Gitnux/Report 2026

Ecommerce Industry Statistics

From 2025 onward, Ecommerce Industry trends are moving fast enough to make last year’s playbook look outdated, especially in how online shoppers split between convenience and value. This page puts the latest figures side by side so you can see exactly where growth is accelerating and where it is quietly stalling.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Ecommerce Industry Statistics
Daniel VargaWritten by Daniel Varga·Edited by Abigail Foster·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The ecommerce industry at a glance

Global ecommerce revenue is projected at $3.86 trillion in 2026, while U.S. online retail reached $340.2 billion in the second quarter and represented 17.1% of total retail sales.

$3.86T[80]
Global revenue, 2026
$340.2B[81]
U.S. sales, Q2 2026
17.1%[81]
U.S. retail share, Q2 2026
78%[5]
EU online shoppers, 2025
Market size
The global ecommerce market is projected to generate $3.86 trillion in revenue in 2026. In the United States, seasonally adjusted retail ecommerce sales totaled $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026.[80][81]
Forecast & CAGR
Global ecommerce revenue is forecast to grow at a 6.2% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2030, reaching $4.91 trillion by 2030. A separate U.S. forecast projects online sales growth of 7.9% in 2026, with growth moderating through 2030.[80][49]
Market share & regions
The United States is projected to generate $1.22 trillion in ecommerce revenue in 2026, making it the largest individual market in the cited global forecast. In the EU, 78% of people reported buying or ordering goods or services online in 2025, with country-level participation ranging from 60% in Romania to 96% in Ireland.[80][5]
Segmentation
In the EU, 17.99% of enterprises used websites or apps for e-sales in 2024, 2.9% used only electronic data interchange, and 2.7% used both channels. Among EU enterprises conducting e-sales, turnover through own websites or apps was more than five times higher than turnover through marketplaces.[5]
Key players & concentration
Amazon reported $201.9 billion in total net sales in the third quarter of 2026, up 12% year over year; its North America segment generated $112.9 billion. The Federal Trade Commission's Amazon case describes the company as a major online retail and technology platform and alleges it maintained monopoly power through interlocking competitive practices, but the agency does not provide a single current global market-share percentage.[82][83]
Pricing
Pricing pressure is increasingly affected by retail-media costs as well as product prices. In an updated 2026 complaint, the FTC alleged that Amazon increased advertisers' average cost per click by 20% during the 2021 holiday season, with some advertisers experiencing increases above 200%; these are allegations, not adjudicated findings.[84]
Trends, drivers & challenges
AI is becoming a major growth variable: U.S. AI-driven ecommerce sales are forecast to rise from 3.2% of total ecommerce sales in 2026 to 15.8% in 2030. Key challenges include slower mature-market growth, platform dependence, advertising-cost inflation, and regulatory scrutiny of marketplace conduct and consumer interfaces.[49][84][83]
Consumer behavior & competition
In 2025, 78% of EU residents reported buying or ordering goods or services online, up from 62% in 2015. Among EU online shoppers, 83% of people aged 16–24 and 53% of those aged 65–74 purchased online in 2024, while 35% of recent online shoppers encountered problems with a website or app in 2025.[5]
Regulation
U.S. enforcement remains focused on platform power and consumer-protection practices. The FTC and 22 states sued Amazon in August 2026 over alleged undisclosed advertising surcharges, while the agency's Prime case concerns alleged deceptive enrollment and cancellation practices; the Prime settlement was valued at $2.5 billion, including up to $1.5 billion in consumer redress and a $1 billion civil penalty.[84][83]
Latest news
The latest cited company results show Amazon's third-quarter 2026 net sales up 12% year over year to $201.9 billion. Sea Limited reported third-quarter 2026 Shopee revenue of $5.3 billion, up 40.9% from a year earlier, indicating continued strong growth in Southeast Asian and other emerging-market marketplace activity.[82][85]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Ecommerce Industry

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

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

Verdict

MercadoLibre leads Gitnux's 2026 ecommerce ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with 2025 net revenues and financial income of $28.9 billion across Latin America. Walmart is the highest-ranked omnichannel retailer at 9.0, with fiscal 2025 global ecommerce sales of $121 billion.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in ecommerce logistics platforms

    MercadoLibre

    UY

    Ranked #1 · 9.3 · Ecommerce logistics platforms

    Why we picked it: Its ecommerce marketplace and logistics segment is benchmarked with $28.9 billion 2025 net revenues and financial income in Latin America.

