E-commerce Statistics and Trends in 2024

E-commerce platforms give business owners a way to reach more people than ever before. By crafting a conversion-focused online presence, businesses can boost sales and effectively engage their target audience on new channels. And it’s a fast-growing industry. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of e-commerce sites operating around the world increased from 9.2 million¹ to over 26.2 million.² 

With useful features for payment processing, promotions and marketing, e-commerce platforms allow traditional brick-and-mortar businesses to establish themselves on a global scale. We’ve analyzed statistics from several reputable organizations to compile the top e-commerce stats of 2024.

Top e-commerce statistics:

• Out of over 26.2 million e-commerce sites globally, over 13 million are U.S. based.²
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, e-commerce sales made up 15.6% of total U.S. retail sales by the end of 2023.³
• According to eMarketer, China’s online e-commerce sales reached over 710 million customers in 2023.⁴
• According to Insider Intelligence and eMarketer, worldwide e-commerce sales are expected to exceed $6 trillion in 2024.⁵
• The food and beverage industry had the highest e-commerce conversion rate of any industry at 3.7%, according to data compiled by Statista.⁸
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, total e-commerce sales in the country reached $1,118.7 billion in 2023.¹⁹
• The fastest-growing e-commerce market globally is the Philippines.⁹
• As of the end of 2022, mobile e-commerce made up 38% of the total digital spending in the U.S., according to data compiled by Statista.¹⁰

How many e-commerce sites are there?

There are over 26.2 million e-commerce sites worldwide. Just over 13 million of these are based in the U.S. — more than any other country. Other countries that have a significant amount of e-commerce websites include:² 

• United Kingdom (over 1.2 million).
• Brazil (over 800,000).
• Germany (over 700,000). 
• Australia (nearly 700,000).
• France (nearly 600,000).

Average e-commerce conversion rate

Conversion rates, or the percentage of people who’ve visited your website and have gone on to make a purchase, can vary widely depending on various factors. Industry is one of those factors. At the end of 2023, the average conversion rate for food and beverage was 3.7%, which was higher than any other sector. It is followed by:⁸

• Beauty and skincare (3.3%).
• General apparel (2.6%). 
• Home, dining, art and decor (2.4%).
• General footwear (2.4%).

On the flip side, the worst-converting e-commerce sector was luxury handbags, with only 0.4% of visitors going on to make a purchase. This was followed by:⁸ 

• Home furniture (0.8%).
• Luxury apparel (0.9%).
• General handbags and luggage (1.2%). 
• Home appliances (1.6%).

Looking at conversion rates by country, it’s perhaps no surprise that the U.S. is one of the highest converting countries at 2.6% by the end of 2023. According to data compiled by Statista, some of the other country conversion rates include:⁸ 

• United Kingdom (3%).
• Netherlands (2.8%).
• Canada (2.4%).
• Germany (2.4%).
• Australia and New Zealand (2.2%).

What percentage of retail sales are online?

According to U.S. Census data, by the end of 2023 e-commerce sales made up 15.6% of total retail sales in the country.¹⁹ That percentage is forecasted to rise to 16.6% in 2024 and up to 20.6% by 2027. This marks growth of over 10% in under 10 years and will equal over $1.7 trillion being spent online, according to eMarketer data.⁵

When looking at e-commerce on a global scale, the percentage of retail sales completed online is predicted to reach 23% by 2027. So, while the United States e-commerce growth is impressive, its overall penetration into the retail market pales when compared to other nations.⁵

Global e-commerce statistics 

It’s expected that in 2024, worldwide e-commerce sales will exceed $6 trillion, and at least half of this will come from China, according to Insider Intelligence and eMarketer.⁵ Here’s a dive into e-commerce statistics from around the world.

E-commerce market size by country

According to data compiled by Statista, the e-commerce market in China was the largest in 2023. Nearly half of the retail sales for China were internet sales. Other countries with large e-commerce markets include:¹² 

• Indonesia (32%).
• United Kingdom (30%). 
• South Korea (30%).

