Gitnux/Report 2026

B2c Ecommerce Industry Statistics

The U.S. retail e-commerce channel reached $340.2B in Q2 2026, explore the figures behind growth, companies, and trends across B2C ecommerce.
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B2c Ecommerce Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The b2c ecommerce industry at a glance

U.S. retail e-commerce sales reached $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 12.2% year over year, underscoring continued double-digit expansion in a mature B2C channel.

$340.2B[52]
U.S. Q2 2026 sales
$1.23T[52]
U.S. 2025 annual sales
78%[4]
EU online buyers, 2025
$121B[53]
Walmart global e-commerce sales
Market size
U.S. retail e-commerce sales totaled an estimated $1.23 trillion in 2025, up 5.4% from 2024 and equal to 16.4% of total U.S. retail sales. UNCTAD reported nearly $28 trillion in business e-commerce sales across 46 economies in 2024, although that measure includes B2B transactions and is not directly comparable with B2C retail sales.[52][54]
Market share & regions
In the United States, e-commerce represented 16.4% of retail sales in 2025. In the EU, 78% of internet users aged 16–74 bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025, with Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark among the highest-participation markets.[52][4]
Segmentation
EU consumer purchases span both goods and services: 27% of EU internet users bought transport services online in 2025. Clothing, shoes and accessories remained a major product category, with 45% of EU individuals buying these items online in the previous three months in 2024.[4]
Key players & concentration
Amazon reported $269.3 billion in 2025 net sales from online stores, while Walmart reported $121 billion in global e-commerce sales. These figures demonstrate the scale of leading platforms, but the companies use different reporting definitions, so they should not be used as a direct market-concentration ratio.[55][53]
Trends, drivers & challenges
U.S. e-commerce sales grew 12.2% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 6.7% growth in total retail sales. In the EU, 63% of e-shoppers reported no problem when purchasing online in 2025, while delivery, product quality and payment issues remained measurable friction points.[52][4]
Consumer behavior & competition
In 2025, 78% of EU internet users bought or ordered goods or services online, while 95% used the internet during the year. Amazon's online-stores sales increased from $247.0 billion in 2024 to $269.3 billion in 2025, indicating continued competition for consumer spending and platform scale.[4][55]
Regulation
The EU's e-commerce VAT rules generated more than €125 billion in VAT revenue from 2021 through 2025, including more than €38 billion in 2025 alone. On November 9, 2026, the Council agreed on additional measures to simplify VAT collection on e-commerce imports and align the rules with the reformed customs framework.[56][57]
Latest news
The latest significant policy development is the EU Council's November 9, 2026 agreement on further measures to simplify VAT collection for e-commerce imports. The initiative follows €38 billion in VAT collected through EU e-commerce schemes during 2025.[57][56]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the B2c Ecommerce Industry

The leading companies in the b2c ecommerce industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

MercadoLibre stands out for Latin America ecommerce scale because it reported $28.9 billion in 2025 net revenues and financial income across Latin America, while Walmart focuses on global omnichannel retail ecommerce since it reported $121 billion in global e-commerce sales.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in ecommerce marketplaces

    MercadoLibre

    UY

    Ranked #1 · 9.4 · Ecommerce marketplaces

    Why we picked it: It serves Latin America ecommerce and digital commerce with an operational scale reflected in 2025 net revenues and financial income.

    See in ranking ↓Visit mercadolibre.com ↗

  2. Leader in omnichannel retail ecommerce

    Walmart

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Omnichannel retail ecommerce

    Why we picked it: It combines omnichannel retail with global ecommerce, with $121B in global e-commerce sales as the measured scale point.

