eCommerce Statistics You Must Know

101+ Useful eCommerce Statistics You Must Know in 2024

Keeping up to date with the latest eCommerce statistics and data is essential to stay informed and ahead of the curve. The world of online shopping has opened up unprecedented opportunities for businesses of all sizes, allowing you to reach customers far beyond the confines of traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

From understanding consumer behavior to spotting emerging trends, these insights can help you make informed decisions, tailor your strategies, and ultimately, drive your eCommerce growth.

We’ve scoured the latest studies and reports to find key insights to help you grow your eCommerce business. Whether you’re just starting your online journey or looking to boost your eCommerce revenue, these statistics will give you an overview of the current state of online shopping.

What Does the eCommerce Sector Look Like in 2024?

The growth rate of retail eCommerce sales is absolutely astounding and it’s not slowing down any time soon, as the stats in this post will prove.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at some eCommerce statistics you must know for the coming years.

Simply put, eCommerce is commercial transactions that take place electronically online. And by the year 2026, eCommerce is expected to generate over $8.1 trillion in sales per year. If you’re thinking the future looks bright for those selling products online, these stats definitely back that up.

WooCommerce, Shopify, and Squarespace compared

1. There are over 2.14 billion online shoppers in the world. (Tidio)

2. 27% of the global population shop online. (Tidio)

3. The global eCommerce market is predicted to exceed $8.1 trillion by 2026. (Statista)

eCommerce Statistics - Global eCommerce Sales by Year

4. 20% of all retail sales happen online. This figure is expected to reach 25% by 2025. (Tidio)

5. Amazon is the biggest eCommerce website globally, accounting for over 13% of visits from desktop devices – 4x as many as eBay. (Statista)

6. Amazon sold over 300 million items worldwide during Prime Day 2022. (Amazon)

7. There are over 12 million online stores globally. (Tidio)

8. The average ecommerce conversion rate is 3.65%. (Adobe)

9. WooCommerce owns over 42% of the market share of eCommerce platforms. Shopify has a market share of 11.53% and Squarespace stores account for 15.29% (Datanyze)

10. The average customer spend globally is $2,310 per person, per year. (Tidio)

11. Amazon is making an AI-based, real-time product recommendation engine available to sellers who use the AWS console. (Absolunet)

12. Companies that invest in AI are seeing an increase in sales ROI of 10-20%. (McKinsey & Company)

13. It’s predicted that 95% of all purchases will be online by 2040, with only 5% of sales taking place in a physical store. (Instapage)

14. In 2024, global eCommerce sales are expected to grow 10.1% year on year, while in-store sales are expected to grow only 2%. (eMarketer)

Key Takeaways: eCommerce Growth in 2024

Ecommerce is rapidly expanding, and there’s a clear shift from physical to online retail: 20% of sales are happening online, and that’s expected to reach 95% by 2040. Amazon leads the market, but other platforms like WooCommerce and Shopify maintain significant shares. AI integration is boosting sales performance.

The eCommerce sector shows strong growth potential, outpacing in-store sales, but small businesses face increasing competition with over 12 million online stores competing for customers.

What Can We Learn From eCommerce Shopping Habits and Behavior?

As consumers increasingly turn to the internet for their purchasing needs, understanding changing shopping habits becomes crucial for businesses aiming to thrive online. These statistics offer insight into the preferences, motivations, and decisions of today’s digital shopper.

1. In countries where Amazon is well established, 60% of shoppers use it to search for products. (Wunderman Thompson)

2. 57% of US shoppers buy Christmas presents online. (Tidio)

3. 84% of Gen-Z, 82% of Millennials, 80% of Gen-X and 73% of Baby Boomers are more likely to buy from a company that treats its employees well. (Hubspot)

4. 67% of shoppers have made a cross-border purchase. (Flow.io)

5. 46% of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a company that actively tries to reduce its environmental impact. (Hubspot)

6. 60% of Gen-Z and 59% of Millennials are more likely to choose products made by small businesses.  (Hubspot)

7. November is the busiest shopping month of the year, with events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday resulting in sales 12% – 140%+ higher than all other months of the year. Online sales drop to their lowest during the summer months. (SaleCycle)

Online Sales by Month

8. Online sales peak during the 25th – 28th of the month. Cart abandonment rate also reduces during the last few days of the month. This trend is attributed to to payday for most companies being near the end of the month. (SaleCycle)

9. Holiday sales account for 20% of all retail sales. (OptinMonster)

10. Over 99.9% of customers read reviews when they shop online. (PowerReviews)

11. 49% of consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends and family members. (Brightlocal)

Key Takeaways: Shopping Behavior in 2024

As you might expect, Amazon dominates in established markets. Online shopping is popular for holidays, with 57% of US shoppers buying Christmas gifts online, and Black Friday is still a huge event.