    See in ranking ↓Visit mercadolibre.com ↗

  2. Leader in omnichannel retail ecommerce

    Walmart

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.0 · Omnichannel retail ecommerce

    Why we picked it: Its omnichannel retail and global ecommerce segment is measured with $121 billion of fiscal 2025 global ecommerce sales.

    See in ranking ↓Visit walmart.com ↗

  3. Leader in ecommerce marketplaces

    Sea Limited

    SG

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Ecommerce marketplaces

    Why we picked it: Its Shopee marketplace segment is quantified with approximately $14.5 billion in 2025 ecommerce revenue for Sea Limited.

    See in ranking ↓Visit sea.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 ecommerce industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

MercadoLibre

Ecommerce logistics platforms · UY

9.3
2

Walmart

Omnichannel retail ecommerce · US

9.0
3

Sea Limited

Ecommerce marketplaces · SG

8.9
4

eBay

Recommerce marketplaces · US

8.8
5

Coupang

Online retail and delivery · US

8.6
6

PDD Holdings

Ecommerce marketplaces · IE

8.5
7

Otto Group

Online retail and delivery · DE

8.4
8

Chewy

Online retail and delivery · US

8.3
9

Wayfair

Online retail and delivery · US

8.2
10

Ocado Group

Ecommerce logistics platforms · GB

8.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

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

Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the ecommerce industry. In Ecommerce Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ecommerce-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest ecommerce companies

Walmart leads with $681.0B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Walmart$681.0B
PDD Holdings$60.5B
Coupang$34.5B
MercadoLibre$28.9B
Sea Limited$22.9B
Otto Group$14.9B
source-verifiedcorporate.walmart.com · investor.pddholdings.com · sec.gov · moneyweek.com · ottogroup.com2026

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI and related instrumentation show up as measurable adoption points: 49% of global ecommerce businesses use AI for personalization in 2025, while 43% of retailers are most likely to use real-time inventory updates in 2025.

AI in the ecommerce industry

  • 49% of global ecommerce businesses use AI to personalize website or app experiences in 2025.[1]
  • 64% of cross-border ecommerce sellers use AI in 2025.[1]
  • 61% of B2B retailers, wholesale distributors and dropshippers use AI in 2025.[1]
  • 67% of retailers selling through their own apps use AI in 2025.[1]
  • 63% of large ecommerce businesses use AI in 2025.[1]
  • 49% of global ecommerce businesses use AI for content production in 2025.[1]

Automation in the ecommerce industry

  • 51% of US retailers with $1 million–$10 million revenue report high ecommerce automation rates in 2024.[2]
  • 7% of UK retailers report fully automated ecommerce operations in 2024.[2]
  • Approximately 20% of surveyed firms report minimal or no automation in ecommerce operations in 2024.[2]
  • 10% of US retailers report fully automated ecommerce operations in 2024.[2]
  • 52% of ecommerce supply-chain respondents identify greater automation as a major impact of ecommerce growth in 2024.[3]
  • 49% of UK retailers with $1 million–$10 million revenue report high ecommerce automation rates in 2024.[2]

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

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

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

  • Across US and European retailers, 23% had fully scaled wireless communication technologies such as RFID or Bluetooth in 2025.[6]
  • Across US and European retailers, 21% had fully scaled edge computing technologies 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, 27% had fully scaled cameras and sensors in 2025.[6]

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

  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.69% used cloud-based office software in 2025.[5]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 45.52% hosted enterprise databases in the cloud in 2025.[5]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.53% used cloud-based file storage in 2025.[5]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 85.15% used cloud-based email in 2025.[5]
  • Across EU enterprises, 52.74% used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[5]

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

  • Across retail companies, 64% said their customer data was structured and accessible enough to support artificial-intelligence use cases in 2025.[7]
  • Across EU enterprises, 33.02% performed data analytics using their own employees in 2025.[5]
  • Across EU enterprises, 26.20% performed data analytics on transaction records such as sales and payment records in 2025.[5]
  • 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]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data readiness constrains model and search performance. In 2024, 50% of U.S. retailers and consumer-facing platform businesses had a real-time data deficit.

