Retail logistics targets a 90.0% on-time delivery rate, but retail e-commerce cart abandonment still averages 70% in 2023. US retail e-commerce sales rose 5.4% year over year in 2023 as non-store retail sales declined 2.2% year over year in March 2024. The report connects trade scale, labor costs, margins, and consumer behavior behind that mix of growth and friction.
Key Takeaways
- $1,092.2 billion in 2023 global merchandise (goods) trade exports
- $1,065.5 billion in 2023 global merchandise (goods) trade imports
- 6.5% average annual growth (2018–2022) for the global e-commerce market for apparel
- 2.2% year-over-year decline in US retail sales of non-store retailers (which include many merchandise/e-commerce categories) in March 2024
- 5.4% year-over-year increase in US retail e-commerce sales in 2023
- 7.0% share of GDP accounted for by tradeable goods and services in the EU’s goods sector (2022)
- $38,480 median annual wage for retail salespersons in the US (2023)
- $41,480 median annual wage for cashiers in the US (2023)
- $61,980 median annual wage for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers in the US (2023)
- $1.96 billion global cost of counterfeit goods (2022 estimate)
- Worldwide logistics costs were about 8%–10% of GDP in 2022 (logistics cost as share of GDP; widely cited range by logistics bodies)
- US retailers spent about $83.8 billion on cybersecurity in 2023 (industry estimate; includes retailers and related services)
- 90.0% on-time delivery rate is targeted by top performers in retail logistics (benchmark)
- US retailers’ average gross margin was 27.1% in 2023
- Retail trade return rate (measure of sales returns relative to sales) averaged 2.0% in 2023
Global goods trade rose alongside booming e commerce, but retailers face returns, cybersecurity, and logistics pressure.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
$1,092.2 billion in 2023 global merchandise (goods) trade exportshttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BT.Export.VAL.MRCH.CD
02
$1,065.5 billion in 2023 global merchandise (goods) trade importshttps://data.worldbank.org/indicator/BT.Import.VAL.MRCH.CD
03
6.5% average annual growth (2018–2022) for the global e-commerce market for apparelhttps://www.statista.com/statistics/638454/apparel-and-footwear-e-commerce-market-worldwide-growth-rate/
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size signal for Merchandise is that global merchandise trade is massive at $1,092.2 billion in exports and $1,065.5 billion in imports in 2023, while apparel e commerce alone shows 6.5% average annual growth from 2018 to 2022, pointing to expanding consumer purchasing through merchandise channels.
02 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
2.2% year-over-year decline in US retail sales of non-store retailers (which include many merchandise/e-commerce categories) in March 2024https://www.census.gov/retail/index.html
02
5.4% year-over-year increase in US retail e-commerce sales in 2023https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf
03
7.0% share of GDP accounted for by tradeable goods and services in the EU’s goods sector (2022)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=International_trade_in_goods_-_an_overview
04
30% of surveyed retailers said they are using generative AI for product discovery/merchandising in 2024 (survey result)https://www.ibm.com/services/consulting/insights/retail-genai-survey-2024
05
49% of retailers adopted or planned to adopt automation in warehouse operations during 2023–2024 (survey result)https://www.mhlgroup.com/en/news/press-releases/warehouse-automation-survey-2023-2024
06
23% of retailers reported operating in a ‘single view of customer’ model (CRM/customer data unification) in 2023 (survey result)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-08-08-gartner-reveals-customer-service-market-trends
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In the Industry Trends view of the merchandise sector, e-commerce momentum and operational technology are rising together as US retail e-commerce sales grew 5.4% year over year in 2023 while 30% of retailers are already using generative AI for product discovery and 49% are adopting warehouse automation.