Customers are comfortable buying internationally, and small businesses are favored by younger consumers. Sales spike near month-end, coinciding with paydays.

Consumers, especially younger generations, prefer companies with good employee treatment and environmental practices. And reviews are crucial: almost all shoppers read them. These trends highlight the importance of ethical practices, timing, and customer feedback.

What Do I Need to Know About eCommerce Customer Experience?

To be successful in eCommerce, understanding the customer experience is not just essential. The statistics surrounding eCommerce customer experience shed light on consumer behaviors, preferences, and the key factors that drive satisfaction and loyalty.

1. eCommerce spending via conversational marketing channels is forecast to reach 290 billion dollars by 2025. (Statista)

2. 46% of Gen Z digital buyers are willing to pay more for the same product if they can shop in their favorite online store. (Tidio)

3. Fast shipping and delivery is the most important factor that influences an online shopper to make a purchase, with 78% of frequent buyers citing this as the top deciding factor. Other important factors include the accuracy of product descriptions and photos 73% and having a convenient buying process (72%). (Tidio)

4. 76% of consumers are more likely to buy from eCommerce sites that use personalization. (McKinsey & Company)

5. 35% of people say that they would be shopping online more if they could virtually try on a product before buying it. (BigCommerce)

6. Buggy websites, lack of information about product availability and shipping costs, and poor site navigation are the most frustrating factors relating to a bad customer experience. (Tidio)

Positive Customer Experiences that Increase Sales

7. Almost 79% of shoppers would not complete their order if the customer service was unresponsive. (Tidio)

8. 56% of consumers say they would most likely become a repeat customer if a brand used eCommerce personalization to customize their shopping experience. (Twilio Segment)

9. 12% of customers will leave a review if explicitly asked to do so but this figure doubles (26%) if they’re offered an incentive such as a discount code in exchange for a review.  (Tidio)

10. 6 out of 10 American shoppers prefer to use self-service tools for customer service, including websites (24%), mobile apps (14%), voice response systems and VoIP (13%). (Raydiant)

11. 66% of US customers leave positive reviews when they’re happy with a shopping experience but they’re more likely to email or send a message with a complaint rather than leaving a negative review (56% vs 42%). (Tidio)

How Customers Give Feedback

12. Over 40% of online shoppers are willing to pay extra for unlimited free shipping. (Tidio)

Key Takeaways: Customer Experience in 2024

Conversational marketing is growing in popularity. Fast shipping is crucial, as is accuracy on your website and a focus on providing a good shopping experience. Conversely, poor website functionality, lack of information, and unresponsive customer support could be holding back your business’ growth.

Positive experiences often lead to good reviews, while complaints are more likely communicated directly. Reviews are important, with incentives doubling the likelihood of customers leaving them. And many shoppers are so strongly in favor of free shipping, they will pay for unlimited free deliveries.

How Does Email Marketing Impact eCommerce Sales?

Email has the highest ROI out of all other marketing campaigns, so using it is super important to growing your business online. It’s a fantastic tool to use to generate leads and nurture customer relationships. If you aren’t already using email marketing, make sure to check out this post on the best email marketing services to find one that works for you.

1. Industries with the best-performing eCommerce emails include books & literature (2.63%), hobbies & leisure (1.60%), auto (1.53%), toys & games (1.40%), and pet supplies (1.39%). The lowest performing were consumer electronics and apparel (0.05%). (Omnisend)

Average Email Open Rate By Industry

2. Back-in-stock emails convert 8695% better than generic marketing emails. (Omnisend)

3. Automated emails make up 46.9% of all email orders. (Omnisend)

4. Sending messages 1 hour, 24 hours, and 72 hours after a cart abandonment can improve campaign performance by up to 30%. (SaleCycle)

5. Cart abandonment emails have an average conversion rate of 2.7%. (Omnisend)

6. 50.2% of consumers say they would click through to learn more about the offer or use the promo code on a discount email. (Mailjet)

