60 Online Shopping Statistics Retailers Should Know in 2023

Statistics show that while brick-and-mortar purchases still make up a majority of consumer spending, online shopping is steadily on the rise. And, with the lingering challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, many supply chains are still struggling. Meanwhile, a crop of new small businesses, direct-to-consumer retailers, and ecommerce startups are gaining popularity with shoppers.

We’ve gathered 60 online shopping statistics, along with their key takeaways, broken into 10 categories:

Online Shopping Basics

1. Ecommerce sales surpassed $1 trillion in 2022

As reported by Forbes, analytics firm Comscore pegged total US ecommerce sales at $1.09 trillion in 2022. This is a 10.6% growth rate from 2021. This compares to the nearly $7 trillion of retail sales forecast for the same period. According to the eMarketer Insider Intelligence report, a “healthy job market, low unemployment, and wage increases have kept US consumers spending, even in the face of high inflation.”

2. More than 263 million American consumers shop online

According to Statista figures, more than 263 million American consumers shop online—some 80% of the population—and this number is projected to climb to 291.2 million by 2025. The most popular online shopping categories in the US are fashion and media and electronics.

3. Most online shoppers are 25–34 years old

There were 41.8 million online shoppers aged 25 to 34 years in 2022, the largest group among digital buyers. Here’s the full breakdown:

• 41.8 million 25–34 years
• 36.5 million 35–44 years
• 35.1 million 65+ years
• 32.3 million 45–54 years
• 31.8 million 55–64 years
• 26.5 million 18–24 years
• 10.7 million 14–17 years

4. There are more than 238 million digital buyers in the US

All in all, 238.1 million people in the US aged 14 years and above will look at or research products online, even if they don’t make the purchase online. About 90% of them will make at least one purchase via a digital channel this year. The number of “digital buyers” is expected to grow to 230.6 million by 2026.

5. More than 55% of US consumers prefer to shop online

A 2022 Raydiant study on US consumer behavior reports that 56.6% of survey respondents prefer to shop online rather than in person. That is an approximately 10% jump from 2020’s stats.

6. The average order value for desktop buyers is $155.75

According to Kibo Commerce, Q2 2022’s average order value (AOV) was $155.75 for desktop buyers in the US. This number falls to $112.29 for mobile device shoppers and $95.51 for those shopping via tablet.

7. The average conversion rate is 2.6%

Globally, the average conversion rate for ecommerce websites in Q2 2022 was 2.6%, an 8.14% decrease from Q2 2021. Great Britain has the highest conversion rate at 4.1%, while “other” regions (outside of the US, Great Britain, or Europe/Middle East/Asia) comes in at 1.2%. The US sits somewhere in the middle at 2.3%.

8. The average bounce rate for ecommerce sites is 42%

According to data from Kibo Commerce, the average bounce rate in Q2 2022 was 42%—slightly higher in the US at 47%, which is also the highest in the world. This means US consumers are more difficult to convert.

Online Shopping Features & Customer Priorities

9. 76% of online shoppers want convenience

Customers prioritize convenience in the shopping experience—which includes discovering, searching, purchasing, and more. The 2022 BazaarVoice Shopper Experience Index found that customers who use multiple channels actually spend more money. On average, they’ll spend 9% more than a customer who only interacts with a brand via a single touchpoint.

10. Nearly 80% of online buyers shop at least once a month

A survey shows that online shopping happens frequently for global consumers—with 22% shopping online once a week, 27% shopping once every two weeks, and 29% shopping once a month.

11. Direct home delivery is the primary reason for consumers to shop online

A hassle-free shopping experience is the primary reason consumers buy online, with 56% citing direct home delivery as a good reason to buy an item online. Avoiding crowds, convenience, and cheaper prices also make the list.

12. Customer reviews is the top motivator for online purchases

According to GWI’s 2022 flagship report on the latest trends in commerce, 41% of online shoppers said positive customer reviews is the top motivator for online purchases. A notable 37% also cited a quick and easy checkout process, and 35% mentioned next-day delivery.

13. The average spend of an online shopper in the US is $3.46 per visit

In the second quarter of 2021, online shoppers spent an average of $3.46 per visit across retail industry sectors such as luxury, active and general apparel, health and beauty, and home and appliances.