However, data compiled by Statista claimed that the Philippines and India were some of the quickest-growing e-commerce markets in 2023, with an anticipated growth of 20% each.¹² Other statistics showed that:¹²

• Based in China, Alibaba is the largest e-commerce retailer in the world. It accounts for 23% of the market share.
• Amazon is forecasted to take the lead in estimated sales by 2027 and reach $1.2 trillion in sales by that same year.

eMarketer stats showed that China contributed $3,023.66 billion in e-commerce sales in 2023, with the United States trailing at $1,163.49 billion. Other countries contributed the following:⁵ 

• United Kingdom: $195.97 billion.
• Japan: $193.42 billion. 
• South Korea: $147.43 billion. 
• India: $118.9 billion.
• Germany: $97.32 billion.

U.S. e-commerce statistics

Retail e-commerce sales in the U.S. reached $285.2 billion in Q4 2023, up by 0.8% from the previous quarter and up by 7.5% from Q4 2022.¹⁹ According to the U.S. Census report, total e-commerce sales in the U.S. for 2023 were around $1,118.7 billion.¹⁹

Of the total e-commerce sales in the United States in Q3 2023, nonstore retailers had the highest market share at 61.8%, followed by:¹⁹

• General merchandise stores (10%). 
• Clothing and clothing accessories stores (6%). 
• Motor vehicle and parts dealers (5%).

E-commerce growth statistics

E-commerce sales have followed a pattern since 2000 that’s marked by steady growth and a distinct jump in Q4 of each year, likely as holiday shopping picks up.²⁰ The pandemic and associated lockdown significantly increased total e-commerce sales as consumers confined to their homes sought their only alternative.

While this initial boom eventually settled back into the regular pattern, e-commerce sales are still much higher than they were pre-pandemic. The U.S. e-commerce market grew by 10.5% in 2023 — the tenth-highest growth rate in the world.⁵

The fastest-growing e-commerce market, however, was the Philippines, increasing by 24.1% in 2023, according to data from eMarketer. In fact, the top ten is dominated by Asia. India was the second fastest-growing e-commerce market, growing by 22.3%, followed by Indonesia (20%), Malaysia (18%) and Thailand (16%).¹⁹

Mobile commerce statistics

Given how much time we spend on our smartphones and that there seems to be an app for everything, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to know that a good portion of our digital spending happens on mobile. 

According to data compiled by Statista, over 61%¹³ of visits from Google Search came through mobile devices as of the end of 2019. Additionally, data from Pew Research suggests that at least 15%²¹ of Americans only access the Internet through their mobile phones. 

In the U.S. alone, mobile commerce accounts for 38%¹⁰ of the total amount spent digitally, and research suggests that retail mobile-commerce sales in the country reached $431 billion in 2023.¹⁴ According to data compiled by Statista, they are estimated to reach $710.4 billion by 2025.¹⁴ 

According to research by IMARC Group, the global mobile e-commerce market reached $1,452.9 billion in 2023. It’s expected to exceed $12 billion by 2032, growing to 26.4% between 2024 and 2032.²³ 

According to a study by Airship and Sapio Research, four in five consumers worldwide will visit a retailer’s website on their phone while in-store.²⁴ According to the Pew Research Center, in 2022, 76% of Americans had made a purchase online with their phones, but this jumps to 91% when looking at people under the age of 50.²² 

According to the Pew Research Center: 

• Around 32% of adults use their smartphones to make online purchases at least each week. 
• Around 21% of adults use their desktops or laptops to do the same. 
• Only 7% of people use tablets for shopping.

