Gitnux/Report 2026

Marketing In The Retail Industry Statistics

With 2025 and 2026 momentum built in, retail teams are being pushed to personalize faster while online sales keep climbing and automation lifts revenue by 12% on average. From email conversion and brutal cart abandonment to retail media’s growing share of ad spend, this page connects the dots between customer experience, data unification, and measurable campaign performance.
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Marketing In The Retail Industry Statistics
Gabrielle FontaineWritten by Gabrielle Fontaine·Edited by Elif Demirci·Fact-checked by Claire Beaumont
Last verified Jul 8, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Jan 2027
Online sales now account for 13.9% of all global retail. Despite this shift, retailers still face a 70.19% average cart abandonment rate.

Key Takeaways

  • 13.9% of all global retail sales were made online in 2022, up from 9.0% in 2019
  • U.S. retail e-commerce sales totaled $1.5 trillion in 2023
  • The global customer experience (CX) software market is projected to reach $32.2 billion by 2026 (Gartner, 2024)
  • Retailers using marketing automation report a 12% average increase in revenue
  • 63% of retailers are using or planning to use retail media networks by 2024 (Retail TouchPoints, 2023)
  • 81% of organizations using retail media say their retail media programs have become strategically important to the business
  • The average conversion rate for retail email campaigns is 2.3%
  • The average cart abandonment rate in retail is 70.19%
  • Retail search ads accounted for 22% of total U.S. retail ad spend in 2023 (Pathmatics, 2023)
  • 91% of consumers prefer brands that recognize them and provide relevant offers (Epsilon, 2021)
  • 65% of U.S. shoppers have used retail media offers (Epsilon/retail media study, 2023)
  • High-performing email programs have an average click-through rate (CTR) of 3.2% (Mailchimp, 2024)
  • Retailers typically see a 15–20% increase in conversion rate after implementing on-site search and merchandising improvements
  • 48% of marketers said that rising media costs were increasing overall marketing costs in 2023 (CMO Survey, 2023)
  • Retailers using CDPs report average data unification within 3–6 weeks (Segment/CDP deployment study, 2022)

With ecommerce growing, retailers boost profits through marketing automation, personalization, and faster, more relevant shopping experiences.

Related reading

01 · Category

Market Size3 stats

01
13.9% of all global retail sales were made online in 2022, up from 9.0% in 2019
02
U.S. retail e-commerce sales totaled $1.5 trillion in 2023
03
The global customer experience (CX) software market is projected to reach $32.2 billion by 2026 (Gartner, 2024)
Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

Market size in retail marketing is rapidly shifting online, with online sales rising from 9.0% of global retail in 2019 to 13.9% in 2022, while the U.S. reaches $1.5 trillion in retail e-commerce sales in 2023 and global customer experience software is projected to hit $32.2 billion by 2026.

03 · Category

Channel Performance4 stats

01
The average conversion rate for retail email campaigns is 2.3%
02
The average cart abandonment rate in retail is 70.19%
03
Retail search ads accounted for 22% of total U.S. retail ad spend in 2023 (Pathmatics, 2023)
04
36% of consumers say they will abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load (Google, 2017)
Interpretation

Channel Performance Interpretation

For channel performance in retail, email converts at just 2.3% while 70.19% of carts are abandoned and 36% of consumers will leave a slow site, showing that winning more customers requires improving both messaging effectiveness and on-site speed while search remains a major spend driver at 22% of US ad spend.

04 · Category

Customer Adoption2 stats

01
91% of consumers prefer brands that recognize them and provide relevant offers (Epsilon, 2021)
02
65% of U.S. shoppers have used retail media offers (Epsilon/retail media study, 2023)
Interpretation

Customer Adoption Interpretation

Customer adoption is being driven by personalization, with 91% of consumers preferring brands that recognize them and deliver relevant offers, and 65% of U.S. shoppers already using retail media offers.

More related reading

05 · Category

Performance Metrics2 stats

01
High-performing email programs have an average click-through rate (CTR) of 3.2% (Mailchimp, 2024)
02
Retailers typically see a 15–20% increase in conversion rate after implementing on-site search and merchandising improvements
Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

For Performance Metrics in retail marketing, high-performing email programs averaging a 3.2% click-through rate and retailers boosting conversions by 15 to 20% with on-site search and merchandising show that both message engagement and on-site discovery materially drive results.

06 · Category

Cost Analysis4 stats

01
48% of marketers said that rising media costs were increasing overall marketing costs in 2023 (CMO Survey, 2023)
02
Retailers using CDPs report average data unification within 3–6 weeks (Segment/CDP deployment study, 2022)
03
Retail search ads accounted for 13% of total U.S. retail ad spend in 2022
04
Retail email generates an ROI of $36for every $1 spent
Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

From a cost analysis perspective, marketers reported that 48% say rising media costs pushed overall marketing costs higher in 2023, even as tools like retail CDPs can unify data in just 3 to 6 weeks and retail email delivers $36 ROI per $1 spent, highlighting a clear push to manage spend while improving efficiency.

07 · Category

User Adoption2 stats

01
78% of U.S. marketers use at least one marketing automation capability, and 64% use marketing automation platforms for lead nurturing and lifecycle marketing
02
53% of marketers in retail report using product information management (PIM) to improve catalog data quality for marketing channels
Interpretation

User Adoption Interpretation

In the retail industry, user adoption of modern marketing tech is already strong with 78% of U.S. marketers using marketing automation and 53% using PIM to improve catalog data quality for marketing channels.

08 · Category

Customer Behavior2 stats

01
49% of shoppers say they are more likely to shop with brands that provide personalized experiences
02
Retailers using loyalty programs report an average 1.5x increase in repeat purchase rate compared to non-loyalty shoppers
Interpretation

Customer Behavior Interpretation

For the customer behavior angle, shoppers are 49% more likely to buy from brands that deliver personalized experiences, and loyalty programs can drive a 1.5x higher repeat purchase rate than non-loyalty shoppers.
report visual · Key figures

Retail marketing is increasingly digital and data-driven

Share of online retail sales has grown, while marketing automation and retail media adoption remain high among retailers.

13.9%
13.9% of all global retail sales were made online in 2022, up from 9.0% in 2019
12%
Retailers using marketing automation report a 12% average increase in revenue
63%
63% of retailers are using or planning to use retail media networks by 2024 (Retail TouchPoints, 2023)
81%
81% of organizations using retail media say their retail media programs have become strategically important to the busin
22%
Retail search ads accounted for 22% of total U.S. retail ad spend in 2023 (Pathmatics, 2023)
source-verifiedoecd.org · gartner.com · retailtouchpoints.com · epsilon.com · pathmatics.com2024
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Gabrielle Fontaine. (2026, February 13). Marketing In The Retail Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-retail-industry-statistics
MLA
Gabrielle Fontaine. "Marketing In The Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-retail-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Gabrielle Fontaine. 2026. "Marketing In The Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-retail-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

oecd.orgcensus.govgartner.commailchimp.combaymard.com1stforwomen.comcmosurvey.orgepsilon.compathmatics.comretailtouchpoints.comthinkwithgoogle.comsegment.comforrester.comsalesforce.comadweek.comlitmus.comg2.complanetretail.comsitecore.com

+3 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)