    See in ranking ↓Visit walmart.com ↗

  3. Leader in consumer marketplace retail

    Coupang

    US

    Ranked #4 · 8.6 · Consumer marketplace retail

    Why we picked it: It focuses on online retail in South Korea and Taiwan, with $34.5B net revenue and 24.6 million product-commerce customers in 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit coupang.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the b2c ecommerce industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

MercadoLibre

Ecommerce marketplaces · UY

9.4
2

Walmart

Omnichannel retail ecommerce · US

9.1
3

Sea

Ecommerce marketplaces · SG

8.9
4

Coupang

Consumer marketplace retail · US

8.6
5

Alibaba Group

Ecommerce marketplaces · CN

8.4
6

PDD Holdings

Value-focused China and global ecommerce · IE

8.3
7

SHEIN

Global online fashion retail · SG

8.3
8

Rakuten Group

Japan ecommerce and digital commerce · JP

8.1
9

Otto Group

European online retail and ecommerce group · DE

7.8
10

ASOS

Global online fashion retail · GB

7.4

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the b2c ecommerce industry. In B2c Ecommerce Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/b2c-ecommerce-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Share of individuals who made at least one online purchase in the previous 12 months (Selected OECD countries and economies)

Ireland leads with 95%.

Ireland95%
Netherlands94%
Norway92%
Denmark91%
Sweden89%
Switzerland86%
source-verifiedoecd.org

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI shows measurable conversion impact in retail ecommerce: AI-referred Shopify sessions recorded 80% higher conversion rates than organic-search sessions.

AI in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 75% of Shopify store owners reported using AI tools in their businesses in 2025.[1]
  • 14% larger average order values were recorded for AI-referred Shopify orders than for other measured channels.[1]
  • 17% of 2023 holiday orders were influenced by AI, representing $199 billion in sales globally.[2]
  • 80% higher conversion rates were recorded for AI-referred Shopify sessions than for organic-search sessions during Shopify’s measured period.[1]
  • 97% of large U.S. retailers surveyed planned to use AI to enhance the shopping experience during the 2025 holiday season.[3]

Automation in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 90% of one ecommerce retailer’s customer-support emails were estimated to be automated using AI.[2]
  • 42% growth in AI-based chatbot usage was reported for ecommerce in 2024 compared with 2023.[2]
  • 1,950% growth in retail-site traffic from chatbots was recorded on Cyber Monday 2024 compared with Cyber Monday 2023.[2]

Digital Transformation in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU businesses, 74% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2024.[4]
  • Among EU small and medium-sized enterprises, 71% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[4]
  • Across retail and consumer-goods companies, 70% of business functions had generative AI adopted or piloted in 2025.[5]
  • Among EU large businesses, 96% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[4]

Technology Adoption in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across US and European retailers, 27% had fully scaled cameras and sensors in 2025.[6]
  • Across US and European retailers, 66% had moved beyond exploration and testing of store-intelligence technologies in 2025.[6]
  • Across US and European retailers, 16% had fully scaled artificial intelligence in 2025.[6]
  • Across US and European retailers, 21% had fully scaled edge computing technologies in 2025.[6]
  • Across US and European retailers, 23% had fully scaled wireless communication technologies such as RFID or Bluetooth in 2025.[6]

Cloud Computing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 45.52% hosted enterprise databases in the cloud in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.53% used cloud-based file storage in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises, 52.74% used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 85.15% used cloud-based email in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.69% used cloud-based office software in 2025.[4]

Big Data in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises, 26.20% performed data analytics on transaction records such as sales and payment records in 2025.[4]
  • Across retail companies, 23% were using artificial intelligence in production to resolve customer identities or prepare customer data for marketing or analytics in 2025.[7]
  • Across EU enterprises, 33.02% performed data analytics using their own employees in 2025.[4]
  • Across retail companies, 64% said their customer data was structured and accessible enough to support artificial-intelligence use cases in 2025.[7]

IoT in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 87% were using IoT technology in 2024.[8]
  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 38% were using IoT at a moderate level in 2024.[8]
  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 17% were using IoT at a limited level in 2024.[8]
  • Among retail enterprises undertaking digital transformation, 32% were using IoT at an advanced level in 2024.[8]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data tooling adoption sits alongside governance and unification gaps, with 66% of respondents identifying data governance as a significant challenge in 2024.