Business intelligence in the ecommerce industry

  • 43% of payment professionals rated chargeback and fraud loss rates extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 50% of U.S. retailers and consumer-facing platform businesses had a real-time data deficit in 2024.[9]
  • 40% of payment professionals rated authorization rate extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 40% of payment professionals rated authentication rate extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 52% of payment professionals rated payment success rate extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 39% of payment professionals rated cost of service or cost per customer extremely important in 2025.[8]

Data analytics in the ecommerce industry

  • 71% of shoppers were concerned that AI would recommend products to increase retailer profits rather than serve shoppers’ interests in 2026.[10]
  • 17.4% of shoppers discovered their most recent purchase through an AI tool or large language model in 2026.[11]
  • 53% of B2C ecommerce businesses said they had adequately invested in search in 2025.[12]
  • 72% of shoppers had tried or were open to retailers using AI to improve onsite search in 2026.[10]
  • 69% of shoppers were concerned that retailers would force them to use AI instead of traditional search in 2026.[10]
  • 13% of shoppers began product discovery with large language models in 2025.[13]

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.[14]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents rated their identity-resolution ability only somewhat effective in 2024.[14]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents identified data-quality controls as a significant challenge in 2024.[14]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 48% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods only somewhat effective in 2024.[14]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 62% of respondents rated their data-management practices only somewhat effective in 2024.[14]

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.[15]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 66% of respondents said their data-management capabilities were only somewhat unified in 2025.[16]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 96% of respondents said breaking down data silos was a significant challenge in 2025.[16]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 57% of respondents identified data governance as a significant challenge in 2024.[14]
  • 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.[15]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 53.5% of respondents said regulatory compliance was not a significant data challenge in 2025.[16]

KPIs in the ecommerce industry

  • 25% of payment professionals rated retry performance extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 30% of payment professionals rated customer Net Promoter Score based on shopping experience extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 31% of payment professionals rated refund rate extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 32% of payment professionals rated checkout abandonment rate extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 30% of payment professionals rated settlement time extremely important in 2025.[8]
  • 34% of payment professionals rated order conversion rate extremely important in 2025.[8]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Forecasts tie growth to channel mix. Global retail ecommerce sales are forecast to reach $6.880 trillion in 2026, while online sales are forecast at 20.5% of total retail sales globally in 2025.

Growth in the ecommerce industry

  • Business e-commerce sales in 46 economies grew 5.5% in 2024 from 2023.[17]
  • 53% of Gen Z shoppers said personalized recommendations make them buy more often.[18]
  • Online sales are forecast to represent 20.5% of total retail sales globally in 2025.[19]
  • Global retail e-commerce sales are forecast to reach $6.419 trillion in 2025.[19]
  • Global retail e-commerce sales are forecast to reach $6.880 trillion in 2026.[19]
  • E-commerce sales in developing economies grew at more than twice the average annual rate of developed economies from 2016 to 2024.[17]

Differentiation in the ecommerce industry

  • 37% of shoppers buy more often because of personalized product recommendations.[18]
  • 12% of Baby Boomer shoppers buy more often because of personalized product recommendations.[18]
  • 34% of Gen X shoppers buy more often because of personalized product recommendations.[18]
  • 36% of shoppers say how-to content and product demonstrations influence their social-media purchasing decisions.[20]
  • 34% of shoppers say influencer partnerships influence their purchasing decisions on social media.[20]
  • 48% of Millennials buy more often because of personalized product recommendations.[18]

Mergers and acquisitions in the ecommerce industry

  • E-commerce and D2C M&A disclosed value reached $115.3 billion across 739 deals in 2021.[21]
  • E-commerce M&A activity fell 5.6% year over year to 68 announced or completed transactions through the reported period in 2026.[22]
  • E-commerce and D2C M&A disclosed value reached $25.1 billion across 298 deals worldwide in 2024.[21]
  • European e-commerce deal value reached $21.5 billion in 2025, up 17.5% year over year.[23]
  • Private-equity participation represented 34% of European e-commerce deal volume in 2025, up from 26% in 2024.[23]
  • E-commerce and D2C M&A disclosed value reached $14.9 billion across 79 deals year-to-date through March 31, 2025.[21]

Strategic partnerships in the ecommerce industry

  • 68% of businesses produce discounts and offers to drive e-commerce sales on social media.[20]
  • 47% of businesses produce user-generated content to drive e-commerce sales on social media.[20]
  • 57% of businesses produce influencer-partnership content to drive e-commerce sales on social media.[20]
  • 50% of businesses produce shoppable posts to drive e-commerce sales on social media.[20]
  • 33% of businesses produce live-shopping events to drive e-commerce sales on social media.[20]
  • 48% of businesses use YouTube as a social commerce selling channel.[20]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Hybrid work patterns reflect staffing and governance realities. Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.09% of full paid working days in 2026.

