The digital retail transformation has changed how people buy and sell across the globe. More than 33% of the world's population now shops online. This has turned ecommerce into a $6.8 trillion industry that experts predict will reach $8 trillion by 2027. These figures show a major change in how consumers shop and reshape the global marketplace.
The numbers paint a clear picture. About 2.77 billion people shop online worldwide, and 34% make purchases at least once every week. Learning about ecommerce trends is vital for any business to succeed. The future looks even more promising. Experts predict online transactions will make up 21% of all retail purchases by 2025.
The B2B ecommerce market will likely hit $36 trillion by 2026, which overshadows B2C's expected $5.5 trillion by 2027. These statistics prove why businesses must adapt to thrive in today's digital-first economy.
This piece will explore the key ecommerce statistics that drive successful online stores. We'll uncover the numbers that matter most to propel development and profit in today's competitive digital world.
The real size of ecommerce in 2025
Numbers paint an amazing picture of digital commerce's growing presence in global markets. The real size of ecommerce in 2025 shows an industry that keeps growing while finding new ways to expand.
Global ecommerce revenue and growth rate
Worldwide ecommerce has become a massive economic force. Revenue projections show $6.42 trillion by 2025, with a 6.8% year-over-year growth—the slowest since 2022. This slowdown points to market maturity after years of rapid expansion.
Statista's alternative projections suggest $3.66 trillion in revenue, with a 6.29% expected annual growth rate (CAGR 2025-2030) that could reach $4.96 trillion by 2030.
The U.S. market's ecommerce sales should hit $1.27 trillion in 2025, growing 8.5% from last year. Census data shows U.S. retail ecommerce sales reached $304.2 billion in Q2 2025, a 5.3% jump from Q2 2024.
Different sources show different numbers, but one thing stays clear—growth is slowing as markets mature. In spite of that, ecommerce keeps expanding its share of global retail. The once-explosive growth has given way to steady expansion as some regions approach market saturation.
How many people shop online today
The human side of these numbers tells an equally impressive story. About 2.77 billion people shop online worldwide—that's one-third of Earth's population. This huge customer base grows every year and could reach 4 billion by 2030.
User engagement shows interesting patterns:
- 54.3% of people use online shopping in 2025, expected to reach 56.4% by 2030
- Each user spends around $1,130 on average (ARPU)
- China leads with 904.6 million online shoppers, while the U.S. has 288.45 million
These numbers show how online shopping has become part of everyday life worldwide. New shoppers join faster in developing economies compared to established markets.
Retail ecommerce share of total sales
Ecommerce's real-life impact shows clearly in its share of total retail sales. Digital channels should handle 20.5% of global retail sales in 2025, up from 19.9% in 2024. This means one in every five retail dollars moves through digital channels.
U.S. numbers vary based on source and method. FTI Consulting expects ecommerce to grab 23.5% of U.S. retail market share in 2025, rising from 22.7% in 2024. The U.S. Census Bureau reports lower numbers at 16.3% of total sales in Q2 2025. This difference likely comes from varying definitions of "retail" and "ecommerce."
FTI Consulting thinks online sales will slow down and level off near 30% by 2030. This suggests ecommerce won't replace physical stores completely. Both channels will likely find balance as part of a combined shopping system.
Ecommerce's growing market share highlights a clear change in how people shop. Growth might be slowing, but digital commerce takes a bigger slice of retail sales each year.
Hidden ecommerce business statistics you didn't know
The numbers we see in headlines tell only part of the story. Some surprising truths about the digital world of commerce remain hidden from most business owners and marketers.
Number of ecommerce stores launched daily
The ecommerce world is growing faster than ever. About 140,000 new online stores open their virtual doors each day worldwide. This means almost a million fresh faces join the market every week to compete for customer attention.
The United States leads this charge with 27,000 new ecommerce websites daily – that's 20% of all global launches. These numbers show how easy it is to start an online store and why digital commerce remains so appealing.
The sort of thing i love is the reality check these numbers give us. While thousands of stores launch daily, only 650,000 stores worldwide make more than $1,000 yearly. This is a big deal as it means that new stores face tough challenges in this competitive space.
B2B ecommerce market size vs B2C
B2C ecommerce might grab headlines, but B2B ecommerce is the real giant. B2B ecommerce will reach $17.9 trillion by 2025 – more than triple the B2C market's $5.5 trillion value.
Three main factors explain this huge difference:
- B2B deals involve bigger purchases
- B2B customers order more often
- B2B buyers commit to long-term contracts
On top of that, it grows at 15.1% yearly, beating B2C's 10.9% growth rate. Traditional B2B companies are finally welcoming digital changes, pushed by supply chain issues and new buyer demands.