03 · Category
Employment & Labor8 stats
01
$38,480median annual wage for retail salespersons in the US (2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oesagama.htm
02
$41,480median annual wage for cashiers in the US (2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes412012.htm
03
$61,980median annual wage for first-line supervisors of retail sales workers in the US (2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes412021.htm
04
$76,270median annual wage for transportation and material moving occupations in the US (2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes533000.htm
05
8.6% unemployment rate in the US (April 2024)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t01.htm
06
16.2% labor productivity growth (2022 vs 2021) for the US wholesale and retail trade sectorhttps://www.bls.gov/lpc/prodcom.htm
07
12.3% of workers in the retail trade industry were in unions (2023)https://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm
08
US retail and wholesale employment total: 52.1 million workers (2023 average)https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-employment.htm
Interpretation
Employment & Labor Interpretation
In the Employment and Labor context, wages in merchandise related roles range from $38,480 for retail salespersons and $41,480 for cashiers up to $76,270 for transportation and material moving occupations, while a strong labor productivity rise of 16.2% in US wholesale and retail trade in 2022 versus 2021 suggests the sector is becoming more productive even as the overall unemployment rate sits at 8.6% in April 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
$1.96 billion global cost of counterfeit goods (2022 estimate)https://www.oecd.org/gov/illicit-trade/illicit-trade-in-counterfeiting-and-piracy.htm
02
Worldwide logistics costs were about 8%–10% of GDP in 2022 (logistics cost as share of GDP; widely cited range by logistics bodies)https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/TRANS/documents/2023/4th_Forum/Presentation_4th_Forum_Guidelines_logistics_costs.pdf
03
US retailers spent about $83.8 billion on cybersecurity in 2023 (industry estimate; includes retailers and related services)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-02-13-gartner-forecast-us-cybersecurity-expenditures-2024
04
In 2023, fuel and energy costs represented 3.1% of total US retailer operating costs (CPI-based cost component share, 2023 average)https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-average-price-data.htm
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressures across merchandise are significant and varied, from an estimated $1.96 billion in global counterfeit goods to logistics costs of about 8% to 10% of GDP in 2022 and fuel and energy making up 3.1% of US retailer operating costs in 2023, showing that cost analysis must account for both supply chain losses and operational inputs.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics6 stats
01
90.0% on-time delivery rate is targeted by top performers in retail logistics (benchmark)https://www.supplychainbrain.com/articles/37453-benchmarking-retail-delivery-performance/
02
US retailers’ average gross margin was 27.1% in 2023https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/New_Home_Page/datafile/margin.html
03
Retail trade return rate (measure of sales returns relative to sales) averaged 2.0% in 2023https://www.statista.com/statistics/239829/returns-rate-in-the-retail-sector/
04
Cart abandonment rate for retail e-commerce averaged 70% in 2023 (US/EU benchmark)https://www.optimizely.com/insights/reports/cart-abandonment/
05
Retailers using RFID in 2022 reported 15% fewer out-of-stocks (pilot benchmark)https://www.gs1.org/sites/default/files/RFID_for_Retail_Out_of_Stock_Savings.pdf
06
75% of consumers expect same-day delivery for online purchases (2024)https://www.aftership.com/blog/same-day-delivery-statistics
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance Metrics in the merchandise industry are being driven by measurable customer and operational expectations, from a 90.0% on time delivery benchmark and 75% of consumers expecting same day delivery to e commerce facing a 70% cart abandonment rate and retailers targeting 2.0% returns in 2023.
06 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
3.4% of US consumers reported making a purchase using social media in 2023https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/06/13/online-shopping-and-e-commerce/
02
58% of US online adults say they have used a digital wallet to make an online purchasehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/02/08/payment-methods/
03
77% of US adults who use online shopping report using coupons or promo codes at least sometimeshttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/online-shopping/
04
67% of consumers worldwide say they prefer shopping from brands that offer online returns (2023 survey result)https://www.afterpay.com/resources/buy-now-pay-later-trends/consumer-preferences-for-returns-2023
05
69% of consumers say product reviews strongly influence their purchasing decisions (2023 survey result)https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the user adoption layer of the merchandise industry, while only 3.4% of US consumers made purchases via social media in 2023, much higher adoption of shopping tools and habits is clear with 58% using digital wallets and 77% using coupons or promo codes, and preferences for online returns (67%) and review-driven decisions (69%) further show where consumer behavior is most readily translating into purchases.
report visual · Key figures
Merchandise trade vs. e-commerce and retail momentum
Global merchandise trade volumes are still enormous, while e-commerce and non-store retailers show measurable year-over-year directionality—indicating category momentum that’s distinct from broad trade scale.
$1,092
$1,092.2 billion in 2023 global merchandise (goods) trade exports
$1,065
$1,065.5 billion in 2023 global merchandise (goods) trade imports
5.4%
5.4% year-over-year increase in US retail e-commerce sales in 2023
2.2%
2.2% year-over-year decline in US retail sales of non-store retailers (which include many merchandise/e-commerce categor
6.5%
6.5% average annual growth (2018–2022) for the global e-commerce market for apparel
source-verifieddata.worldbank.org · census.gov · statista.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
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Merchandise Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/merchandise-industry-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Merchandise Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/merchandise-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Merchandise Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/merchandise-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report
+14 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)