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

  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.03% of full paid working days in 2023.[24]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 15.14% of full paid working days in 2022.[24]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 13.46% of full paid working days in 2024.[24]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.09% of full paid working days in 2026.[24]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.02% of full paid working days in 2025.[24]

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

  • Across retail organizations globally, 42% used mandated office days as their hybrid-work model in 2025.[25]
  • Across U.K. employers, 42% had a formal hybrid-working policy in 2025.[26]
  • Across U.K. employers, 23% used informal manager-employee arrangements for hybrid work in 2025.[26]
  • Across U.K. employers, 65% required hybrid employees to attend the workplace a minimum number of days in 2025.[26]
  • Across U.K. employers, 74% had hybrid working in place in 2025.[26]

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

  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% reported one or more symptoms of burnout in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[27]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 35% rated their personal well-being above average in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[27]
  • Across retail employees in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset, 70% were engaged in 2025 reporting.[27]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% were promoters of their organizations in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[27]
  • Across retail employees, 84% would recommend their company as a great place to work in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[27]

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.[28]
  • Across U.S. employees, 45% said organizational change during the prior year increased their workload in the 2025 Eagle Hill survey.[29]
  • Across U.S. employees, 43% said organizational change during the prior year increased their stress levels in the 2025 Eagle Hill survey.[29]
  • Across organizations surveyed by Gartner, 74% of HR leaders said managers were not equipped to lead change in 2025.[28]
  • Across U.S. CHROs, 30% ranked organization design and change management among their top three HR priorities for 2025.[28]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Conversion and retention hinge on cost and experience. In 2025, 71.3% was the average cart-abandonment rate across U.S. online retailers studied, while 90% of consumers purchased more after consistently great commerce experiences in 2026.

Customer experience in the ecommerce industry

  • Commerce standouts were twice as likely as low-maturity brands to rate their ability to differentiate the commerce experience excellent in 2026.[30]
  • 57% of surveyed consumers reported spending less over the previous 12 months in Deloitte Digital’s 2026 commerce survey.[30]
  • 39% of US shoppers abandoned an online purchase in 2025 because of extra costs such as shipping, tax, or fees.[19]
  • 90% of consumers purchased more, recommended the brand, or engaged more online after consistently great commerce experiences in 2026.[30]
  • 19% of US shoppers abandoned an online purchase in 2025 because they were forced to create an account.[19]

Customer retention in the ecommerce industry

  • 40.5% was the median 12-month repeat-purchase rate for pet-care and supplies ecommerce brands in Appbrew’s 2026 dataset.[31]
  • 21.7% was the median 12-month repeat-purchase rate among 250-plus Shopify brands in Appbrew’s 2026 ecommerce dataset.[31]
  • 22.7% was the median 12-month repeat-purchase rate for fashion and apparel ecommerce brands in 2026.[31]
  • 29.8% was the median 12-month repeat-purchase rate for health, wellness, and supplements ecommerce brands in 2026.[31]
  • 19.4% was the median 12-month repeat-purchase rate for home and living ecommerce brands in 2026.[31]

Customer acquisition in the ecommerce industry

  • 5.45% of ecommerce website traffic came from referrals in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset.[32]
  • 6.88% of ecommerce website traffic came from paid search in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset.[32]
  • 0.06% of ecommerce website traffic came from email in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset.[32]
  • 0.35% of ecommerce website traffic came from display advertising in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset.[32]
  • 88% of ecommerce traffic was generated by the top 1% of sites in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset.[32]

Customer loyalty in the ecommerce industry

  • 47% of global consumers said they showed loyalty by recommending preferred retailers to friends and family in 2024.[33]
  • 24% of global consumers said they showed loyalty by belonging to a retailer membership scheme in 2024.[33]
  • 28% of global consumers increased their use of loyalty programs in 2024, compared with 20% in 2023.[33]
  • 23% of global consumers said they showed loyalty by engaging with a preferred retailer’s content in 2024.[33]
  • 41% of global consumers said they showed loyalty by using a preferred retailer’s loyalty card or scheme in 2024.[33]

Lead generation in the ecommerce industry

  • 6.88% of ecommerce website traffic came from paid search in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset, supporting paid prospect acquisition.[32]
  • 5.45% of ecommerce website traffic came from referral sources in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset, indicating referral-led acquisition activity.[32]
  • 0.06% of ecommerce website traffic came from email in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset, reflecting the measured share of email-driven visits.[32]
  • 23.56% of ecommerce website traffic came from organic search in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset, supporting non-paid prospect generation.[32]
  • 71.7% was the combined share of branded and direct traffic in Similarweb’s 2025 ecommerce benchmark dataset.[32]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Automation and search influence funnel efficiency. Back-in-stock automated emails had a 6.46% conversion rate in 2025, versus a 3.2% global ecommerce conversion-rate benchmark cited by Shopify in 2026.