Here's something unexpected: 72% of B2C companies sell online, but all but one of these B2B companies have proper online sales systems. This gap creates a great chance for B2B companies to get ahead through online sales.
Top ecommerce categories by spending
Online shopping patterns gave an explanation about what drives sales growth. Electronics no longer rule online spending. Fashion and apparel now leads global ecommerce, taking 24.3% of all online spending.
Here are the top five ecommerce categories by spending:
- Fashion and apparel: 24.3% of global ecommerce spending
- Electronics and technology: 21.6%
- Home goods and furniture: 14.8%
- Health and beauty products: 9.2%
- Food and grocery: 8.7%
Growth rates tell a different story than current spending. Food and grocery sales grow three times faster than fashion at 26.2% yearly as more people shop for groceries online. Health and beauty grows 19.7% year-over-year, thanks to subscription services and personal product options.
Niche stores are beating big retailers in many areas. Specialty shops focusing on pet supplies, athletic wear, or eco-friendly products convert 37% better than general stores selling the same items. This shows how expert knowledge and careful product selection can beat having more choices.
These hidden statistics help businesses make smarter choices and find new chances in this ever-changing marketplace.
Surprising shopper behavior trends
The digital commerce world reveals fascinating patterns that challenge what we expect from consumers. Recent ecommerce data shows unexpected insights about online shopping habits, purchase abandonment, and buying decisions.
How often people shop online
The digital marketplace has evolved rapidly. About 37% of US adults buy something online every week, with women showing a higher rate at 42%. Digital channels now account for over half the purchases made by 47% of online shoppers.
The global picture shows that 70% of consumers in six surveyed countries bought items online last month. The UK, US, and Germany lead with 80% of their population making online purchases.
People shop online roughly 2.9 times each month. Shopping patterns change based on different factors. Parents shop online 1.18 times more than non-parents. Single people make more online purchases than married couples. The relationship between income and shopping frequency isn't straightforward – middle-income shoppers buy more online than both low and high-income groups.
Why shoppers abandon carts
Cart abandonment remains a big challenge, with 70.19% of shoppers leaving without buying. Shoppers give these main reasons to abandon their purchases:
- Unexpected costs (39%): Extra shipping charges, taxes, or fees at checkout
- Slow delivery (21%): Delivery times don't meet expectations
- Security concerns (19%): Worried about credit card safety
- Forced account creation (19%): Must register before buying
- Complicated checkout process (18%): Too many steps or forms
These patterns highlight why transparency matters so much. Customers who face hidden costs or complex processes will tell others about their bad experiences 95% of the time. This creates problems beyond just losing the sale.
The power of reviews in purchase decisions
Reviews shape buying behavior in remarkable ways. Almost every shopper (99.5%) looks up products online at least sometimes, and 87% do it regularly. This explains why 77% of buyers look specifically for websites that have ratings and reviews.
Products with just five reviews are 270% more likely to sell than those without any. This number jumps to 380% for expensive items. But here's something unexpected – perfect 5-star ratings can hurt sales. People are more likely to buy products rated between 4.0 and 4.7 stars.
People trust reviews as much as they trust their friends and family – 82% of consumers say so. Products without reviews face a tough time selling, as 45% of shoppers won't buy items that haven't been reviewed.
Cross-border shopping habits
Each region shows unique patterns in cross-border ecommerce. EU consumers who buy from other EU countries make up 32% of shoppers, showing room to grow. Cross-border sales should grow twice as fast as regular ecommerce through 2030.
Different countries show varied international shopping habits. Irish shoppers buy from abroad the most, while US consumers rarely make international purchases. International orders usually take 13 days to arrive, and 13% of purchases come with extra customs fees.
China leads as the top source for international purchases in five out of six surveyed countries. Ireland stands out as different – most of its international purchases come from the UK. While cross-border shopping grows more popular, buyers worry most about slow delivery times and surprise fees.
Mobile and social commerce insights
Smartphones have completely altered the map of ecommerce statistics. They created new ways to buy products that nobody could imagine 10 years ago. The digital marketplace now depends on mobile devices and social platforms as main sales channels rather than just optional touchpoints.
Mobile commerce share of total ecommerce
Mobile commerce has become the driving force in online retail. Experts project it will reach USD 2.5 trillion in 2025, making up 59% of total retail ecommerce sales. This number should double in the next four years and cover 63% of all ecommerce transactions. Online shopping apps and wider smartphone adoption have pushed mobile commerce to dominate global ecommerce.