Different email marketing techniques compared

8. 78.5% of respondents want to hear from the brands they love at least once a week, (Mailjet)

9. 4% of respondents say they subscribe to regularly receive special offers, and 52.5% sign up to newsletters to receive a one-off discount. (Mailjet)

10. Nonprofits lose about $15k/year in donations due to spam filters blocking fundraising campaign emails. (EveryAction)

11. 13% of non-profit donations are generated from email appeals. (EveryAction)

12. 27% of US consumers stated it was likely or very likely that a brand’s regular newsletter sent to email subscribers would influence them to purchase something. (Statista)

13.7% of eCommerce marketers say increasing brand awareness is the main goal of their email strategy. (Hubspot)

14. 72% of eCommerce marketers agree their biggest email marketing challenge is low open rates. (Hubspot)

15. Email campaigns with three cart abandonment emails generate the most revenue – over 41x the revenue of those with only one email. (Klaviyo)

Key Takeaways: Email Marketing and eCommerce in 2024

Email remains a powerful tool for eCommerce. Back-in-stock emails are exceptionally effective, converting 8695% better than generic ones, and automated emails generate nearly half of all email orders. Targeted timing for cart abandonment emails can boost performance.

Consumers appreciate regular brand communication, with 78.5% wanting weekly contact. Discounts drive newsletter signups, but marketers face challenges with low open rates and increasingly stringent spam filters.

We’ve got even more email marketing statistics for you to check out if you want to see more.

How Does Social Media Impact eCommerce?

Your brand can experience a substantial increase in profits by integrating social media into your digital marketing strategy.

Social media not only leverages the powerful psychological phenomenon of social proof to enhance online revenue but also offers innovative tools like augmented reality experiences and influencer affiliate programs.

Essential for any eCommerce website or online business, social media diminishes the risk of abandoned carts, accelerates the checkout process, and connects directly with Gen-Z and Millennials.

1. 25% of brands are selling directly on social media apps like Instagram Shops and TikTok Shop. (Hubspot)

2. 80% of social media marketers say consumers buy products directly within social apps more often than on brand websites or through third-party resellers. (Hubspot)

Social Media Platforms Users Are Most Likely to Buy From

3. 55% of marketers say they have increased total retail sales through social media marketing. (Social Media Examiner)

4. 31% of social media users search for products and services to buy online. (Hubspot)

5. 33% of social media marketers agree Instagram offers the highest ROI when selling products directly in the app. (Hubspot)

Social Media Platforms That Offer the Highest ROI

6. 53% of Americans shop on social media platforms at least once per week. (Influencer Marketing Factory)

7. Social media users’ main concerns when shopping from an app are that sellers on social media aren’t legitimate companies (54%), that they won’t be able to get a refund (48), and concerns about the quality of the product (44%). (Hubspot)

Main concerns of social media shoppers

8. 16% of brands currently use automation in sales funnel communications. (Ascend2)

9. 31% of online shoppers say Facebook is the platform they’re most likely to buy from. But 39% of Gen-Z shoppers say they’re most likely to buy from Instagram. (Wunderman Thompson)

10. 34% of marketers say Facebook generates the most sales. Instagram comes in second at 25%. (Social Media Examiner)

11. 28% of Gen-Z and millenial internet users have bought a product directly from social networks in the last three months. (Hubspot)

Consumer Communication With Brands

12. Livestream commerce is expected to be big in 2024, with 42% of Gen-Z social media users watching livestream video. (Insider Intelligence)

13. Livestream shopping is already popular in Asia, particularly in China, where it’s expected to reach 22% of eCommerce sales in the country in 2022. (eMarketer)

14. The livestream e-commerce market will reach approximately $50 billion by the end of 2023. (Influencer Marketing Factory)

15. Apparel, beauty products, and home products account for 60% of all social commerce purchases. (Influencer Marketing Factory)

16. The average U.S. social buyer will spend approximately $641 via social commerce channels in 2023. (Influencer Marketing Factory)

17. 89% of marketers who already use influencer marketing plan to keep up or increase their investment in the next 12 months. (Hubspot)

18. Half of all brands working with influencers have eCommerce stores. (Influencer Marketing Hub)

19. The global influencer marketing market size exceeds $21 billion. (Statista)

Average Influencer Engagement Rates

20. 55% of Gen-Z say that recommendations from influencers are the most important factor in their purchase decisions. (Hubspot)

21. 44% of consumers find new products by searching the internet, 36% discover them through social media, and 26% through YouTube ads. (Hubspot)

Key Takeaways: Social Media eCommerce Growth

More than half of Americans shop weekly on social media. Gen Z prefers Instagram, with 39% likely to buy there. Instagram leads in ROI for in-app sales, while Facebook generates the most overall sales. Social media is becoming a significant eCommerce channel, but customers are mindful that social media sellers may not be trustworthy or easy to trace if there’s an issue.