Marketing in the ecommerce industry

  • 6.46% was the conversion rate of back-in-stock automated emails in 2025, the highest among Omnisend’s automated email types.[19]
  • 33.22% was the open rate for weekly email senders in 2025, according to MailerLite data reported by Shopify.[19]
  • 5.31% was the highest click rate recorded for twice-weekly ecommerce email senders in 2025, according to MailerLite data.[19]
  • 16 times more revenue per send came from automated emails than scheduled campaigns in 2025, according to Omnisend.[19]
  • Ecommerce order volume grew 98% year over year in 2025 across Omnisend’s dataset of 150,000 brands.[34]

Digital marketing in the ecommerce industry

  • 16 times more revenue per send was generated by automated ecommerce emails than scheduled campaigns in 2025.[19]
  • 3.2% was the global ecommerce conversion-rate benchmark cited by Shopify in 2026.[19]
  • 3.33% was the average conversion rate for abandoned-cart reminders on Klaviyo in 2025.[19]
  • 50.5% was the average open rate for abandoned-cart reminders on Klaviyo in 2025.[19]
  • 0.7% was the approximate conversion rate for ecommerce traffic from social media overall in 2025.[19]

Branding in the ecommerce industry

  • 59% of global consumers said frequent shopping was how they most commonly expressed loyalty to preferred retailers in 2024.[33]
  • 47% of global consumers said recommending preferred retailers to friends and family expressed loyalty in 2024.[33]
  • 71.7% was the combined share of branded and direct ecommerce traffic in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset.[32]
  • 23% of global consumers said engaging with a preferred retailer’s content expressed loyalty in 2024.[33]
  • 57.66% of ecommerce traffic was direct in Similarweb’s 2025 benchmark dataset, indicating visits that did not require a referring channel.[32]

Social media in the ecommerce industry

  • 50.3% of US social-media users made at least one purchase through a social channel in 2024.[35]
  • $67.06 billion was the value of US social-commerce sales in 2023.[35]
  • 49.5% of US social-media users made at least one purchase through a social channel in 2023.[35]
  • 50.6% of US social-media users made at least one purchase through a social channel in 2025.[35]
  • 106.8 million US social-media users made at least one purchase through a social channel in 2023.[35]

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

  • 58% of brands integrated retail media networks and creator marketing platforms by amplifying creator-generated content on retail media channels in 2025.[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]
  • 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]
  • 80% of brands investing in creator marketing increased creator budgets in 2026, while 25% raised creator spending by more than 10%.[36]
  • 78% of surveyed brands reported growing creator-marketing budgets in 2025, up from 36% reporting budget growth in 2024.[36]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Fulfillment expectations and returns economics remain central. Returns after shipping, handling, inspection and restocking cost an estimated $27 per $100 order in 2024.

Process optimization in the ecommerce industry

  • 56% of respondents ranked demand forecasting among the leading e-commerce supply-chain priorities in 2024.[3]
  • 53% of respondents identified end-to-end visibility as a major e-commerce supply-chain impact in 2024.[3]
  • 51% of respondents reported faster delivery expectations as a major e-commerce supply-chain impact in 2024.[3]
  • 60% of respondents ranked order fulfillment among the leading e-commerce supply-chain priorities in 2024.[3]
  • 61% of retail respondents reported investing in automation in e-commerce supply chains, according to MIT research for 2023–2024.[3]

Operational efficiency in the ecommerce industry

  • $121 billion was Walmart’s global e-commerce sales in fiscal 2025.[37]
  • 8.3 billion Walmart units were delivered the same or next day globally in fiscal 2025.[37]
  • 109.074 billion dollars was Amazon’s fulfillment expense in 2025.[38]
  • 36% of Walmart store-fulfilled orders used expedited delivery of under three hours in the first quarter of fiscal 2027.[37]
  • 45% was the approximate growth in store-fulfilled delivery for Walmart e-commerce in the first quarter of fiscal 2027.[37]

Quality management in the ecommerce industry

  • 80% of U.S. consumers surveyed in October 2024 said consistent pricing made brands more trustworthy.[39]
  • 27 dollars per 100-dollar order was the estimated cost of returns after shipping, handling, inspection and restocking in 2024.[40]
  • 17% of U.S. retail sales were returned in 2024, totaling approximately $890 billion.[41]
  • 79% of 1,532 consumers reported experiencing an unexpected price scenario during the year to October 2024.[39]
  • 42% of U.S. consumers surveyed in October 2024 said they would pay more for guaranteed consistent pricing.[39]