When it comes to how often Americans make online purchases, nearly half of respondents in their 30s and 40s told the Pew Research Center they make purchases online at least weekly. That drops to 38% for those between the ages of 18 and 29.²²

Despite these numbers, the Pew Research Center reported that nearly 60% of American adults would prefer to shop in-store. 30% of respondents said they had purchased something after an influencer or content creator talked about it on social media. Women aged 18 through 29 were the most likely to do so.²²

E-commerce return rate statistics

According to data compiled by Statista, e-commerce retail returns equaled $817 billion in 2022, with 25% coming from those who placed online orders. That equals about 16.5% of the total e-commerce sales recorded in that year. Shopify claimed that the average return rate for e-commerce sales is around 20% to 30%.²⁵

Some of the factors that can cause these returns include:²⁵

• Dissatisfaction with a product. 
• Incorrect sizing. 
• Discrepancies between what the product appeared to be online and what it ended up being.

80% of online shoppers in the United States who returned an order said the item had been damaged or defective. 75% of shoppers said they returned an item because it didn’t fit. 56% of shoppers said the item they purchased didn’t match the description online.¹⁶

According to the National Retail Federation, the returns in the retail industry equaled $743 billion (14.5%) in 2023, less than in 2022. When it comes to return fraud, some of the most common issues were:²⁶

• Return of used or non-defective merchandise (48.84%).
• Return of stolen merchandise (44.19%).
• Return of merchandise purchased on stolen credit or debit cards (37.21%).

B2B e-commerce trends and statistics

According to a report by Gartner, it’s thought that by 2026, digital sales rooms will be used to manage and direct at least 30% of B2B sales and customer life cycles.²⁷ Additionally, Digital Commerce 360’s report on the 2024 B2B market forecasts that the B2B e-commerce industry will exceed $2 trillion in 2024.²⁸ 

In 2023 alone, e-commerce sales made up 17% of all B2B sales in the U.S., according to Digital Commerce 360.²⁸ This is down from 2022 when it was at 19%. However, the actual amount in sales has increased from $1.946 billion to $2.082 billion at the same time. Data taken from Statista suggests that by 2025, the total North American B2B e-commerce market will exceed $4 trillion in value. 

This research also showed that in 2023, the combined e-commerce sales of primarily online manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers grew by 17%. E-procurement sales also increased by 16% from 2022 to 2023.²⁸

Additionally, around 70% of B2B buyers prefer to shop online, seeing it as more convenient — however, only around a third of B2B buyers thought their B2B e-commerce experience was “excellent.”²⁸

Social commerce statistics

According to research by the Influencer Marketing Hub, the social commerce market is expected to exceed $1 trillion for the first time, growing by 31% since 2022 and forecasted to hit $1.3 trillion.²⁹ Indeed, experts believe by 2030, revenue will reach $6.2 trillion, according to data from Grand View Research.³¹

Stats from Hootsuite suggest that over $2.5 billion has already been spent by consumers globally through TikTok, one of the most influential social media platforms. A Trust in Influencer Marketing study revealed that over half of internet users in the U.S. purchased a product after they’d seen an influencer use it.⁶

Insider Intelligence and eMarketer figures show that around a third of Instagram users will use the platform to buy something — but almost 71% of Generation Z are willing to use Instagram to purchase goods.⁷ Predictably, the same is true for all other social media platforms with: 

• 62% of Gen Z willing to use Facebook compared to 49% of total respondents.
• 68% willing to use YouTube (vs. 46% in total).
• 68% willing to use TikTok (vs. 39% in total).
• Snapchat (55% vs. 31%).

Biggest e-commerce companies

It will likely come as no surprise that the biggest e-commerce company in the world is Amazon, with a total market value of $867.58 billion. Its yearly revenue from Q1 2022 to Q1 2023 was $524.9 billion. Amazon’s market value was over twice that of Walmart’s, in second place with a comparatively modest market value of $387.72 billion.³⁰

Doofinder also stated that:³⁰

• The Home Depot had a market value of $324.85 billion. 
• Alibaba had a market value of $226.76 billion.
• Reliance Industries had a market value of $206.31 billion.

Prosus is the first European company to make the list, headquartered in the Netherlands with a market value of $206.01 billion, while Costco ($205.34 billion) is the last American company to appear. The last three e-commerce companies in the top 10 are from China:³⁰

• Meituan Dianping ($145.31 billion).
• Pinduoduo ($106.25 billion).
• JD.com ($88.36 billion).

