The following ecommerce statistics will show you why this industry is thriving and how it has redefined the way we shop.
First of all, ecommerce is defined as the process of buying or selling products online. It includes four traditional business models: business to consumer, business to business, consumer to business, and consumer to consumer.
Ecommerce has become so important in the business scene that it is almost impossible for brands and small businesses not to run an online shop.
If you’re interested in finding out what this industry is all about, keep on reading.
Top Ecommerce Statistics: Editor’s Choice
- Over 2 billion consumers are online buyers.
- Apparel is the industry with the highest sales, standing at $759.5 billion.
- By 2040, about 95% of online purchases will be facilitated.
- In the US, ecommerce sales established an all-time record of $215 billion.
- China’s ecommerce market is worth $672 billion in sales per year.
- In 2020, the Indian ecommerce revenue was $46 billion.
- As of 2020, Canada earned $4,824.61 in ecommerce sales.
- In the first quarter of 2020, around 42% of Americans purchased online.
- Since the pandemic began, 30% of consumers spent more on online shopping.
General Ecommerce Stats
Nowadays, ecommerce has become the new normal—almost everyone is jumping on this bandwagon. The convenience of buying a wide variety of products from anywhere at competitive prices is only one reason behind the industry’s success.
Let’s take a look at some general ecommerce data.
1. There are more than 2 billion digital buyers.
Today, most people live a fast-paced life and don’t want to waste time looking for their favorite products in physical stores. And that’s where ecommerce breaks in. According to global ecommerce statistics for 2020, the number of online shoppers worldwide is projected to reach 2.14 billion by the end of 2021.
2. Online commerce market is forecast to reach $27.15 trillion by 2027.
People’s awareness of technology is the main reason behind ecommerce success over the years. As of 2020, the ecommerce market size was valued at $10.36 trillion compared to $9.07 trillion registered in the previous year.
Grand Review Research’s forecast reported that the figure would probably more than double by the end of the decade at a CAGR of 14.7%.
3. There are 7.9 million online retailers worldwide.
These fascinating US ecommerce statistics prove that out of this figure, 2.1 million online retailers—also known as etailers—are located in the US.
Understandably, American ecommerce takes up a good slice of the whole industry. Amazon and eBay are indeed giants in the US compared to other countries.
4. Amazon ecommerce market share accounts for 40.4%.
Top companies are focusing on adjusting their business models to bring in more customers and boost sales. While Amazon is the leader in market share, Walmart comes in second place with only 7.1% and eBay with 4.3%.
The ecommerce industry has become highly competitive, forcing the people behind the biggest ecommerce sites to implement various marketing strategies to stay in the game.
5. Retail ecommerce sales worldwide are expected to reach 4.89 trillion in 2021.
This figure proves that online sales won’t slow down any time soon—rather the opposite. As a matter of fact, retail ecommerce sales reached $4.2 trillion in 2020 and have seen considerable growth since then. Ecommerce revenue is estimated to attain a whopping $6.5 trillion by 2023.
6. Clothing makes up $759.5 billion in sales.
It’s not a secret that apparel is the most purchased category out there. Toys, hobbies, and DIY all come in second place with around $590.7 billion in sold items. In addition to that, electronics and media classify as one of the top-selling ecommerce products, with $542.4 billion.
Food, personal care, furniture, and appliances also constitute a considerable part of online shops revenue. On the whole, these statistics make it clear which are consumers’ shopping habits.
7. The average return rate for an ecommerce store comes in at 20%.
These intriguing ecommerce return rate statistics prove that this figure is much higher than the return rate in a brick-and-mortar store, which ranges between 8% and 10%.
During the holiday shopping season, the return rate for ecommerce shops can climb up to a whopping 30%.
Ecommerce Growth Statistics
Businesses understood that online shopping is an excellent opportunity to bring in more customers and generate higher revenue.
As the latest ecommerce growth projections show, businesses worldwide are switching to online commerce platforms at a steady pace. So, which is the future of ecommerce? Read on to find out.
8. Ecommerce will facilitate 95% of purchases by 2040.
One of the reasons why companies switch to online commerce is because many consumers favor shopping on the web. By looking at these global ecommerce statistics, you can understand that purchasing online products and services will be much easier.
9. As of 2021, Statista forecast 72.9% of total ecommerce sales coming from mobile.
Nowadays, it’s much more comfortable to shop via mobile than on any other device. Every ecommerce giant is familiar with these mobile ecommerce trends and has optimized websites for smartphones.