14. Nearly half of consumers research major purchases online

A consumer’s buying journey begins online, with 59% doing web research when planning a major purchase, to ensure they are making the best possible choice.

15. Nearly three-quarters of in-store shoppers search online before visiting stores

In-store shopping is still important. However, customers look for a seamless online to in-store buying experience. Some 70% of shoppers factor in the availability of physical stores when buying. In fact, 74% of in-store buyers said that they searched online for something in-store-related first—such as the closest store near them, locations, in stock near them, hours, directions, wait times, and contact information—with 46% confirming inventory online before going to the store.

16. Nearly 50% of shoppers prioritize good search and navigation features

Forty-five percent of US shoppers cite making products easy to find as an important factor of the online shopping experience. Have a prominent search bar on every page of your website (preferably with an autocomplete feature) and set up navigation that includes categories and subcategories. Also, consider having products appear alongside related products.

Clear product descriptions and images were second in priority (39%), reinforcing the need for writing informative and high-quality product descriptions and taking great product photos.

17. 75% of younger consumers want financing options for online purchases

Solutions that allow customers to buy now and pay later (BNPL)—such as Klarna, Affirm, Splitit, and Sezzle—and offer monthly installment plans help increase online shopping sales. Seventy-five percent of consumers (mostly from Gen Z and millennials) are interested in monthly payment plans.

18. Shop local trends continue as 70% of consumers shop small business websites

Intuit surveyed 1,500 consumers, finding that 70% support local businesses by shopping online only, or a mix of online and in-store. Many shoppers (57%) buy local to keep money in their local communities, while some like supporting local creators (38%) and local nonprofits (19%). Better customer service is also a reason for shopping local, cited by more than a quarter of respondents.

19. 27% of consumers plan to buy from more local or domestic online retailers

According to one IPC survey, “domestic ecommerce” is forecast to experience the most growth, with more than a quarter of consumers prioritizing online purchases with domestic businesses.

20. 40% of shoppers are more likely to convert when an ad features user-generated content (UGC)

UGC is a convincing content format—4 in 10 online shoppers say they would be more likely to convert if a product ad features some sort of UGC. UGC could include customer reviews, customer photos, and even social posts. Images are most important—nearly three-quarters of shoppers say images will make them more likely to buy. And 53% say social media posts featuring images are more convincing than professionally shot product photos.

In fact, as many as 42% of online shoppers would purchase a product even if it had no professional photos, as long as there was some form of UGC.

Online Shopping Technologies

21. Mobile buyers make up 65% of the population

Mobile commerce continues to grow. In 2022, there are about 182.5 million mobile buyers aged 14 years and above—65.2% of the population. This number is forecast to grow to 199.5 million in 2026, just shy of 70% of the population.

22. Mobile commerce is expected to account for about 40% of US ecommerce sales by 2024

Mobile commerce (mcommerce) revenue was expected to hit $415.93 billion in 2022. Forecasts show that by 2024, mcommerce sales should reach $534.18 billion, accounting for 40.4% of ecommerce sales in the US.

23. The average order value for mobile purchases is $97.72

While many shoppers are turning to mobile shopping, they’re still placing larger orders when they shop on traditional devices like desktop computers. In fact, in the first quarter of 2022, the average value of an order placed on a desktop was almost 50% higher than the average mobile phone order. According to Kibo Commerce, the AOV for an order placed on mobile is $97.72—meanwhile, desktop users have an AOV of $146.05.

24. Nine out of 10 shoppers believe the mobile shopping experience can be improved

It is no longer enough that websites are accessible from mobile devices—it takes more than that to succeed at mcommerce. Some 90% of consumers believe mobile shopping can be improved, with only 12% of consumers, for example, finding mcommerce convenient.

Some of the impediments to mobile shopping are security concerns (42%), pages and links being too small to click (67%), interruptions from messages, apps, and other programs (36%), and difficulty finding what shoppers are looking for (36%).

25. Digital wallet payments are now as popular as credit card payments

More than 30% of respondents in a Statista survey stated they would like to pay using their smartphones all the time. Digital payments and credit cards are now the most preferred online payment methods.