About 60% of people worldwide own smartphones, and 76% of US adults buy products using their mobile devices. This major change toward mobile-first internet use keeps stimulating industry growth, especially when you have emerging markets where consumers depend on smartphones to shop.
Conversion rates by device
Desktop still wins the conversion battle despite mobile's dominance in traffic. Desktop conversion rates beat mobile across every measurement:
Desktop conversion rates sit between 3.9% and 4.8%, while mobile devices reach only 1.8% to 2.9%. Mobile generates about 73% of all ecommerce traffic, yet converts less. Poor user experiences, distractions, and usability problems on mobile websites cause this gap.
The gap has shrunk over time though. Desktop rates used to be more than double those of mobile, but now they're just 1.7 times higher. Different regions show varying patterns—UK shoppers make almost half their online purchases through smartphones, while Japanese consumers complete 61% of ecommerce transactions on mobile devices.
Social commerce growth and top platforms
Social commerce stands out as one of digital retail's fastest-growing segments, worth USD 1.16 trillion in 2024. This sector grows exceptionally fast. Projections show a 36.4% compound annual growth rate from 2025 to 2033, potentially hitting USD 17.83 trillion by 2033. Social commerce should make up 20.8% of worldwide ecommerce transactions by 2026.
Top social commerce platforms by consumer preference include:
- Facebook: Leads the pack with 62% of US social buyers making their latest social purchase there
- Instagram: 70% of its 1.4 billion active users shop on the platform
- TikTok: Gains market share faster, with 43% of Gen Z starting product searches on the platform
- Pinterest: Draws 465 million monthly users to find products
Video commerce, including livestreams and pre-recorded content, rules the social selling space. It blends entertainment with instant buying options to create engaging shopping experiences.
Demographics of social shoppers
Social commerce attracts users of all ages, though younger consumers lead the charge. Gen Z tops the list with 53% buying directly through social platforms, and Millennials follow at 42%.
Older generations now embrace social shopping too. Holiday shopping plans for 2024 through social platforms included 26% of Millennials, 15% of Gen X, and 6% of Baby Boomers. This broad age range adoption helps the market grow substantially.
Millennials lead worldwide social commerce spending at 33%, while Gen Z contributes 29% and Gen X adds 28%. Shopping habits continue to evolve as 53% of global consumers plan to increase their social platform purchases.
Platform-specific performance data
The digital marketplace has clear leaders in both market share and consumer traffic. Consumer priorities and brand recognition work together with advertising investment to shape competition in the digital world.
Amazon's market share and traffic
Amazon rules the U.S. ecommerce space with 37.6% of the market. Walmart holds just 6.4% of the market share, which pales in comparison. Apple claims 3.6%, while eBay has 3%, and Target follows with 1.9%.
Traffic numbers prove Amazon's leadership. The platform draws about 2.84 billion average monthly visits, making it the world's most visited ecommerce website. Direct traffic to the site reaches 67%, bypassing search engines and other referral channels. Users stay engaged on the platform, spending 11 minutes 33 seconds per session and viewing 6.6 pages on average.
The United States generates 83% of Amazon's traffic. The platform continues to grow in emerging markets, expanding its global footprint steadily.
Ad spend vs traffic: who's winning?
Ad spending and traffic patterns reveal unexpected insights about platform effectiveness. Industry leaders invested USD 3.50 billion in advertising last year. Amazon spent USD 1.70 billion—four times more than Walmart.
Target invested USD 603.90 million in ads, while Walmart spent USD 414.60 million. AliExpress spent only USD 0.32 million but saw its website traffic grow by 44%.
Brand recognition often matters more than advertising dollars. eBay ranks third in website visits despite a smaller ad budget of USD 112.50 million compared to Home Depot's USD 166.30 million and Target's spending.
Top visited ecommerce websites globally
Amazon leads globally with 2.84 billion monthly visits. The Alibaba Group (Taobao + Tmall) follows with 925 million monthly visitors. eBay holds third place, drawing 669 million monthly visits.
Shopee from Southeast Asia attracts 587 million visits, and Walmart gets 514 million, completing the top five most-visited ecommerce sites worldwide. JD.com from China (499 million) and Rakuten from Japan (492 million) follow closely.
Regional shopping habits still shape online commerce substantially. Taobao leads worldwide marketplaces by gross merchandise value at USD 711 billion. Tmall follows at USD 672 billion, while Amazon places third with USD 390 billion.
Amazon might control the U.S. market, but strong regional players maintain their competitive edge in their local markets.