Supply chain in the ecommerce industry

  • 60% of MIT survey respondents ranked distribution and logistics among the leading e-commerce supply-chain priorities in 2024.[3]
  • 22.4% of the top 1,000 online retailers offered free returns in 2024.[42]
  • 60% of respondents ranked inventory management among the leading e-commerce supply-chain priorities in 2024.[3]
  • 46% of respondents said returns management was increasingly important for e-commerce supply chains in 2024.[3]
  • 70% or more of MIT respondents reported e-commerce sales growth across the industries surveyed in 2024.[3]

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

  • 76% of retail organizations with $150 million–$200 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[43]
  • 72% of retail organizations with $100 million–$150 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[43]
  • 74% of retailers surveyed sourced internationally, including 71% of small companies and 84% of larger companies, in 2024.[44]
  • 57% of retail organizations with $50 million–$100 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[43]
  • 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%.[45]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing pressure spans promotions and advertising costs. The FTC alleged Amazon increased advertisers’ average cost per click by 20% during the 2021 holiday season, and 71.3% was the average cart-abandonment rate across U.S. online retailers studied from 2022 to 2025.

Pricing strategy in the ecommerce industry

  • 68% of U.S. consumers surveyed in October 2024 said dynamic pricing made them feel taken advantage of.[39]
  • 2.7 site-wide promotional events per quarter was the average among retailers studied from 2022 to 2025.[46]
  • 22.4% was the average promotional discount from regular prices among the retailers studied through 2024.[46]
  • 71.3% was the average cart-abandonment rate across the U.S. online retailers studied from 2022 to 2025.[46]
  • 3.2% was the average monthly conversion rate across the U.S. online retailers studied from 2022 to 2025.[46]

Cost reduction in the ecommerce industry

  • 50.7 billion dollars was Amazon’s international segment sales in the fourth quarter of 2025.[38]
  • 98.505 billion dollars was Amazon’s fulfillment expense in 2024.[38]
  • 27 dollars per 100-dollar order was the estimated cost of e-commerce returns in 2024.[40]
  • 22.4% of top-1,000 online retailers offered free returns in 2024, down from 22.7% in 2023.[42]
  • 30% of returned merchandise was resold at full price in the cited 2024 e-commerce returns analysis.[40]

Profitability in the ecommerce industry

  • 24.2% was Etsy’s revenue take rate in 2025.[47]
  • 77.7 billion dollars was Amazon’s net income in 2025.[38]
  • 25.5% was Etsy’s adjusted EBITDA margin in 2025.[47]
  • 5.7% was Etsy’s net-income margin in 2025.[47]
  • 53% was the gross margin for e-commerce marketplaces in Morningstar’s 2024 industry analysis.[48]

Financial planning in the ecommerce industry

  • 50.7 billion dollars was Amazon’s year-over-year increase in property-and-equipment purchases in 2025.[38]
  • 139.5 billion dollars was Amazon’s operating cash flow for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025.[38]
  • 11.2 billion dollars was Amazon’s free cash flow for the twelve months ended December 31, 2025.[38]
  • 11.9169 billion dollars was Etsy’s gross merchandise sales in 2025.[47]
  • 693.414 million dollars was Etsy’s net cash provided by operating activities in 2025.[47]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Discovery and returns drivers are quantifiable. In 2025, 54% of global online shoppers returned an item because of wrong size, and 60% returned due to faulty, poor-quality or expectation-mismatched products in 2026.

Product development in the ecommerce industry

  • 26% of shoppers were comfortable using voice search to initiate shopping journeys, according to a 2025 Criteo survey.[49]
  • 44% of shoppers were comfortable using images to initiate shopping journeys, according to a 2025 Criteo survey.[49]
  • 64% of B2C ecommerce businesses planned to hire more merchandisers in 2024 to support product discovery and merchandising.[50]
  • 68% of surveyed B2C businesses had a dedicated merchandising team in 2024.[50]
  • 73% of B2C ecommerce businesses planned to invest in IT developer teams to support merchandising in 2024.[50]

Product lifecycle in the ecommerce industry

  • 12% of global online shoppers said they ordered extra goods to obtain free delivery and returned the extras in 2026.[20]
  • 37% of global online shoppers had spent more to obtain free delivery and then returned the extra items in 2025.[20]
  • 60% of global online shoppers said faulty, poor-quality or expectation-mismatched products were a reason for returns in 2026.[20]
  • 19% of global online shoppers said changing their mind was a reason for returns in 2026.[20]
  • 54% of global online shoppers had returned an item because it was the wrong size in 2025.[20]

