Discount Benchmarks by Category in Brazilian E-commerce (2026)

The most frequent question from the commercial team of any small or mid-sized e-commerce is the same: “what is the average depth in my category?” Without that anchor, a coupon decision becomes a guess. This survey was built with 480 Brazilian stores monitored by Batedor for 16 months — it is the largest continuously classified base of small and mid-sized BR digital retail.

Why this benchmark matters

Without that anchor, a coupon decision becomes a guess. A promotion that is too shallow loses sales; too much depth burns margin. This survey is a calibration — it is not a rule, it is a reference. Compare your 3 indicators (depth/frequency/mechanic) against the median and adjust the operation.

How the data was built

Base: 480 Brazilian stores continuously monitored by Batedor between January 2025 and April 2026 (16 months). Inclusion criteria: estimated revenue between R$ 1M and R$ 50M/year, an active presence on Instagram + Facebook + their own website. Each coupon, conditional free shipping, BOGO or seasonal campaign was classified by Batedor’s AI and validated by manual sampling (~8% of the records).

Distribution across 8 categories

1. Fitness fashion and athleisure (78 stores)

• Average depth (excluding BF): 17%.
• Average depth during BF: 40%.
• Coupon frequency: 1.8 active coupons/store per month.
• Dominant mechanic: coupon (62%), conditional free shipping (21%), BOGO (10%).

2. Beauty and perfumery (96 stores)

• Average depth: 15%.
• Depth during BF: 35%.
• Frequency: 2.4 coupons/month (high).
• Dominant mechanic: stackable coupon (48%), gift (24%), single coupon (20%).

3. Women’s casual fashion (62 stores)

• Average depth: 20%.
• Depth during BF: 36%.
• Frequency: 1.5 coupons/month.
• Dominant mechanic: coupon (55%), “last piece”/clearance (25%), BOGO (12%).

4. Electronics and computing (48 stores)

• Average depth: 8%.
• Depth during BF: 22%.
• Frequency: 0.8 coupons/month (low).
• Dominant mechanic: extended installments (52%), cashback (24%), coupon (18%).

5. Supplements and nutrition (54 stores)

• Average depth: 13%.
• Depth during BF: 28%.
• Frequency: 2.1 coupons/month.
• Dominant mechanic: first-purchase coupon (40%), subscription/recurrence (32%), BOGO (16%).

6. Pet shop (40 stores)

• Average depth: 10%.
• Depth during BF: 24%.
• Frequency: 1.9 coupons/month.
• Dominant mechanic: recurrence coupon (44%), free shipping above R$ 199 (30%), gift (14%).

7. Home and décor (52 stores)

• Average depth: 14%.
• Depth during BF: 32%.
• Frequency: 1.2 coupons/month.
• Dominant mechanic: collection coupon (48%), installments (28%), free shipping (18%).

8. Furniture and housewares (50 stores)

• Average depth: 9%.
• Depth during BF: 18%.
• Frequency: 0.9 coupons/month.
• Dominant mechanic: long installments (60%), cashback (22%), coupon (12%).

Cross-cutting patterns — what holds for every category

1. The stackable coupon became the standard

In 38% of all coupons monitored in 2025-2026, the offer was stackable (coupon + free shipping, coupon + installments, or coupon + cashback). In 2024, that number was 22%. A clear trend: the perception of value is built up without having to increase depth in a single layer. To calculate the viability of the shipping layer, use the free-shipping calculator in this arsenal.

2. Free shipping became conditional

In 2024, 31% of stores offered flat free shipping (above any ticket). In 2026 only 12% do. The move was toward conditional free shipping (above R$ 149-249, depending on the category). Whoever keeps it flat either pays for that decision in margin or has bargaining power with the carrier.

3. BOGO became marginal outside BF

In 2024, 18% of stores used BOGO throughout the year. In 2026 it dropped to 7% — and almost always concentrated in stock clearance or the liquidation of a previous collection. Outside of that context, BOGO signals fragility. When you see a competitor running BOGO in the middle of the quarter, they are likely dealing with a stock problem (see this full case).

4. The first-purchase coupon grew

24% of stores offer a welcome coupon vs 11% in 2024. It is the cheapest way to capture email/WhatsApp and convert into recurring sales. Typical depth: 10-15% (above that, the customer gets used to it).

How to use this benchmark

Compare 3 dimensions of your operation against the category:

1. Depth. Is your average coupon close to the category median? 10 points below = you are leaving money on the table. 10 points above = you are burning margin.
2. Frequency. How many active coupons did you have last month? If it is < half the average, the audience doesn’t perceive your store as active. If it is above double, it becomes noise.
3. Mechanic. Is your dominant mechanic the same as the category’s? If not, is there a clear reason or is it just inertia?

What this benchmark does NOT capture

No average replaces data from your own store. This benchmark serves as a starting point — not as a target. Specifically, it does not cover:

• Stores with revenue < R$ 1M or > R$ 50M (the extremes are excluded).
• Pure marketplaces (Mercado Livre, Shopee) — they operate with a different auction logic.
• Very specific categories (game gear, automotive, industrial tools).
• Stores running dominant paid traffic (the average shifts when 70%+ comes from paid).

Practical next steps

To calibrate your store’s commercial scenario against the category average:

1. Use the Black Friday calculator to simulate your depth against the realistic volume multiplier of your category (see the per-category sections above).
2. Use the ad break-even calculator to confirm that your paid-media structure can withstand the depth you want to run.
3. Activate Batedor to monitor your 5 direct competitors and compare depth coupon-by-coupon — the monthly report shows where you are above or below the real median of your cluster.