26. “Gamification” boosts engagement and encourages spending

The retail industry was an early adopter of “gamified” solutions, jumping out to a 28.6% market share in 2019; that’s expected to grow further by 25.1% by 2026. Since online shopping can lack the interactive experience of in-store shopping, “gamification” amps up the hype by encouraging customer behavior (such as spending more) in exchange for additional benefits.

For example, according to data from a recent “Gamification” Market report, customer acquisition can grow as much as 700% with “gamification.” Walgreens employed “gamification” tactics and reported an increase in engagement and loyalty by 30%.

Examples of “gamification” methods include promotional contests, spin-to-win opportunities, and tiered VIP loyalty programs.

27. Voice shopping experienced more than 100% growth in 2021

According to Voicebot’s Voice Shopping Consumer Adoption Report 2021, over 45 million US consumers used voice technology for their shopping experience in 2021, from just a little over 20 million in 2018—constituting 120% growth.

Online store retailers should implement voice search strategies such as a strong SEO strategy, product feature and review videos, and a focus on delivering a seamless buying experience since voice assistants still crawl through Google to make customer suggestions. If your business has the capacity, invest in developing a voice assistant for your online store.

28. 71% of brands believe they excel in personalization—only 34% of consumers agree

Despite privacy concerns among 96% of consumers and legal limitations when it comes to tracking, personalization is still important. And many businesses seem to be aware—98% are using personalization to some degree:

• 50% of brands use predictive personalization
• 47% optimize email send time
• 44% engage in buyer journey-based personalization

And while 71% of brands think they’re winning on this front, just over a third of shoppers agree. There’s plenty of opportunity here—36% of shoppers feel “positive” about sharing more data with businesses if it means they’ll get a personalized experience. Plus, it’s good news for retailers. More than seven in 10 consumers will shop more often with brands that offer personalization.

29. More than half of consumers have joined a loyalty program

According to one survey, 53% of consumers have joined a customer loyalty program for at least one or more brands in the past year. The top reasons?

1. 51% want to earn loyalty points to redeem offers
2. 20% want to save money
3. 15% want to receive free or discounted products during special occasions

Social Shopping

30. US social commerce sales are expected to reach $1.2 trillion in 2025

An eMarketer report estimated that more than half of the adults in the US would make a purchase via social media in 2022, pushing social commerce sales to $45.74 billion. Among those who haven’t made a purchase, 44% prefer to deal directly with a retailer, and 43% don’t trust social platforms with their payment information.

31. Facebook is the leading social platform for online purchases

An April 2021 survey revealed that 51% of respondents purchased from Facebook often, with over 47% of social media users aged 16 to 34 saying they had purchased products or services on Instagram.

32. Seven out of 10 shoppers are influenced by friends’ social media posts and reviews

Social commerce is mostly driven by influencer marketing, mainly banking on user-generated content. UGC has been proven to be more effective in brand advertising, as 71% of US consumers said that posts from friends or acquaintances on social media were influential in their purchasing decisions.

33. Purchases via social media are becoming more common

Younger generations are already making online purchases via social media, and it looks like this trend is here to stay. According to an eMarketer study, the number of social buyers in the US is expected to rise from 60.6 million in 2019 to 108 million in 2025—a more than 75% increase over just a few years.

34. Social shoppers care about social proof and easy checkout

Social shoppers have similar preferences to online shoppers. Of their biggest motivators to make a purchase, 50% say customer reviews are most important. Other motivators include:

• 48% quick and easy checkout process
• 44% next-day delivery
• 40% likes and positive comments on social posts
• 35% environmental-friendliness of the brand
• 31% ability to pay cash on delivery
• 31% ability to use a payment plan

And according to BazaarVoice, as many as 54% of consumers say they’d be more likely to buy a product via social commerce if they could get all the product information immediately after clicking on the post.

Importance of Shipping

35. US click and collect sales reached more than $70 billion in 2020

Click and collect is gaining popularity with shoppers, with over nine out of 10 shoppers deeming the option convenient. This is because the model allows consumers to browse and compare products from the comfort of their homes and pick up the product immediately without having to wait or pay for shipping. In 2021, eMarketer reported $80.28 billion in click and collect sales in the US, and it is predicted to hit about $155 billion by 2025.