Business intelligence in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 28.51% of EU enterprises used customer-relationship-management software in 2025.[4]
  • 53% of EU enterprises used at least one specialised e-business application, including ERP, CRM or BI, in 2025.[4]
  • 16.28% of EU enterprises used business-intelligence software in 2025.[4]
  • 69% of large EU enterprises used business-intelligence software in 2025, compared with 11% of small enterprises.[4]

Data analytics in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 26.20% of EU enterprises performed analytics on transaction-record data such as sales or payment records in 2025.[4]
  • 33% of EU enterprises used their own employees to perform data analytics in 2025.[4]
  • 17.62% of EU enterprises performed analytics on customer data in 2025.[4]
  • 40% of EU enterprises performed data analytics internally or through another organisation in 2025.[4]

Data Quality in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and e-commerce, 29% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods not very effective in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 48% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods only somewhat effective in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents identified data-quality controls as a significant challenge in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 62% of respondents rated their data-management practices only somewhat effective in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents rated their identity-resolution ability only somewhat effective in 2024.[9]

Data Governance in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and CPG companies, 35% of respondents cited inconsistent or incorrect answers to data questions as a governance-related blocker in 2025.[10]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 31% of respondents cited the lack of a corporate data strategy and semantic layer as a key challenge in 2025.[10]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 57% of respondents identified data governance as a significant challenge in 2024.[9]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 66% of respondents said their data-management capabilities were only somewhat unified in 2025.[11]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 96% of respondents said breaking down data silos was a significant challenge in 2025.[11]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 53.5% of respondents said regulatory compliance was not a significant data challenge in 2025.[11]

KPIs in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 8.39% of EU enterprise turnover came from web sales in 2024, including 7.08% through own websites or apps and 1.30% through online marketplaces.[4]
  • 19.49% of EU enterprise turnover came from e-sales in 2024.[4]
  • 21.38% of small EU enterprises conducted e-sales in 2024, generating 8.65% of their total turnover through e-sales.[4]
  • 48.48% of large EU enterprises conducted e-sales in 2024, generating 24.24% of their total turnover through e-sales.[4]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Marketplace onboarding and listing automation are quantified, including 18 billion dollars in sales generated by new Amazon sellers in 2025.

Growth in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 378.4 billion dollars was Shopify’s facilitated gross merchandise volume in 2025, up 29% from 2024.[12]
  • 12 million sales-ready listings were created by independent Amazon sellers using generative AI in 2025.[13]
  • 30% was Shopify’s revenue growth in 2025 compared with 2024.[12]
  • 18 billion dollars in sales were generated by new Amazon sellers using the redesigned onboarding experience in 2025.[13]

Differentiation in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 10 billion dollars or more was eBay’s annual fashion gross merchandise volume in 2025.[14]
  • 1 billion dollars was Depop’s annual gross merchandise sales in 2025, including nearly 60% year-over-year growth in the United States.[14]
  • 3 million active sellers were on Depop as of December 31, 2025.[14]
  • 7 million active buyers used Depop as of December 31, 2025, with nearly 90% under age 34.[14]

Mergers and acquisitions in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • More than 4 million customers were served globally by Farfetch at the time of Coupang’s 2024 acquisition.[15]
  • 500 million dollars in capital was provided by Coupang as part of its 2024 acquisition of Farfetch assets.[15]
  • Zulily’s intellectual property and other brand assets were acquired by Beyond, Inc. in March 2024 to strengthen its off-price ecommerce business.[16]
  • 1.2 billion dollars was the announced cash purchase price for eBay’s acquisition of Depop in 2026.[14]

Strategic partnerships in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 20% of surveyed merchants worldwide did not sell through any third-party marketplace in 2025.[17]
  • 12% higher average sales were reported within one month by advertisers adopting Amazon Sponsored Brands Video generation tools.[13]
  • 61% of surveyed merchants worldwide used Amazon as a third-party marketplace in 2025.[17]
  • 230,000 monthly users used Amazon Seller Assistant in 2025, with sellers accepting its recommended actions more than 90% of the time.[18]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce constraints remain pronounced: 69% of U.S. retailers reported difficulty finding and retaining talent in Shopify’s cited retail workforce research.