Livestream commerce is growing in popularity, particularly in Asia, and influencer marketing continues to expand. It’s especially effective with Gen Z, influencing 55% of their purchase decisions.

What Are the Most Important Mobile eCommerce Statistics?

As smartphones become ever more ingrained in our daily lives, the convenience of mobile shopping with just a few taps has transformed consumer habits and expectations.

Mobile eCommerce, or mCommerce, is not just a trend; it’s a shift in how retailers connect with their customers, offering unparalleled convenience, speed, and personalized experiences.

1. The mobile eCommerce market is worth $2.2 trillion and is expected to climb to 52% of the market by 2027. (Statista)

Percentage of Global Web Traffic from Mobile Devices

2. Average order value on mobile is lower than desktop at $90 – $110 compared to an average of $140-$175 on desktop, depending on the time of year. (Monetate)

Average Order Value By Device

3. 68% of shoppers browse on mobile and 56% of online sales are completed on mobile websites and apps. (SaleCycle)

4. 29% of Americans purchase products or services on their smartphones at least once per week. (Vorhaus)

5. 71% of US adults use their mobile phone to buy products online. (ConsumerAffairs)

6. 88% of time spent on mobile devices is on apps and 70% of mobile sales are made via shopping apps. (BigCommerce)

Mobile eCommerce as Percentage of Total eCommerce

7. 95% of young people aged 13-17 have a phone, demonstrating the powerful influence of mobile marketing and social media on the younger generation.. Most children get their first phone at the age of 11. (ConsumerAffairs)

8. 28% of US consumers use their phone during an in-store shopping trip to look up discounts and product information and compare prices between retailers. (PYMNTS)

9. 73% of consumers will switch from a poorly designed mobile site to one that makes purchasing easier.

10. Making CTA buttons (like a Click-To-Call button) can create a 45% boost in clicks.

11. One in every ten people who receive a text message clicks, resulting in a 16.9% increase in orders. (Omnisend)

12. Cart abandonment rate is higher on mobile devices, averaging 85.65%. (Hotjar)

Key Takeaways: Mobile Shopping in 2024

Mobile order values are lower than desktop sales, but they represent a significant proportion of the eCommerce sector. 71% of US adults shop on mobile, with 29% making weekly purchases. Apps account for 70% of sales, and many consumers use their mobile in a store to compare products and find a discount.

Young people are heavily influenced by mobile marketing and ownership of smartphones among teens is very high. However, mobile cart abandonment rates are extremely high, so there’s still room for improvement.

What Can We Learn From Shopping Cart eCommerce Statistics?

The online shopping cart is where a lot of the action happens for your customers. It’s the last step before that purchase is finally made, and there are hundreds of reports with shopping cart eCommerce statistics since it’s such an important stage of your digital sales funnel. One theme in these stats is for sure — cart abandonment hurts your bottom line.

1. The average cart abandonment rate is 70.19% (Baymard Institute)

2. The biggest reason for shopping cart abandonment is extra costs such as shipping, taxes, and fees that are too high, with 47% of potential customers abandoning a cart for this reason. Other common reasons for abandonment include being forced to create an account (25%) and delivery that is too slow (24%). (Baymard Institute)

Reasons for Shopping Cart Abandonment

3. The average checkout form for online stores in the US has 23.48 form elements and one out of fiver shoppers has abandoned checkout due to the process being too long or complicated. (Baymard Institute)

4. $260 billion lost to shopping cart abandonment is recoverable through better checkout flow and design. (Baymard Institute)

5. Multi-step forms at checkout, or any other stage in the customer journey, convert up to 300% higher than one-page forms. (Venture Harbour)

6. Products that require frequent replenishment like groceries, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals have the lowest cart abandonment rate (50-70%). Products that consumers spend longer thinking about buying have the highest cart abandonment rates such as home furnishings (90.5%) and automotive (85.97%). (Hotjar)

