16 Online Shopping Statistics: How Many People Shop Online?

Beatriz Estay / 6 min read

But, have you ever wondered how many people are actually shopping online — or what shopping behavior looks like across different verticals?

Let’s take a look at online sales from a high level.

In the United States alone, ecommerce sales are expected to surpass $740 billion by 2023.

A rise in online purchases is a result of many factors, such as

The increased use of smartphones and mobile shopping,
Social media and social commerce,
Transformative technology,
Online marketplaces, and
The way shopping behaviors have changed from generation to generation — Baby Boomers to Millennials to Gen Z.

Not to mention all the perks we previously discussed.

For this reason, staying on top of ecommerce trends can help you build advanced strategies that will help set you up for ecommerce success in both the near and far future.

Amazon is the leading mobile online shopping app.

Despite seeing an increase in direct-to-consumer strategies, a study in September 2019 found that the most popular online mobile shopping app, by reach, was Amazon. This statistic tells us that mobile commerce, especially the use of mobile apps, are increasingly important when developing an online selling strategy. In addition, retailers should consider including Amazon and Walmart in their omnichannel strategy.

43% of global shoppers research products online via social networks.

With the introduction of more social commerce tools — like checkout on Instagram — the industry has also seen growth in the power social media has in users’ purchasing awareness and decisions.

Clothing is the leading online vertical.

59% of U.S. shoppers purchased clothing online between Q2 2018 and Q2 2019. With books, movies, music & games, shoes, and consumer electronics falling close behind.

Direct to site, email, and SEO are the best traffic sources.

Ecommerce success is more than having a beautiful website — you need a healthy amount of traffic to your online store. In a recent Statista survey, direct to site, email, and SEO were found to be leading traffic drivers.

E-commerce is Growing Every Day

E-commerce sites are growing in numbers. It’s clear that launching an online business can aid total retail sales, as it gives potential customers a more convenient way to shop and interact with brands.

Let’s take a look at the e-commerce market in numbers.

Ecommerce will make up 22% of global retail sales by 2023.

22% of global retail sales will be thanks to ecommerce by 2023. To give context to this growth, 14.1% of global retail sales were ecommerce purchases in 2019.

The growing number of ecommerce websites is definitely a contributing factor to this holistic number. But, there are many more ecommerce trends, in addition to those listed earlier, that are igniting this growth:

The rise of mobile ecommerce,
The increased implementation of omnichannel strategies, and
An overall shift in shopping trends — like the power of influencers and social channels (a nod at checkout on Instagram).

Q2 of 2019 already had a 4.2% increase over Q1.

Taking a more granular view of ecommerce growth, U.S. ecommerce is experiencing exponential growth on a quarterly basis. While seasonal fluctuation is always something to consider, this statistic proves there is consistent growth in the ecommerce market.

By 2023, U.S. ecommerce revenue will be $740B!

As mentioned in the introduction, we’ll not only see ecommerce purchases increase in the United States, but revenue as well. With over 70% revenue growth from 2019, this statistic tells us more consumers are looking to make more buying decisions online.

With more revenue comes an increased average order value — making it possible for legacy products to make a statement online. For example, DTC furniture brand Burrow has already begun to transform the furniture industry with their headless commerce approach.

Ecommerce accounts for close to 11% of all retail sales in the U.S.

11% may initially feel small when you consider how large the topic of ecommerce has become in recent years. This statistic is a sign of good health as the share of ecommerce sales continues to grow in the retail space. You can expect this percentage to exponentially increase in years to come.

Amazon, Google, and Facebook remain some of the biggest companies online (not just for ecommerce).

With little to no surprise, companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook continue to take precedence in the internet world. While they traditionally do not offer commerce solutions, these companies are focusing on more innovation in the commerce space. As we have seen omnichannel strategies become increasingly vital to growing companies, the leading internet companies are capitalizing on the opportunity to be leaders in the commerce world.

Get to Know the Customers Who Shop Online

No consumer is made equal. But, understanding the behavior of consumers shopping online can help you create a digital strategy for your business.

Over 75% of people are shopping at least once a month online.

As the need for convenience becomes more prominent for consumers, it makes sense that over 75% of them are shopping online at least once a month. When creating your ecommerce strategy, think on how you can capitalize on this statistic.

Customers buy more entertainment online than anything else.

Gen Z and Millennials have let us know that experience purchases are becoming increasingly more favorable. Per this Statista statistic, books, movies, and games is the product category with the most online purchase preference. This is another reason why we’ve seen brands like Spotify, Netflix and Disney+ become increasingly popular with consumers.

Americans favor PayPal over any other digital wallet

When it comes to U.S. online payment options — PayPal takes the cake at 89%. Between ownership of Venmo, an easy-to-use app, credit card options, and more, PayPal has made online payments easier and more convenient for consumers.