Hiring in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 67% of U.S. retailers were reported as short-staffed in Shopify’s cited retail workforce research.[19]
  • 55% of retail hiring decision-makers identified employee ghosting as a major hiring challenge in 2023.[20]
  • 57% of retail hiring decision-makers said high employee turnover was a hiring challenge in 2023.[20]
  • 69% of U.S. retailers reported difficulty finding and retaining talent in Shopify’s cited retail workforce research.[19]

Employee retention in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 72% of retail employees who left their jobs during the previous three years had left the retail industry altogether.[21]
  • 70% of U.S. retail workers were open to leaving their jobs for higher pay in 2024.[22]
  • 59% of U.S. frontline retail workers reported considering quitting in 2024, compared with 37% in 2023.[19]
  • 44% of U.S. frontline retail workers surveyed in May 2023 were considering leaving within three to six months.[21]

Remote Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.09% of full paid working days in 2026.[23]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.03% of full paid working days in 2023.[23]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.02% of full paid working days in 2025.[23]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 13.46% of full paid working days in 2024.[23]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 15.14% of full paid working days in 2022.[23]

Hybrid Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail organizations globally, 55% of employees worked from the office five days per week in 2025.[24]
  • Across U.K. employers, 42% had a formal hybrid-working policy in 2025.[25]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 42% used mandated office days as their hybrid-work model in 2025.[24]
  • Across U.K. employers, 74% had hybrid working in place in 2025.[25]
  • Across U.K. employers, 23% used informal manager-employee arrangements for hybrid work in 2025.[25]

Upskilling in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 59% of retail business leaders said upskilling would be a main driver of workforce transformation over the next five years.[26]
  • 54% of consumer-goods and retail managers said they were addressing skills gaps by upskilling employees in 2025.[27]
  • 43% of retail employers planned to enhance professional-development offerings to retain valued talent in 2025.[27]

Employee Engagement in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail employees in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset, 70% were engaged in 2025 reporting.[28]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% reported one or more symptoms of burnout in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[28]
  • Across retail employees, 84% would recommend their company as a great place to work in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[28]
  • Across retail employees, 71% agreed their company contributed to their learning and development in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[28]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% were promoters of their organizations in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[28]

Change Management in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across organizations surveyed by Gartner, 73% of HR leaders said employees were fatigued from change in 2025.[29]
  • Across U.S. employees, 43% said organizational change during the prior year increased their stress levels in the 2025 Eagle Hill survey.[30]
  • Across U.S. CHROs, 30% ranked organization design and change management among their top three HR priorities for 2025.[29]
  • Across organizations surveyed by Gartner, 74% of HR leaders said managers were not equipped to lead change in 2025.[29]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Post-purchase expectations shape conversion and retention, with 69% of U.S. consumers more likely to buy online when a retailer offers free returns in 2024.

Customer experience in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 69% of U.S. consumers were more likely to buy online when a retailer offered free returns in 2024.[2]
  • 69% of U.S. online shoppers considered real-time tracking information before purchasing in 2024.[2]
  • 87% of consumers preferred a hybrid customer-support model combining human empathy with AI efficiency in 2025.[1]
  • 75% of U.S. consumers preferred free shipping over faster shipping in 2024.[2]

Customer retention in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 64% of retail-app users cited no longer needing the original purpose as a reason for uninstalling an app.[31]
  • 72% of customers had downloaded a retail app for a one-time purchase or discount before deleting it.[31]
  • 57% of customers said loyalty-points and rewards tracking would increase retail-app retention.[31]
  • 65% of customers said order tracking and delivery-status updates would increase retail-app retention.[31]

Customer acquisition in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 42% of customers downloaded retail apps to receive a one-time discount or promotion.[31]
  • 43% more Shopify stores made their first sale within one day of signing up in 2025 than in 2022.[1]

Customer loyalty in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 81% of U.S. consumers said they would leave a brand over poor product or service quality in 2025.[31]
  • 72% of U.S. consumers said they would leave a brand after rude or unhelpful service in 2025.[31]
  • 92% of U.S. consumers identified as convenience-oriented shoppers in 2025.[31]
  • 69% of U.S. consumers cited fair, competitive pricing as their top reason for repeat purchases in 2025.[31]

Lead generation in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 80% higher conversion rates were recorded for AI-referred Shopify sessions than for organic-search sessions during the measured period.[1]
  • 75% of AI-referred Shopify sales came from stores outside the platform’s top 100 product categories during the measured period.[1]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 55.75% of ecommerce brands planned to invest more heavily in acquisition than retention in 2023.[32]
  • 72% of retail marketing leaders ranked customer acquisition among their three most important revenue-driving priorities in 2024, according to a survey of retailers.[32]
  • 20.8% was the reported year-over-year improvement in customer-acquisition performance among companies deriving all sales online, compared with 5.3% for retention.[33]