7. Traffic from organic search has the lowest average cart abandonment rate (76%), while traffic from social media has the highest (91%). (Hotjar)

8. Almost half of digital shoppers in the US (46%) have abandoned a shopping cart because a discount coupon code didn’t work. (Statista)

9. eCommerce sites can gain a 35% increase in conversion rates with an optimized checkout design. (Baymard Institute)

10. An estimated $4 trillion worth of products are left in digital shopping carts each year. (Drip)

11. Predictive AI can reduce cart abandonment by 18%. (Drip)

12. 26% of shoppers who abandon items in their carts go on to buy the same items from a different retailer. (Statista)

Key Takeaways: Shopping Cart Behavior in 2024

Cart abandonment is high, and the primary reason is extra cost. Forcing customers to create an account can also play a part, and as we’ve already seen, slow delivery is a barrier.

Checkout forms are long with more than 23 fields on the page on average. Making checkout forms shorter would recover billions in lost sales; many customers will abandon and buy elsewhere if they have a better experience. It’s easy to see why multi-step forms convert up to 300% better than single-page forms.

What Are the Most Important eCommerce Payment Statistics?

In the vast world of online shopping, how people pay for their purchases is hugely important. Keeping up with the latest eCommerce trends and payment statistics is essential for any business that wants to make buying as easy and secure as possible for their customers.

These statistics offer a look into the most preferred payment methods, the rise of new payment technologies, security issues, and how different ways of paying can affect shopper loyalty and trust.

1. Digital wallets like PayPal, Venmo, and Apple Pay are projected to rise to 52.5% of the value of online transactions in 2025. (World Pay Global)

Global eCommerce Payment Methods

2. 45%, of mobile transactions take place using a mobile app. (Go Cardless)

3. The global buy now pay later (BNPL) market was worth 24.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to increase to 160.7 billion by 2032. (Yahoo! Finance)

4. In 2022, 5% of online purchases in the US were made with buy now pay later payment options. (Statista)

5. BNPL adoption is higher in Europe and usage is expected to reach 13.6% of European eCommerce spending by 2024. (Go Cardless)

6. One in five eCommerce companies offer a BNPL payment option. (Verifone)

7. North America has the highest fraudulent transaction value, accounting for over 42% of eCommerce fraud globally. (Mastercard).

8. 52% of eCommerce companies say payment method localization is their biggest challenge right now. (Verifone)

Key Takeaways: eCommerce Payments in 2024

Digital wallets are expected to handle more than half of online transactions by 2025. Convenience is definitely a factor; we can also see this in the popularity of mobile app transactions and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services. That said, BNPL usage varies globally, with 5% adoption in US e-commerce and expected 13.6% in Europe by 2024.

Payment method localization underscores the need for diverse, region-specific payment processors.

How Many eCommerce Sites Are There in 2024?

There are over 26 million online retailers across the entire globe, with more and more being created every single day. If these numbers make you think the eCommerce industry is a competitive market — don’t worry. Less than 1M of these sites sell more than $1,000/year, so there’s tons of room for growth.

And as building your own website becomes easier for everyone, having an eCommerce store is becoming a popular way for more people to make money online.

Alright, I’m Inspired to Grow My eCommerce Store! What’s Next?

Now that you can see just how successful eCommerce can be, it’s time to take your own store to the next level. Check out these Shopify alternatives.

You’ll also need a payment gateway to process orders from your eCommerce store customers. Check out our post on Stripe for WordPress to find the best plugin for payments.

Top payment processors for WPForms

Besides, all stores rely heavily on generating leads via contact forms and newsletters. WPForms Pro provides the best set of features to help grow your eCommerce store with forms because:

Click Here to Create Your Order Form Now

If you love staying on top of stats about online business, be sure to check out some of our other posts with useful statistics including:

Ready to build your form? Get started today with the easiest WordPress form builder plugin. WPForms Pro includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.

If this article helped you out, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more free WordPress tutorials and guides.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPForms is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us.

Rachel Adnyana

Rachel has been writing about WordPress for a decade and building websites for much longer. Alongside web development, she's fascinated with the art and science of SEO and digital marketing. Learn More

The Best WordPress Drag and Drop Form Builder Plugin

Easy, Fast, and Secure. Join over 6 million website owners who trust WPForms.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Add a Comment

We're glad you have chosen to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our privacy policy, and all links are nofollow. Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.