After-sales in the ecommerce industry

  • 64% of global online shoppers had returned an item to an online retailer in 2025.[20]
  • 27% of shoppers preferred label-less QR-code returns in the 2026 global ecommerce survey.[20]
  • 69% of U.S. consumers were more likely to buy online when a retailer offered free returns in 2024.[51]
  • 46% of global shoppers would buy from abroad if free returns were offered in 2025.[20]
  • 55% of global shoppers mainly bought from retailers offering free returns in 2025.[20]

Value proposition in the ecommerce industry

  • 66% of consumers identified free shipping as an important determinant of loyalty to a specific online store in 2024.[9]
  • 46% of consumers considered delivery tracking an important online-shopping feature in 2024.[9]
  • 75% of U.S. consumers said they would pay for same-day delivery in 2024.[51]
  • 48% of U.S. ecommerce merchants offered free shipping in 2024.[51]
  • 33% of U.S. ecommerce merchants offered same-day delivery in 2024.[51]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Ethics and circularity show up as operational plans. In 2025, 71% of surveyed ecommerce retailers planned to offer a trade-in or buy-back program, and 71% planned to sell pre-owned or refurbished items.

Sustainability in the ecommerce industry

  • 47% of surveyed e-businesses said they act responsibly toward employees, customers, the environment, suppliers and business partners in 2024.[52]
  • 75% of the largest surveyed ecommerce companies said they act responsibly toward employees, customers, the environment, suppliers and business partners in 2024.[52]
  • 25% of surveyed ecommerce retailers were taking steps to improve accessibility for people with special needs in 2024.[52]
  • 80% of surveyed ecommerce retailers planned to provide clear recycling instructions for products in 2025, globally.[20]
  • 74% of surveyed ecommerce retailers planned to provide guidance on repairing products in 2025, globally.[20]

ESG in the ecommerce industry

  • 13% of all surveyed ecommerce retailers analyzed the ESG or sustainable-development approach of all business partners in 2024.[52]
  • 40% of large listed companies disclosed supply-chain commitments covering responsible business conduct in 2025.[53]
  • 66% of large listed companies headquartered in Europe had commitments to the OECD Guidelines or UN Guiding Principles in 2025.[53]
  • 34% of surveyed ecommerce retailers checked a prospective business partner’s ESG or sustainable-development approach before doing business in 2024.[52]
  • 32% of large listed companies had an explicit public commitment to the OECD Guidelines or UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2025.[53]

Ethics in the ecommerce industry

  • 43% of Hispanic Americans reported experiencing an online shopping scam involving a counterfeit or undelivered item by 2025.[54]
  • 61% of European consumers encountered misleading discounting online in the 2024 Consumer Conditions Survey.[55]
  • 79% of more than 500 surveyed ecommerce businesses said ethical and responsible ecommerce provides tangible benefits in 2024.[52]
  • 45% of European consumers encountered an online scam during the year preceding the 2024 Consumer Conditions Survey.[55]
  • 42% of Americans under 30 reported buying an online counterfeit or undelivered item without reimbursement by 2025.[54]

CSR in the ecommerce industry

  • 76% of consumers said online retailers and brands have an obligation to protect, conserve and benefit the environment in 2024.[56]
  • 44% of consumers said their preferred retailers had not made them aware of CSR initiatives or their impact in 2024.[56]
  • 28% of shoppers actively sought online retailers’ CSR, sustainability and returns-policy webpages in 2024.[56]
  • 36% of consumers who knew about CSR initiatives learned about them through online communications such as email or social media in 2024.[56]
  • 64% of shoppers looked for ethical or sustainable features when making an online purchase in 2024.[56]

Circular economy in the ecommerce industry

  • 71% of surveyed ecommerce retailers planned to offer a trade-in or buy-back program in 2025.[20]
  • 71% of surveyed ecommerce retailers planned to sell pre-owned or refurbished items in 2025.[20]
  • 32% of ecommerce customers sold a used product during the year covered by the 2024 State of Returns survey.[57]
  • 26% of ecommerce customers bought a second-hand product online during the year covered by the 2024 State of Returns survey.[57]
  • 52% of global shoppers bought pre-owned or refurbished products online in 2025.[20]

Carbon footprint in the ecommerce industry

  • 4.2 million metric tons of packaging materials had been avoided by Amazon since 2015, according to its 2024 sustainability report.[58]
  • Less than 10% of Amazon shipments in North America contained single-use plastic delivery packaging in 2024.[58]
  • 53% of Etsy’s 2024 shipping spend was with companies that had set a science-based emissions-reduction goal.[47]
  • 65% of Amazon shipments in North America contained single-use plastic delivery packaging in 2023.[58]
  • 21% was the weighted average return rate used in a 2026 full-process carbon-footprint assessment of Chinese online apparel sales.[46]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border scale and localization requirements remain explicit. In 2026, 91% of surveyed businesses sell and ship internationally, while 75% of international shoppers want to buy in their native language.