Digital marketing in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 21% of EU businesses used websites or apps to sell goods or services in 2024.[4]
  • 18% of EU businesses sold online through their own website or app in 2024, while 9% used an ecommerce marketplace.[4]
  • 61% of global ecommerce businesses used artificial intelligence across their ecommerce platforms in 2025.[34]
  • 24% of EU businesses conducted e-sales in 2024, up from 17% in 2014.[4]

Branding in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 73% of U.S. online shoppers said they would not buy from a retailer they did not trust its delivery and returns provider in 2025.[34]
  • 80% of U.S. consumers surveyed in October 2024 agreed that brands with consistent pricing are more trustworthy.[35]
  • 76% of U.S. shoppers said viral trends and social buzz influence their buying decisions in 2025.[34]
  • 68% of U.S. consumers surveyed in October 2024 said dynamic pricing makes them feel taken advantage of.[35]

Social media in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 81% of small ecommerce businesses created shoppable social-media posts in 2025.[34]
  • 61% of U.S. consumers expected to shop primarily through social media by 2030.[34]
  • 51% of U.S. online shoppers reported buying through Facebook in 2025.[34]
  • 87% of global ecommerce businesses had at least one social-media profile in 2025.[34]

Influencer Marketing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 80% of brands investing in creator marketing increased creator budgets in 2026, while 25% raised creator spending by more than 10%.[36]
  • 49% of brands investing in creator marketing reported sales as an impact of creator activity in 2026, compared with 60% citing brand sentiment and 58% citing awareness.[36]
  • 78% of surveyed brands reported growing creator-marketing budgets in 2025, up from 36% reporting budget growth in 2024.[36]
  • 58% of brands integrated retail media networks and creator marketing platforms by amplifying creator-generated content on retail media channels in 2025.[36]
  • 91% of brands investing in creator marketing ran an always-on component in 2026, including 62% with hybrid programs and 29% with fully continuous programs.[36]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Fulfillment options drive purchase decisions: 76% of U.S. shoppers said they would abandon a purchase if their preferred delivery option was unavailable in 2025.

Process optimization in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 22% of online shoppers abandoned checkout because the process was too long or complicated in Deloitte’s 2024 checkout study.[37]
  • 61% of mobile ecommerce users sometimes or always switched to desktop when required to complete a mobile checkout process.[38]
  • 13% of online shoppers abandoned checkout because insufficient payment options were offered in Deloitte’s 2024 checkout study.[37]
  • 26% of online shoppers abandoned checkout because an account was required in Deloitte’s 2024 checkout study.[37]

Operational efficiency in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 86% of retailers said free delivery and returns improved sales in 2025.[39]
  • 57% of U.S. shoppers selected same-day or faster delivery and returns as their top desired logistics improvement for the next five years in 2026.[34]
  • 76% of U.S. shoppers said they would abandon a purchase if their preferred delivery option was unavailable in 2025.[34]
  • 96% of retailers said their logistics offering was key to securing ecommerce sales in 2025.[39]

Quality management in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 13% of orders were returned on average by ecommerce retailers in 2025, according to DHL’s global business survey.[34]
  • 54% of online shoppers said incorrect size was a typical reason for returning purchases in 2025.[34]
  • 44% of online shoppers said goods damaged during transit were a typical reason for returning purchases in 2025.[34]
  • 55% of online shoppers said faulty or poor-quality goods were a typical reason for returning purchases in 2025.[34]

Supply chain in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 79% of European shoppers preferred returning online purchases to parcel lockers or shops in 2025.[39]
  • 25% was the increase in global deliveries to out-of-home locations reported in DHL’s 2025 ecommerce survey.[39]
  • 79% of global shoppers said they would abandon a purchase if their preferred return option was unavailable in 2025.[39]
  • 81% of global shoppers said they would abandon a purchase if their preferred delivery option was unavailable in 2025.[39]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 72% of retail organizations with $100 million–$150 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[40]
  • 76% of retail organizations with $150 million–$200 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[40]
  • 57% of retail organizations with $50 million–$100 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[40]
  • Among U.S. apparel imports, China’s share fell from 30% in 2019 to 21% in 2023, while other Asian suppliers’ share rose from 30% to 35%.[21]
  • 74% of retailers surveyed sourced internationally, including 71% of small companies and 84% of larger companies, in 2024.[41]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Return rates cluster around specific bands, with 48% of ecommerce retailers reporting return rates of up to 5% in 2025.