As statistics show, mobile ecommerce sales increased by 18% between 2016 and 2020. This figure is expected to set new records over the next few years.
10. The US has set a record of $215 billion in ecommerce sales.
As this business is currently dominating the internet scene, it’s inevitable to come across considerable ecommerce sales growth. According to the US Census Bureau, ecommerce sales for the first quarter of 2021 experienced a 7.7% increase from the previous quarter.
11. In 2024, the number of online shoppers is estimated to surpass 278 million.
The US is one of the largest ecommerce markets worldwide that has increased drastically over the years. As these ecommerce trends show, the figure registered for 2024 is much higher than the 256 million in 2020.
The industry’s big players in the US have gathered many buyers, mainly due to the high efficiency of their platforms.
Ecommerce Statistics Worldwide
Nowadays, new ecommerce markets are emerging due to the increasing interest in online shopping. Global ecommerce is indeed nurturing digitalization and new technologies to approach millions of users. See some of the most relevant ecommerce facts.
12. Valued at $672 billion in sales each year, China is the largest ecommerce market.
Chinese companies like Alibaba Group and its subsidiaries Alibaba.com, Taobao, Tmall, and others are critical contributors to the success of ecommerce in this country. This is all due to the massive population and around one billion online shoppers.
In conclusion, these online shopping statistics by state suggest that China is the biggest market globally, followed by the US, the UK, and Japan.
13. The US ecommerce market size is valued at $843.15 billion.
As the oldest and the second largest ecommerce market globally, the US ecommerce market size has grown exponentially from the $586.92 billion reported in 2019. While these numbers might be satisfying, China is still the leading country with a market value of $2,779.31 billion.
14. With around 550,000 sellers, India is the fastest-growing Amazon marketplace.
When it comes to ecommerce, India has some of the best-selling online shops, especially on Amazon. Ecommerce statistics in India prove that the latest figure registered was much higher than the 100,000 reported in August 2016. Unsurprisingly, the number of Indian sellers on Amazon will keep rising over the following years.
15. In 2020, India registered a revenue of $46 billion.
India is placed eighth in worldwide market value, ahead of Canada and France. The ecommerce statistics for 2020 reveal that India’s market contributed to increasing by 26% in 2020.
Like any other emerging country, India created new online markets with the potential for further development.
16. European revenue is estimated to be worth around $569 billion in 2025.
Considering that Europe’s population is around 743.1 million, this figure includes a vast part of the population. Ecommerce statistics indicate that Western Europe purchases much more than Eastern Europeans. Statista reported that the ecommerce revenue for 2020 accounted for around $425 billion.
17. In December 2020, Canada attained a good $4,824.61 in sales.
During this period, Canada has reached the peak of ecommerce sales. Unfortunately, Statista’s ecommerce statistics for Canada saw a massive decline for the first months of 2021, at $3,126.64. By keeping in mind these numbers, sales might continue to undergo a slight decrease for the months to come.
18. In Australia, the forecast ecommerce market volume will constitute $45.7 billion by 2025.
In addition to that, these exciting Australian ecommerce statistics reveal that the country is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 4.22% for the decade 2021–2025. With so many Australian customers purchasing online, it’s only normal that companies keep creating new shops on the web.
19. The Singaporean expected revenue for 2021 is about $2,793 million.
When talking about ecommerce in Singapore, statistics consider that online users account for 3.3 million. With this in mind, revenue is estimated to show a CAGR of 9.9% for the 2021–2025 decade. As a result, the forecast for 2025 sees a staggering increase of $4,079 million.
20. Ecommerce in the Middle East was worth $17 billion in 2020.
Out of this number, Middle East ecommerce statistics by Statista separate this figure by different areas. Saudi Arabia’s market value accounted for $5.5 billion, the United Arab Emirates for $4.5 billion, and the other districts constituted $7.1 billion altogether.
Ecommerce Amidst COVID-19
For the most part of these last two years, the coronavirus pandemic has spread fear and panic worldwide. As a result, consumers started to rely on online shopping for groceries, medical items, and other necessities. Here are some of the most noteworthy ecommerce trends that illustrate the impact of COVID on this industry.
21. In March 2020, around 42% of the US population bought online products.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, people changed the way they shop. A recent study revealed that most Americans purchased groceries online at least once a week.
This global threat is changing the statistics on online shopping vs. in-store shopping. More than half of people who had bought groceries online before said they would continue placing online orders. Furthermore, 41% of people who didn’t buy goods online said they would start doing so in the next six months.