Globalization in the ecommerce industry

  • International online sales are forecast to drive global B2C e-commerce to $16.83 trillion by 2030.[72]
  • China accounted for 57% of countries from which surveyed shoppers bought online internationally in 2025.[20]
  • $28 trillion in e-commerce sales were recorded by businesses in 46 economies in 2024, covering economies representing about three-quarters of global GDP.[17]
  • 91% of surveyed businesses sell and ship internationally, according to a 2026 cross-border commerce survey of global executives.[72]
  • $2.9 trillion of cross-border e-commerce sales were estimated across included economies in 2022.[73]

Cultural adaptation in the ecommerce industry

  • 22% of Canadian B2C businesses do not localize e-commerce with local languages and currencies.[20]
  • 18% of U.K. B2C businesses do not localize e-commerce with local languages and currencies.[20]
  • 75% of international shoppers want to buy products online in their native language.[74]
  • 55% of shoppers in Saudi Arabia prefer click-and-mortar shopping, compared with 30% in the United States.[75]
  • 64% of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander consumers said they would stop buying from brands that devalue their identity group.[76]

Supplier management in the ecommerce industry

  • 38% of surveyed cross-border businesses incurred fines because of tariff misclassification.[72]
  • $146,016 was the average annual sales amount for a supplier on Mirakl-powered marketplace and dropship platforms in 2022.[77]
  • 75% of surveyed cross-border businesses say complying with Harmonized System codes is difficult.[72]
  • 3% of manufacturer revenue is expected to move away from distributors in the 2024 distribution survey, down from 10% in prior years.[78]
  • 65,000 sellers and suppliers were analyzed across Mirakl-powered marketplace and dropship platforms in 2022.[77]

Stakeholder management in the ecommerce industry

  • 46% of surveyed executives believe cross-border e-commerce will become more challenging.[72]
  • More than 5% of annual revenue is believed possible from sustainability measures by surveyed business leaders in the 2025 study.[79]
  • $1.2 billion was Amazon’s planned investment in education and skills training for U.S. employees by 2025.[58]
  • More than 300,000 U.S. Amazon employees were targeted for education and skills training through a $1.2 billion investment planned by 2025.[58]
  • Customers, employees, investors and policymakers all recorded declining perceived stakeholder influence in the 2025 sustainability decision-maker study.[79]

Distribution channels in the ecommerce industry

  • 24% of manufacturers planned to sell on Zoro within one year in the 2024 distribution survey.[78]
  • 78% of businesses sell through Facebook, while 63% of shoppers have purchased through Facebook.[20]
  • 50% of shoppers have purchased through shoppable social posts, according to the 2026 e-commerce trends study.[20]
  • 28% of manufacturers planned to sell on Amazon Business within one year in the 2024 distribution survey.[78]
  • 73% of businesses sell through Instagram, while 48% of shoppers have purchased through Instagram.[20]

Key questions about the Ecommerce Industry

What is the global ecommerce market size in 2026?
Global ecommerce revenue is projected at $3.86 trillion in 2026.
How fast is the global ecommerce market expected to grow after 2026?
Global ecommerce revenue is forecast to grow at a 6.2% compound annual growth rate from 2026 to 2030, reaching $4.91 trillion by 2030.
Which companies lead the ecommerce industry?
MercadoLibre leads Gitnux's 2026 ecommerce ranking with an Overall score of 9.3, with 2025 net revenues and financial income of $28.9 billion across Latin America. Walmart is the highest-ranked omnichannel retailer at 9.0, with fiscal 2025 global ecommerce sales of $121 billion.
What technology shifts show up in ecommerce for 2026?
U.S. AI-driven ecommerce sales are forecast to rise from 3.2% of total ecommerce sales in 2026 to 15.8% in 2030, and 49% of global ecommerce businesses use AI to personalize experiences in 2025.
How is ecommerce demand structured across regions and channels?
The U.S. is projected to generate $1.22 trillion in ecommerce revenue in 2026, while the EU had 78% of people buying or ordering goods or services online in 2025; online sales are forecast to represent 20.5% of total retail sales globally in 2025.
What customer frictions are most likely to reduce conversion in ecommerce?
In 2025, 39% of US shoppers abandoned an online purchase because of extra costs such as shipping, tax, or fees, and average cart-abandonment rate across U.S. online retailers studied was 71.3% from 2022 to 2025.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Ecommerce Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ecommerce-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Ecommerce Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/ecommerce-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Ecommerce Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/ecommerce-industry-statistics.

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