Pricing strategy in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 75.7% of companies using pricing algorithms used cost data as an input, according to a 2024 study of algorithmic pricing practices.[42]
  • 42% of U.S. consumers surveyed in October 2024 said they would spend more if consistent pricing were guaranteed.[35]
  • 73% of companies using pricing algorithms used historical revenue or profit data as an input in a 2024 study.[42]

Cost reduction in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 18% of ecommerce businesses charging for delivery and returns did so within a subscription model in 2025.[34]
  • 20% of ecommerce retailers reported return rates between 6% and 10% in 2025.[34]
  • 48% of ecommerce retailers reported return rates of up to 5% in 2025.[34]
  • 83% of micro ecommerce businesses said free delivery and returns improved their sales in 2025, linking fulfillment-cost decisions with revenue performance.[34]

Profitability in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 7.08% of EU enterprises’ total turnover came from web sales through their own websites or apps in 2024.[4]
  • 1.30% of EU enterprises’ total turnover came from web sales through online marketplaces in 2024.[4]
  • 8.39% of EU enterprises’ total turnover came from web sales in 2024, including sales through own websites, apps and marketplaces.[4]
  • 19.49% of EU enterprises’ total turnover came from e-sales in 2024, compared with 8.65% for small enterprises and 24.24% for large enterprises.[4]

Financial planning in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 76% of global ecommerce businesses offered customers digital-wallet payment in 2025.[34]
  • 35% of global ecommerce businesses offered buy-now-pay-later payment options in 2025.[34]
  • 64% of global ecommerce businesses offered product subscriptions in 2025.[34]
  • 78% of global ecommerce businesses expected their website sales to increase over the next three to five years in 2025.[34]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Experience defects remain measurable friction points, with 10% of EU online shoppers reporting wrong or damaged goods or services as their main online-shopping problem in 2025.

After-sales in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 20% of EU online shoppers reported slower delivery than indicated as their main online-shopping problem in 2025.[4]
  • 11% of EU online shoppers said the website was too difficult to use or did not work satisfactorily in 2025.[4]
  • 35% of EU online shoppers encountered a problem when buying through a website or app in 2025, with slow delivery the most common issue.[4]
  • 10% of EU online shoppers reported receiving wrong or damaged goods or services as their main online-shopping problem in 2025.[4]

Value proposition in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 94% of internet users in the Netherlands bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025.[4]
  • 78% of EU internet users bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025, up from 62% in 2015.[4]
  • 57% of internet users in Bulgaria bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025, the lowest share among listed EU countries.[4]
  • 95% of internet users in Ireland bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025, the highest share among listed EU countries.[4]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Returns create identifiable emissions outcomes, including 112 grams of CO2e generated by returning a non-food product bought through e-commerce in eight European countries.

Sustainability in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 4.5 kilograms of CO2 emissions were estimated when an online shopper made a separate car trip to return an unwanted purchase to a conventional shop.[43]
  • 64% of global shoppers had returned an item to an online retailer, according to DHL’s 2025 global returns research.[34]
  • 112 grams of CO2e were generated by the return of a non-food product bought through e-commerce in eight European countries, compared with 68 grams for an in-store purchase.[43]
  • 416 grams of CO2 emissions were estimated when a parcel carrier collected an unwanted online purchase during a subsequent delivery round.[43]

Ethics in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 22% of EU businesses experienced an ICT security incident affecting service availability, data integrity or confidential-data disclosure in 2024.[4]
  • 84% of EU businesses used strong-password authentication in 2024.[4]
  • 93% of EU businesses used at least one ICT security measure in 2024.[4]
  • 79% of EU businesses backed up data to a separate location or cloud in 2024.[4]