22. People spent 30% more on online shopping when COVID-19 started.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the newest ecommerce statistics state that people have become weary of being in close contact with others. In fact, online spending grew by 10–30% across grocery and non-grocery purchases.
Additionally, people spent more on medical supplies, at-home fitness items and entertainment, and pet supplies.
23. About 21 American online retailers declared bankruptcy in 2020.
According to these small business and ecommerce statistics, 17 out of 21 retailers filed bankruptcy protection during the pandemic. For example, struggling companies like J.C. Penney Co., J. Crew Group, and Neiman Marcus Group got pushed even more into bankruptcy.
Ecommerce Statistics: The Takeaway
This article highlights the most important aspects of ecommerce and its impact on shopping. Understandably, it has become an ever-growing multi-billion-dollar industry for many reasons.
Competitive prices, high delivery efficiency, and great marketing campaigns are the primary reasons why ecommerce is the king of the internet.
These B2B ecommerce statistics prove that online shopping gained even more momentum when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the lockdown was imposed. This pandemic changed people’s perception of shopping, prompting many to switch to online shopping permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percent of sales is ecommerce?
Not only has the ecommerce sales maintained a steady pace during the COVID-19 outbreak, but they kept increasing massively. While physical stores underwent bankruptcy and a severe financial crisis, online stores saw their revenue reaching new records. That’s because shoppers turned to online purchases due to lockdown.
During the third quarter of 2020, US ecommerce sales increased to 14.3% of total retail sales. This is a much higher figure than 11.1% the previous year, amounting to more than $209.5 billion.
What percentage of business is done online?
The measures taken in 2020 for protection against the spread of COVID-19 prevented buyers from purchasing in brick-and-mortar stores. Therefore, businesses were forced to innovate and shift their focus to the online world. This adjustment was essential to meet buyers’ expectations. Estimates show how almost all companies (a good 93%) conduct at least some business online.
Many brands decided to open their websites online or place their company on a marketplace such as Amazon, eBay, and even Etsy is more popular than ever. This way, shoppers can easily find their unique products and services.
What percentage of ecommerce is Amazon?
As of 2017, the US Amazon’s share of the ecommerce retail market was 37%. Since that year, the company has registered a steady increase. Understandably, Amazon accounted for 47% of the market share, a 10% growth from only three years earlier. By the end of this, this ecommerce retail market share is expected to reach 50%.
These figures suggest that Amazon is the leading ecommerce—competition is way far from reaching the company’s status.
What states do the most online shopping?
It’s not surprising that ecommerce has gained such an important title on the worldwide web. Especially during the pandemic, people all over the world started to shop more for apparel, groceries, medication, and other essential items.
The Global Ecommerce Market Ranking white paper stated that the country that does the most online shopping is China, with one billion users. India ranks in second place with 360.1 million. The high population in these two countries caused ecommerce to be the leading worldwide force.
What sells the most on Amazon?
Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the US with a wide variety of products. According to Feedvisor, the most popular category on the platform is electronics, with 44% of shoppers in the US purchasing items from that category.
In 2021, face masks, masks, nail polish, fitness items, yoga mats, board games, and hand sanitizers are only some of the most purchased products on the platform to go through the lockdown caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
How much is ecommerce worth?
Global retail sales growth will keep rising and taking up a bigger slice of online retail market share. According to eMarketer, online retail sales are expected to surpass $6 trillion, with ecommerce taking up 21.8% of the total sales.
Although retail went through a rough year in 2020, every national market saw impressive growth. Latin America saw a staggering increase of 36.7%, despite a 3.4% drop in overall retail sales. During the same year, Argentina’s ecommerce sector grew by 79%, followed by Singapore at 71.1%.
How big is the ecommerce industry?
Global retail sales growth will keep rising and taking up a bigger slice of online retail market share. According to eMarketer, online retail sales are expected to surpass $6 trillion, with ecommerce taking up 21.8% of the total sales.
Although retail went through a rough year in 2020, every national market saw impressive growth. Latin America saw a staggering increase of 36.7%, despite a 3.4% drop in overall retail sales. During the same year, Argentina’s ecommerce sector grew by 79%, followed by Singapore at 71.1%.
Sources
Business, Census, Civis, Commission Factory, Ecommerce DB, Etail Insights, GeekWire, Grand View Research, Kinsta, Marketplace Pulse, Oberlo, Oberlo, Osome, Ship Bob, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista, Statista