Because BOPIS and click and collect are such big trends, many POS systems now come with those order fulfillment capabilities built-in, plus additional omnichannel sales tools.

36. Online shoppers expect two- to three-day shipping

According to Shippo’s annual State of Shipping report, the most popular delivery window for online shoppers is two to three days—48% of consumers and 41% of merchants prefer it. Additionally, 18% of consumers want same- or next-day delivery.

37. Only 10% of shoppers don’t care about shipping cost

According to Shippo, 83% of consumers prefer stores that offer free shipping. Of those surveyed, 33% would only purchase online with free shipping. Only 10% of shoppers surveyed reported not caring about shipping costs at all.

In spite of the value of free shipping to many consumers, only 22% of merchants always offer free shipping—a 10% decrease from 2020.

38. Half of online shoppers care most about free shipping on returns

Free shipping is the most important consideration when it comes to returning a purchase for 50% of US online shoppers. In contrast, 31% of shoppers care most about the ease of processing a return. Studies show that 67% of shoppers check a merchant’s return policy before making a purchase, and 92% will buy from the brand again if it’s easy to make a return.

39. Up to 69% of shoppers would abandon their carts if shipping costs are too high

Fast and free is the name of the game when it comes to shipping and fulfillment. As many as 69% of shoppers will even abandon their shopping cart completely if shipping costs are too high. In response, two-thirds of retailers offer next-day delivery—compared to just 48% in 2020.

40. 44% of retailers have diversified their fulfillment network

The COVID-19 pandemic and other global events have wreaked havoc on supply chains and shipping workflows. As a result, delays are the norm.

To mitigate these challenges, 69% of retailers have implemented strategies to be more transparent about shipping with their customers. This includes better communication about delivery promises and more visibility into shipping status and order tracking. Additionally, 44% of retailers have diversified fulfillment network locations to allow for more optimizations.

Abandoned Carts

41. 80% of online shopping carts are abandoned

For small online retailers, it can take a lot of advertising to bring new customers to your website. However, getting shoppers to your site is only a small step toward converting them into paying customers. You need them to add your products to their shopping cart and complete the checkout process. But on average, 80% of all online shopping carts are abandoned.

42. Abandoned cart emails see a 15% conversion rate

Abandoned cart emails are simple to set up and automate, and it can be an easy opportunity to seal the deal. According to Barilliance, cart abandonment emails earn an average 15.22% conversion rate.

Returns

43. The average retail return rate is less than 1%

According to research, the average return rate in retail is actually surprisingly low at just 1%. However, this varies across industries. While books, cosmetics, food, and toys have low return rates, this isn’t true across the board. Clothing and sporting goods have the highest return rates of any niche, clocking in at more than 20% of total purchases resulting in a return.

44. 71% of retailers offer in-store returns for online purchases

More retailers are embracing omnichannel strategies, and this includes reverse logistics. More than seven in 10 retailers allow online customers to make returns at their physical retail locations—even though the purchase was made online.

45. 80% of consumers who return a product to a store spend their refund in the store

While returns are certainly a hassle for retailers, it doesn’t always lead to lost sales. When a shopper returns a product in your physical store, 80% of the time they’ll spend the money they get back on other products from the store. In some cases, these shoppers spend as much as 10 times more than shoppers who only engage via online channels.

46. Retailers lose $816 billion to returns every year

Returns management is costly. Total returns lead to $816 billion in lost sales for retailers in the US. For every $1 billion in sales, there are $165 million in returns.

47. Return fraud costs $10.40 per $100 of returned merchandise

Return fraud is becoming increasingly prevalent. For every $100 of returned products, retailers lose $10.40 to return fraud. In fact, many retailers are becoming skeptical of returns, even when a receipt is presented. As many as 14% of retailers expect fraud with returns.

Key takeaways:

• Craft a well-written and clear retail return policy. This will not only set the expectation for customers but also empower yourself and your staff by having a public and documented set of guidelines.
• Implement some loss prevention strategies to mitigate return fraud. You’ll also want to keep an eye on chargebacks.
• Make it easy for customers to make an exchange instead of request a refund. This can capture some of the potential lost revenue.