Checkout and conversion statistics that matter
The final frontier of ecommerce success lies in checkout optimization. Key statistics show how it affects business results directly. These metrics help companies spot problems and boost their revenue potential.
Average checkout steps and their effect
Checkout flows in 2025 average 5.1 steps, a number that hasn't changed much since 2012. The number of form fields (now 11.3 on average) affects conversion rates more than the step count. Companies can boost conversions by 35% when they make the checkout experience smoother.
Most successful retailers keep it simple with 3-4 logical steps: cart review, address entry, payment, and confirmation.
Guest checkout vs account creation
Cart abandonment jumps 26% when stores force customers to create accounts. About 43% of U.S. shoppers prefer to check out as guests. They value speed and ease over account perks. Stores that offer guest checkout respect customer's time and see more completed purchases. Account creation still offers great benefits like saved payment details and order tracking.
Cart abandonment by reason
Shopping cart abandonment averages 70%. Here's why customers leave:
- Hidden costs (48%): Shoppers find unexpected shipping, taxes, fees at checkout
- Difficult checkout (25%): The process takes too long or confuses customers
- Security worries (19%): People hesitate to share their payment details
- Technical problems (17%): Website crashes or errors during purchase
- Slow shipping (21%): Delivery times don't meet customer needs
Conversion rate benchmarks by region
Ecommerce conversion rates typically range from 1-3%, while top stores reach 3-5%. U.S. stores average 2.06% while U.K. stores lead with 4.1%. Food and beverage tops all industries at 4.95%, but sporting goods lags at 2.35%. Desktop users convert at 3.9-4.8%, beating mobile's 1.8-2.9%. This happens even though mobile drives 73% of ecommerce traffic.
Conclusion
Ecommerce has changed retail forever. The industry now generates $6.8 trillion, and more than one-third of people worldwide shop online. The numbers in this piece show how digital commerce has reshaped global markets and buyer behavior in every region.
Digital commerce keeps growing, even as the market matures. Growth rates might slow down, but the trend points upward. Experts predict online sales could reach 30% of all retail by 2030. This fundamental change shows how businesses and consumers now connect differently.
The competition tells an interesting story. Every day, 140,000 new online stores open their virtual doors. Yet only 650,000 stores worldwide make more than $1,000 yearly. The B2B market presents huge opportunities at $17.9 trillion compared to B2C's $5.5 trillion. Many businesses still need to embrace digital sales channels.
Consumer habits paint a clear picture. American adults make weekly online purchases 37% of the time. Cart abandonment sits at 70% because of surprise costs and shipping issues. Reviews make a big difference – products with just five reviews are 270% more likely to sell than those with none.
Mobile shopping leads the charge with 59% of all online sales, though desktop still converts better. This shows we've made progress but need to improve the mobile experience. Social commerce grows rapidly and could reach 21% of all online sales by 2026.
Amazon holds strong with 37.6% of the US market, but regional players compete well globally. Simple checkout processes can boost sales by 35%, making them crucial for success.
These numbers tell us ecommerce keeps evolving despite its size. Companies that spot these trends and adapt will grab their share of the growing digital market. Ecommerce doesn't just change shopping habits – it reshapes retail for future generations.
FAQs
Q1. What percentage of eCommerce businesses are successful?
While exact success rates vary, only about 650,000 eCommerce stores worldwide generate annual sales exceeding $1,000, despite 140,000 new stores launching daily. This indicates the highly competitive nature of the industry and the challenges new entrants face in establishing viable businesses.
Q2. What are some of the most profitable eCommerce business ideas?
Profitable eCommerce niches include custom apparel and accessories, subscription boxes, digital products, handmade goods, gaming merchandise, sustainable products, and fitness apparel. These categories often benefit from high margins, loyal customer bases, or growing market demand.
Q3. How can I measure the success of my eCommerce store?
Key metrics for evaluating eCommerce success include conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, average order value, social media engagement, bounce rate, return rate, cart abandonment rate, and the percentage of repeat customers versus first-time buyers. Monitoring these metrics helps identify areas for improvement and growth.
Q4. Which type of eCommerce model is currently the most successful?
While B2C (Business to Consumer) is the most common type of eCommerce, B2B (Business to Business) actually represents a larger market. The global B2B eCommerce market is valued at approximately $17.9 trillion, which is over three times larger than the B2C market's $5.5 trillion valuation.
Q5. What are the main reasons for cart abandonment in eCommerce?
The top reasons for cart abandonment include unexpected costs (48%), complex checkout processes (25%), trust concerns (19%), website errors or crashes (17%), and slow delivery options (21%). Addressing these issues can significantly improve conversion rates and customer satisfaction.
