in 6 emails never reach the inbox. This deliverability gap represents millions in lost revenue for brands struggling with Gmail's Promotions tab placement. Leading e-commerce companies using Mailmend's inbox placement technology report 50-100% increases in email revenue by moving campaigns from the Promotions tab to the Primary inbox—without changing email content, copy, or technical infrastructure.

Key Takeaways

• E-commerce email ROI leads all channels – US merchants can achieve a $68 per dollar spent on email marketing, outperforming every other marketing channel

• Open rates determine revenue potential – E-commerce emails average 29.81% open rates, but inbox placement can push this above 40%

• Automated emails dominate revenue generation – Automated flows generate 30x more revenue per recipient than campaign emails while representing only 2% of sends

• Deliverability issues directly impact revenue – 64.6% of businesses report email deliverability problems have hurt their revenue or customer retention

• Cart abandonment emails recover lost sales – Abandoned cart emails achieve 44.76% opens and recover 10-20% of lost purchases

• Segmentation multiplies engagement – Segmented campaigns generate 30% more opens and 50% more clicks than unsegmented emails

• Welcome emails outperform all other types – Welcome series generate 320% more revenue than standard promotional emails

E-commerce Email Open Rate Benchmarks

1. E-commerce emails average 29.81% open rates

Mailchimp's analysis of billions of emails reveals e-commerce brands achieve 29.81% open rates, placing the industry slightly below the cross-industry average. This benchmark establishes a baseline for measuring performance improvements from deliverability optimization. Brands landing in the Primary inbox consistently exceed this average.

2. Industry-wide average open rate sits at 42.35%

MailerLite's analysis of over 3.3 million campaigns reveals the all-industry average open rate is 42.35%, placing e-commerce's 31.08% median among the lowest-performing verticals. This gap represents significant upside potential for brands that improve inbox placement and engagement strategies.

3. Open rates increased from 25.16% to 29.44% in 2024

Omnisend's year-over-year analysis shows email open rates rose from 25.16% to 29.44% throughout 2024, indicating improved sender practices and deliverability awareness. This upward trend benefits brands investing in inbox placement optimization ahead of competitors.

4. Personalized subject lines boost open rates by 26%

Research confirms that personalized subject lines increase open rates by 26% compared to generic alternatives. This improvement compounds with primary inbox placement—personalized emails in the Primary inbox dramatically outperform promotional tab placement.

Click-Through Rate Benchmarks for E-commerce

5. E-commerce click rates average 1.74%

Mailchimp data establishes 1.74% click rate as the e-commerce email benchmark, providing a baseline for measuring CTR optimization efforts. Brands achieving primary inbox placement report click rates 40-70% above this average.

6. Click-to-open rates average 4.55% for e-commerce

MailerLite reports e-commerce brands achieve a 4.55% click-to-open rate, measuring the percentage of openers who click. This metric isolates content effectiveness from deliverability, helping brands identify whether open rates or content engagement need improvement.

7. Segmented emails generate 50% more clicks

Campaign Monitor research confirms segmented campaigns produce 50% more clicks than unsegmented sends. Combined with inbox placement optimization, segmentation creates multiplicative engagement improvements that translate directly to revenue.

8. Click-to-conversion rates grew 27.6% in 2024

Omnisend's analysis shows click-to-conversion rates increased 27.6% year-over-year, indicating improved targeting and offer relevance. This metric matters most for revenue—getting clicks that convert requires both engagement and proper inbox visibility.

Klaviyo Email Marketing Benchmarks

9. Klaviyo analyzed 167,000+ customer accounts for 2025 benchmarks

Klaviyo's benchmark data draws from 167,000+ accounts, making it the most comprehensive e-commerce email dataset available. This sample size provides reliable performance targets for brands measuring against industry standards.

10. Abandoned cart flows generate $3.07 revenue per recipient

Klaviyo's data reveals abandoned cart email flows produce $3.07 revenue per recipient on average, establishing this automation as the highest-value email type. Brands using Mailmend's case studies report even higher RPR when cart emails reach the Primary inbox.

11. Welcome series achieve $2.35 revenue per recipient

Welcome email flows generate $2.35 per recipient on average across Klaviyo accounts. This high-value automation benefits significantly from primary inbox placement, as first impressions determine long-term subscriber engagement.

12. Automated emails generate 30x more revenue per recipient

Klaviyo's analysis confirms automated email flows produce 30x more revenue per recipient than campaign emails. This dramatic difference underscores the importance of ensuring automated flows reach the Primary inbox where they generate maximum impact.

13. Automated emails represent only 2% of sends but drive 37% of revenue

Despite comprising just 2% of email volume, automated emails drove 37% of all email-generated sales in 2024. This efficiency makes automation deliverability a critical revenue lever for e-commerce brands.