Circular economy in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 71% of consumers said they were less likely to shop again after a poor returns experience in 2025.[1]
  • 19.3% of U.S. online sales were returned in 2025, according to the NRF and Happy Returns enterprise-retailer survey.[1]
  • 76% of consumers said they were more likely to choose a retailer whose return policy offered instant refunds or exchanges in 2025.[1]
  • 9% of U.S. retail returns were estimated to be fraudulent in 2025, according to the NRF and Happy Returns report.[1]

Carbon footprint in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 68 grams of CO2e per product was the estimated emissions footprint of returning a non-food product purchased in a physical retail store in eight European countries in 2021.[43]
  • 4.5 kilograms of CO2 emissions were estimated for a return involving a separate car trip by the shopper to a conventional store.[43]
  • 112 grams of CO2e per product was the estimated emissions footprint of returning a non-food e-commerce purchase in eight European countries in 2021.[43]
  • 416 grams of CO2 emissions were estimated for a return collected by a parcel carrier during a later delivery round.[43]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Mobile usage supports cross-border participation, with 27.1% of people aged 15 and over in developing Latin America and the Caribbean buying something online using a mobile phone or the internet in 2021.

Globalization in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 27.1% of people aged 15 and over in developing Latin America and the Caribbean bought something online using a mobile phone or the internet in 2021.[43]
  • 39.0% of people aged 15 and over worldwide used a mobile phone or the internet to buy something online in 2021.[43]
  • 61.6% of people aged 15 and over in developed economies bought something online using a mobile phone or the internet in 2021.[43]
  • 6.6% of people aged 15 and over in developing Africa bought something online using a mobile phone or the internet in 2021.[43]

Cultural adaptation in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 58% of online shoppers in Latvia bought clothes, shoes or accessories online in 2024.[4]
  • 79% of online shoppers in Bulgaria bought clothes, shoes or accessories online in 2024.[4]
  • 79% of online shoppers in Romania bought clothes, shoes or accessories online in 2024.[4]
  • 85% of online shoppers in Cyprus bought clothes, shoes or accessories online in 2024.[4]

Supplier management in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 2 million people were employed in the United States in 2025 to support independent sellers’ Amazon-related businesses.[13]
  • 75,000 independent Amazon sellers surpassed $1 million in store sales in 2025, up 36% from 2024.[18]
  • More than 60% of Amazon store sales came from independent sellers, mostly small and medium-sized businesses, in 2025.[18]
  • 95% of independent Amazon sellers also sold products through other retail channels in 2025.[13]

Distribution channels in the b2c ecommerce industry

  • 9% of EU businesses sold goods or services through an ecommerce marketplace in 2024.[4]
  • 61% of surveyed merchants worldwide sold through Amazon in 2025, compared with 32% through eBay.[17]
  • 18% of EU businesses sold goods or services through their own website or app in 2024.[4]
  • 8.39% of EU enterprises’ total turnover came from web sales in 2024, including 7.08% through own websites or apps and 1.30% through marketplaces.[4]

Key questions about the b2c ecommerce industry

How big is the U.S. B2C ecommerce market in 2025?
U.S. retail e-commerce sales totaled an estimated $1.23 trillion in 2025.
What is the recent growth rate for U.S. retail ecommerce sales in 2026?
U.S. retail e-commerce sales reached $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 12.2% year over year.
Which companies lead the b2c ecommerce industry?
MercadoLibre stands out for Latin America ecommerce scale because it reported $28.9 billion in 2025 net revenues and financial income across Latin America, while Walmart focuses on global omnichannel retail ecommerce since it reported $121 billion in global e-commerce sales.
What technology shift is most visible across ecommerce in 2025?
AI adoption shows measurable gains: 75% of Shopify store owners reported using AI tools in 2025.
How is the market structured across the EU based on online shopping participation?
In the EU, 78% of internet users aged 16–74 bought or ordered goods or services online in 2025, with countries like Ireland, the Netherlands, and Denmark among the highest-participation markets.
What friction shows up most often in EU online purchasing in 2025?
In 2025, slow delivery was the most common issue, and 35% of EU online shoppers encountered a problem when buying through a website or app.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). B2c Ecommerce Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/b2c-ecommerce-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "B2c Ecommerce Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/b2c-ecommerce-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "B2c Ecommerce Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/b2c-ecommerce-industry-statistics.

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