What's a good repeat purchase rate for my category, and how do Indian brands compare to global benchmarks?
The short answer
Global 30-day repeat-rate benchmarks run roughly 10-18% for apparel, 15-25% for beauty and 18-30% for supplements, with 'strong' brands well above that band; overall D2C 12-month retention averages around 31%. Indian brands typically sit at the lower end of these ranges - most report repeat rates in the 10-30% band - because COD, RTO and thinner post-purchase engagement (WhatsApp/CRM) drag retention down relative to global DTC peers. Benchmark against your specific category, not a generic D2C number, and treat WhatsApp-led retention as the fastest lever Indian brands have to close that gap.
A quick summary to orient you. The real value is below: the resources worth your time, from people who've actually done it, not us.
Here are the resources
Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time. India-specific ones carry a badge.
3 resources1 India-specific3 link-checked
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📄 Article
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Why we picked it
A real, data-backed benchmark study (156K customers) rather than an assumed rule of thumb - gives you an actual number to compare your own repeat rate against by category.
Why we picked it
A fresh, dated 2026 benchmark compilation that breaks retention and repeat-purchase rates out by category, giving a second data point to cross-check against other benchmark sources.
Why we picked it
An India-first take on retention that names the specific levers Indian brands actually use - WhatsApp CRM, loyalty programs, referral - to lift repeat rate given the COD/RTO drag global DTC content doesn't account for.
