Digital Signage ROI Benchmarks You Actually Need to Know in 2026

Let’s be honest: "Doing" digital signage isn't the challenge anymore. Anyone can grab a TV from a big-box store and plug in a USB stick. The real question—the one that probably keeps you up at night—is whether those pixels are actually paying for themselves.

As we head into 2026, digital signage ROI has moved past the "it looks cool" phase. It’s not just about flashy loops; it’s about whether you’re actually moving the needle on sales, engagement, or just making your life easier.

Whether you’re running a neighborhood cafe, a national retail chain, or a busy corporate office, you need to know what "good" looks like. You can't just rely on gut feelings. Based on the latest from McKinsey, Nielsen, and the Digital Signage Federation, here’s what the data is actually telling us right now.

The Two Kinds of "Win": Direct vs. Indirect ROI

Before we dive into the numbers, let's talk about what we’re actually measuring. Not every "win" shows up as a line item on today’s receipt, but that doesn't mean it isn't making you money.

1. Direct ROI (The "Hard" Numbers)

This is what your CFO cares about. It’s the cash you can trace directly back to the screen.

The Sales Bump: This is as simple as it gets. If you show a picture of a "Featured Latte" on a screen, do people buy more of it? In the fast-food world (QSR), switching to digital menu boards typically bumps sales of high-margin sides by about 30%.
Average Order Value (AOV): Are you getting people to spend more per visit? A well-timed prompt on a screen can turn a $10 lunch into a $15 combo just by showing a "Limited Time Offer" at the exact right second.
Printing Costs: This is the easiest win. No more printing posters, shipping them, and hoping someone hangs them straight. McKinsey notes that for larger teams, going digital can cut long-term marketing operational costs by roughly 30%.

2. Indirect ROI (The "Long Game")

These are the metrics that make your business healthier over time, even if they’re a bit harder to track on a daily spreadsheet.

Brand Recall: Nielsen has shown that people remember brands they see on digital signs about 47% better than other media. That’s huge for long-term loyalty.
The "Wait Time" Buffer: We’ve all been in a boring doctor's office or a slow checkout line. If there’s a screen showing something helpful or interesting, the "perceived" wait time drops by about 35%. Happy customers are repeat customers.
Internal Culture: In an office, screens that celebrate team wins or show real-time progress toward goals can seriously boost morale. In late 2025, companies using signage for internal comms saw a noticeable drop in turnover.

2026 Industry Benchmarks: What’s "Normal"?

A "good" ROI for a shoe store looks a lot different than a "good" ROI for a hospital. Here is where the bar is set for 2026:

Retail: The Store as a Media Channel

Retailers are finally realizing that their walls are valuable real estate.

The Benchmark: You should be aiming for a 25% to 40% hike in sales per square foot.
What’s Driving It: Personalization. When you link your screens to your loyalty app, the screen can literally say "Welcome back" or show a deal on the exact pair of shoes they were browsing online last night.

Restaurants: Mastering "Day-Parting"

If you’re still showing the same menu at 10 AM and 10 PM, you’re leaving money on the table.

The Benchmark: Look for a 15% to 25% increase in your average transaction value.
What’s Driving It: Pure logic. Your system should know that when it’s 90 degrees outside, it’s time to stop promoting hot soup and start showing ice-cold smoothies.

Corporate Offices: The Connectivity Hub

IT and HR teams are measuring ROI in terms of engagement and safety.

The Benchmark: A 20% to 30% jump in employee engagement scores.
What’s Driving It: Transparency. When people can see the "Sales Leaderboard" or the "Days Since Last Incident" in real-time on a beautiful display, they feel more like they're part of the mission.

The Psychology: Why It Actually Works

So why does a screen work better than a poster? It’s not just because it’s "shiny." It’s actually biology.

1. Motion is Survival

Our brains are hardwired to notice movement. It’s an old survival instinct. A static poster is "background noise," but a screen with even a little bit of motion forces us to look. ROI starts at that micro-moment of attention.

2. The Power of "Food Porn"

For restaurants, high-res "slow motion" videos of food trigger a hunger response that a photo just can't match. Signage Solutions Magazine recently found that showing a video of a melting burger increased "crave-ability" scores by 55%. That leads directly to an 18% lift in appetizer sales.

The Real Cost: Don't Cheat Your Math

To get a real ROI, you have to be honest about your costs. A $100 screen isn't $100 if you have to spend 20 hours a week updating it.

The Hardware: Can range from $300 for a basic TV to $3,000 for a pro panel.
The Player: Don’t overspend here. A simple $50 stick often does 90% of what a $500 player does for most small businesses.
The Time: This is the big one. If your manager is spending 5 hours a week messing with files, that’s your biggest expense. A good CMS should bring that down to almost zero.
Power: Auto-scheduling your screens to turn off when you’re closed can save you about 40% on your power bill.

Your ROI Measurement Checklist

Before you decide if your screens are "working," go through this list:

[ ] Establish a Baseline: Do you know what your sales were last year before the screens?
[ ] Use QR/Promo Codes: Put a code on the screen that exists nowhere else. If people use it, you know exactly where they saw it.
[ ] Track "Time Saved": How much less are you spending on printing and manual labor?
[ ] Ask the Customers: Sometimes the best data is just a simple "Did these screens make your visit better?"

The Bottom Line for 2026

Digital signage isn't just a "TV on the wall." It’s a dynamic member of your team that works 24/7 to inform and convert your customers. The businesses that stay ahead aren't necessarily the ones with the most screens—they’re the ones with the clearest idea of what they’re trying to achieve.

Stop guessing. Start tracking just one thing—maybe it’s the sales of your "featured item"—and see how a simple change in content can change your bottom line.

Citations and References:

Nielsen: "Digital Out-of-Home Engagement & Influence Study (Data updated for 2025/2026 projections)."
Digital Signage Federation: "The State of the Industry: Global ROI Analysis 2026."
McKinsey & Company: "Retail's Next Frontier: The Power of In-Store Digital Media."
Signage Solutions Magazine: "Measuring the Impact of Dynamic Menu Boards on QSR Operations."
Grand View Research: "Digital Signage Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report 2023-2030."
Journal of Marketing Analytics: "The Correlation Between In-Store Digital Touchpoints and Customer Life Time Value."

Digital Signage ROI Benchmarks You Should Know in 2026