There’s no denying it—high conversion rates are a key marker of success for fashion brands. However, the ideal conversion rate for fashion ecommerce in fashion isn’t always one-size-fits-all. 

At Centra, we’ve spotted some clear patterns around conversion rates, thanks to our laser focus on fashion ecommerce. Our ecommerce conversion rate guide analyzed 500 brands across various fashion verticals, including—but not limited to—apparel, footwear, and jewelry, and crunched the numbers to get the big picture on what factors impact conversion rates. From unexpected connections between page speed and conversions to the impact of payment options and delivery methods, certain factors consistently influence how fashion brands turn browsers into buyers. 

In this blog, we're highlighting what good looks like in terms of conversion rates across multiple fashion verticals, based on our report data. Think of it as your TL;DR version (but trust us, you'll want to grab the full guide too!)

Ecommerce conversion rates vary across fashion verticals

The median conversion rate for all ecommerce stores in our report is 2.4% However, the data reveals that conversion rates vary greatly across specific fashion verticals. For example, the median conversion rate for the home and styling vertical is 1.5%, while the conversion rate for sportswear is 2.8%.The differences across verticals may suggest that shoppers might be more inclined to purchase online in some segments, while preferring physical stores in others, impacting the conversion rates across different fashion verticals.Also, high-end or luxury fashion products may have lower conversion rates compared to more affordable or fast-fashion brands due to the higher price point and the need for a more significant financial commitment from the consumer.

Let’s take a closer look at the range of median conversion rates across some fashion verticals.

Accessories (7.4%)
The median ecommerce conversion rate for accessories is 7.4%, which is exceptionally high compared to other fashion ecommerce verticals. Lower price points, cross- and up-selling promotions, and the one-size-fits-all nature of accessories are all factors that significantly drive up conversion rates.

Women’s and Men’s Fashion (3.6% & 0.8%)
Women’s fashion has a median conversion rate of 3.6%, in comparison to menswear, which lags at 0.8%. This gap aligns with the findings that women, on average, outspend men when it comes to fashion.

Sportswear (2.8%)
Sportswear is a category that straddles fashion and function. It’s a purpose-driven category with strong brand loyalty, less sizing complexity, and high everyday usability. These factors could help explain the 2.8% median conversion rate.

Footwear (2.2%)
The median conversion rate of 2.2% for footwear is steady, but modest compared to other fashion verticals. This is likely due to sizing variations between different brands and styles. Footwear also experiences some of the highest return rates in fashion ecommerce—as high as 35% in some cases.

Baby/Childwear (2.1%)Baby and childwear purchases are often needs-based, keeping median conversion rates steady at 2.1%.

Health & Beauty (2.1%)
Similar to the Baby/Childwear category, Health & Beauty items tend to be replenished frequently, contributing to their stable median conversion rate of 2.1%.

Home & Styling  (1.5%)
Home & Styling products may involve more thoughtful decision-making, and can also be bulkier in nature (furniture, large appliances, high-end decor). These factors could contribute to a longer purchasing cycle, hence the slightly lower median conversion rate of 1.5%.

Original fashion brands achieve above-average conversion rates

Many stores in our report are original brands whose products are unique and rarely available from multi-brand competitors. Original brands target a narrow, very specific niche or segment of the market. The consumers visiting their stores have the explicit intention to purchase their products–and they want to purchase them specifically from the online store. By precisely targeting their fans, specialized fashion and lifestyle stores typically boast higher conversion rates as well as lower cart abandonment rates.

Ideal ecommerce conversion rates look different for all brands

A brand’s conversion rate can be affected by a number of factors: the industry, the target audience, the online store’s design, and the promotional campaigns, to name but a few. 

Overall, the differences in conversion rates across different fashion ecommerce verticals underscore the complex and multi-dimensional nature of consumer behavior and show a need for more nuanced, vertical-specific strategies to optimize conversion rates.

By understanding the conversion rate benchmarks that are unique to their particular vertical, fashion brands can establish more realistic goals and the strategies that will support them, rather than striving for a broader industry average that could be unattainable for their category.

Want to learn more about the key contributors to ecommerce conversion rates, such as front- and back-end factors, localization and Google Lighthouse Score? Download the full guide now.