Email Deliverability Impact on Benchmarks

14. Average email deliverability rate sits at 83.1%

EmailToolTester's analysis of 15 major ESPs reveals an 83.1% deliverability rate, meaning nearly 17% of sent emails never reach any inbox folder. This baseline loss compounds with Promotions tab placement to significantly reduce email visibility.

15. 10.5% of emails land in spam folders

Testing confirms 10.5% land in spam on average, representing complete revenue loss from those sends. Spam placement differs from Promotions tab issues but often shares root causes in sender reputation and email infrastructure.

16. Gmail inbox placement dropped to 87.2% by Q4 2024

Validity's research shows Gmail inbox placement declined from 89.8% to 87.2% throughout 2024, indicating increasingly aggressive filtering. This trend makes primary inbox optimization more valuable as Gmail tightens categorization algorithms.

17. 64.6% of businesses report deliverability impacts on revenue

Kickbox's survey reveals 64.6% of businesses confirm email deliverability issues have directly hurt revenue or customer retention. This majority experience validates deliverability as a business-critical concern rather than a technical afterthought.

18. 65% of marketers say deliverability is getting harder

Shopify's research confirms 65% of professionals believe email deliverability is becoming more difficult. This increasing challenge creates competitive advantage for brands that solve inbox placement proactively.

Revenue Impact of Email Marketing Benchmarks

19. Email marketing generates $36-$40 ROI per $1 spent

Industry analysis confirms email marketing delivers $36-$40 return for every $1 invested, making it the highest-ROI marketing channel available. This return depends heavily on deliverability—emails that never reach inboxes generate zero return.

20. US e-commerce brands achieve $68 ROI per $1 spent

Omnisend's US-specific data shows e-commerce brands generate a $68 return per $1 spent on email marketing, nearly double the global average. This premium ROI reflects the direct revenue attribution possible in e-commerce email programs.

21. Email accounts for 33% of e-commerce revenue

Analysis shows email drives 33% of e-commerce revenue for optimized brands, establishing it as a primary revenue channel rather than a supplementary tactic. Protecting this revenue stream requires consistent inbox placement.

22. Welcome emails generate 320% more revenue than promotional emails

Research confirms welcome emails produce 320% more revenue than standard promotional sends. This dramatic difference makes welcome series deliverability a critical priority for maximizing new subscriber value.

23. Three-email cart sequences generated $24.9M vs $3.8M for single emails

Klaviyo's analysis shows cart abandonment sequences with three emails generated $24.9 million compared to $3.8 million for single-email campaigns. This 6x+ revenue difference requires all emails in the sequence to reach the Primary inbox for maximum impact.

Automated Email Performance Benchmarks

24. Abandoned cart emails achieve 44.76% open rates

Cart abandonment emails reach 44.76% opens, dramatically outperforming campaign averages. This high engagement reflects the intent-rich nature of cart abandoners and makes inbox placement particularly valuable for this flow.

25. Welcome emails reach 91.43% open rates

Welcome emails achieve 91.43% opens when properly delivered to engaged new subscribers. This near-universal engagement makes welcome series the highest-stakes deliverability moment in the customer lifecycle.

26. Automated emails achieve 52% higher open rates than campaigns

Omnisend's comparison shows automated emails have 52% higher open rates than scheduled campaign sends. This engagement premium reinforces the importance of optimizing automation deliverability above campaign sends.

27. Automated emails see 332% higher click rates than campaigns

The engagement gap expands further for clicks, with automated emails achieving 332% higher click rates than campaigns. This dramatic difference compounds with proper inbox placement to create significant revenue advantages.

28. The global email marketing market reached $12.33 billion in 2024

Statista reports the email marketing industry hit $12.33 billion in 2024, with projections reaching $18.9 billion by 2028. This growth reflects email's continued dominance as brands invest more in deliverability and optimization.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the current average open rates for e-commerce emails?

E-commerce emails average 29.81% opens according to Mailchimp's analysis. Top-performing brands achieving primary inbox placement consistently exceed 40% opens on campaigns.

How does the Gmail Promotions tab affect e-commerce email benchmarks?

Gmail's Promotions tab significantly reduces email visibility and engagement. With Gmail inbox placement dropping to 87.2% in Q4 2024 and fashion emails landing in Promotions 86.86% of the time, brands face compounding visibility losses that directly impact benchmark performance.

Can improving click-through rate directly increase email revenue?

Absolutely. With click-to-conversion rates growing 27.6% in 2024 and email driving 33% of revenue, CTR improvements translate directly to revenue gains. However, clicks require opens first—making inbox placement the prerequisite for CTR optimization.

How quickly can I see results when trying to boost my email marketing benchmarks?

Content and segmentation changes typically require weeks of testing, but inbox placement optimization can show Day 1 results. Dr. Squatch achieved 112% email revenue increase within 24 hours of implementation, and Ministry of Supply saw 27% open rate improvement and 30% CTR increase within one business day.