Retail Social Media Engagement Rate Benchmarks (2026)
Engagement rate benchmarks for retailers, by category and platform.
Median engagement rate: 2.1%
Last updated · refreshed weekly from Submarine.ai data
| Category | Median eng. rate | YouTube | TikTok | Brands | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electronics, Media & E-commerce | 2.6% | n/a | n/a | 2.6% | 7+ |
| Fashion | 1.4% | n/a | 1.6% | 1.9% | 6+ |
| Grocery & Food Retail | 0.2% | n/a | 0.3% | 0.3% | 10+ |
| Home, Furniture, DIY & Garden | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 1.8% | 10+ |
| Other Retail | 2.7% | n/a | n/a | 5.2% | 5+ |
| Sports Retailer | 2.1% | n/a | 1.2% | 0.7% | 6+ |
Methodology
Engagement rate = engagement ÷ views over the trailing 30 days, per brand, with the median taken across all qualifying brands in each segment. Per-brand breakdowns, percentile distributions, and weekly movement are available inside Submarine.ai.
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Start free trial →Frequently asked questions
What is a good engagement rate for retail brands on social media in 2026?
The median engagement rate for retail brands across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram is 2.1%, measured by Submarine.ai over the last 30 days. If your rate beats the median for your segment in the table on this page, you are doing better than half the brands we track.
How is engagement rate calculated?
Engagement rate = total engagement (likes + comments) divided by total views of a brand's posts over the trailing 30 days, expressed as a percentage. Medians are computed across all qualifying brands in each segment, which makes them robust to outliers.
Where does this data come from?
Submarine.ai continuously monitors official brand channels on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram and computes these benchmarks from millions of real posts. The snapshot refreshes every week.