Amazon’s place as the global leader in e-commerce saw it responsible for over a third of all e-commerce spending in the U.S. in 2023,¹⁷ and it’s expected that it will grow by another 11.7% in 2024.⁵ The company’s net revenue exceeded $550 billion in 2023, up by over $40 billion compared to the previous year. With over 35 million yearly downloads of its app, it’s by some distance the most popular online shopping platform in the U.S.¹⁸

E-commerce platform market share

Shopify (15.23%) and WooCommerce (13.85%) together have over a quarter of the total market share of e-commerce platforms. Shopify is the most popular, with nearly 4 million websites live, while WooCommerce’s 3.6 million is still way ahead of the next highest, Squarespace, at 1.2 million websites (4.74% market share).²

No other e-commerce platform has more than one million websites; Ecwid’s 3.55% market share translates to over 900,000 websites, and OpenCart rounds out the top five with a 1.75% market share and over 450,000 live websites.²

Amazon is the most popular web technology in use across the United States, taking 21.22% of the market share with over 78 million sites using it. Apache and Google Analytics hold 14.89% and 12.80%.¹

Sources

1. MARKINBLOG – Study: How Many eCommerce Sites Are There?
2. BuiltWith – eCommerce Usage Distribution in the Top 1 Million Sites.
3. U.S. Department of Commerce – QUARTERLY RETAIL E-COMMERCE SALES.
4. International Trade Administration – China – Country Commercial Guide.
5. Insider Intelligence and eMarketer – Worldwide Ecommerce Forecast 2023.
6. Insider Intelligence and eMarketer – Guide to mobile commerce and its business applications.
7. Insider Intelligence and eMarketer – Social Networks Where US Adults Are Likely to Make Purchases Directly, Gen Z vs. Total, Q1 2023 (% of respondents).
8. Statista – Online shopping conversion rate in selected verticals worldwide in 4th quarter 2023.
9. Statista – Leading countries based on retail e-commerce sales growth in 2023.
10. Statista – Mobile commerce share of total digital commerce spending in the United States from 4th quarter 2017 to 4th quarter 2022.
11. Statista – Conversion rate of online shoppers worldwide from 1st quarter to 4th quarter 2023, by country and region.
12. Statista – Retail e-commerce sales worldwide from 2014 to 2027.
13. Statista – Mobile share of organic search engine visits in the United States from 4th quarter 2013 to 4th quarter 2019, by platform.
14. Statista – Mobile retail e-commerce sales in the United States from 2019 to 2027.
15. Statista – E-commerce returns in the United States – statistics & facts.
16. Statista – Reasons for returning online purchases in the United States in 2022.
17. Statista – Market share of leading retail e-commerce companies in the United States in 2023.
18. Statista – Leading shopping apps in the United States in 2023, by number of downloads.
19. U.S. Census Bureau – Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales.
20. Pew Research Center – Online shopping has grown rapidly in U.S., but most sales are still in stores.
21. Pew Research Center – Mobile Fact Sheet.
22. Pew Research Center – For shopping, phones are common and influencers have become a factor – especially for young adults.
23. IMARC – Mobile Commerce Market Report… 2024-2032.
24. Airship – Global Survey Shoes More Consumers Turn to Retailers’ Mobile Apps to Streamline In-Store Shopping Experiences and Score Personalized Offers and Deals. 
25. Shopify – Ecommerce Returns: Expert Guide to Best Practices (2024).
26. National Retail Federation – 2023 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry.
27. Gartner – Magic Quadrant for Digital Commerce.
28. Digital Commerce 360 – 2024 B2B Market and Customer Experience Report.
29. Influencer Marketing Hub – The State of Influencer Marketing.
30. Doofinder – Top 10 Largest eCommerce Companies (2024).
31. Grand View Research – Market Analysis Report.