Online Shopping on Amazon & Third-party Marketplaces

48. Marketplace ecommerce sales were forecast to hit $357 billion in 2022

Even though marketplace sales are on a slight decline in the US, they’re still representative of a sizable chunk of ecommerce sales. In fact, marketplace sales in the US were predicted to hit $357.26 billion in 2022—or 34.6% of total online sales.

49. Amazon is the most visited online retail website in the world

Amazon registers 2 billion monthly visits in the US alone. This figure is thrice the monthly visits of eBay—at second place with close to 700 million monthly visits.

50. Shoppers are more likely to buy from Amazon than elsewhere

Not only do about half of consumers visit Amazon at least once a week but they are also extremely loyal to the platform. More than half of US shoppers start their purchase journey on Amazon as well, with 63% of them doing product searches on the platform first before doing so on search engines.

51. Most internet users shop on Amazon because it offers everything they need

Consumers report a number of reasons for shopping at Amazon when making online purchases. The biggest reason US consumers shop at Amazon is that it offers everything they need (66%), followed closely by receiving free shipping because of Prime membership (56%).

Holiday Online Shopping & Seasonal Spikes

52. Back-to-school sales surpassed $67 billion in 2022

Back-to-school (BTS) season is still a big sales period for retailers. Total BTS sales in 2021 were $67.01 billion—this grew just 0.7% to $67.46 billion in 2022. Online BTS sales alone accounted for $28.19 billion.

53. 2021 brought the first $200+ billion US holiday season—followed by the second in 2022

After hitting $205 billion in 2021 (up 8.6%), online holiday spending set another record in 2022, growing 3.5% to nearly $212 billion. The retail sector reported more than $3 billion in revenue for 38 days in both 2021 and 2022, compared to 25 days in 2020.

Here are some more key findings from the Adobe Digital Insights 2022 Holiday Shopping Results report:

• Discounts were at record highs for the 2022 holiday season, with toys and electronics leading the way.
• Products and categories that produced nearly 100% or higher of their preseason sales were toys (206%), video games (115%), and apparel/accessories (94%).
• BNPL services’ popularity reached new heights with more consumers taking advantage of deferred payments—orders were up 4% from 2021.

54. 2022 ecommerce holiday sales were forecast to increase 15.5% from the previous year

According to estimates, 2022 holiday retail sales were expected to grow 3.3% to $1.26 trillion, despite economic challenges. Brick-and-mortar sales were anticipated to increase 0.9% to $1.03 trillion while ecommerce growth was forecast at 15.5% to $235.86 billion.

55. Cyber 5 remains the peak of the holiday season

Cyber 5—the five-day stretch from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday—remains the busiest period of the season. However, eMarketer forecast it would account for 15.6% of retail commerce sales in 2022, slightly lower than the previous year’s 16.9%. With in-store shopping seeing record numbers during 2022 over the course of Cyber 5, this isn’t surprising.

It’s also worth noting that consumers are starting their holiday shopping earlier than ever. According to Bankrate, 25% of shoppers were planning to begin by September and another 25% were planning to start in October. Thirty-eight percent of shoppers planned to wait until November, while a mere 12% said they would wait until the last month of the year.

56. Cyber Monday is still the biggest online shopping day, with consumers spending a day’s worth during its Golden Hours

Cyber Monday claimed the top spot among all Cyber 5 shopping days for online revenue and is the biggest online shopping day of the year to date, hitting $11.3 billion in sales.

During 2021’s Golden Hours (7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Pacific time), consumers spent a day’s worth of shopping—over $2.8 billion, which is nearly 50% more than the $1.9 billion spent on an average day in August. The Golden Hours brought in over 26% of the day’s revenue, compared to an average of 14% on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

57. 40% of holiday shoppers in the US considered shopping earlier for 2022

Consumers received an all-time high of 6 billion out-of-stock notifications in 2021, and in 2022, they were 15% more likely to encounter them. Stock issues have been in consumers’ minds, with over 50% of shoppers planning to shop earlier to avoid purchasing an out-of-stock item.

58. 47% of online retail sales for the entire holiday season were done from smartphones

Consumers continue to show increased reliance on smartphones for shopping. Data shows that in 2022, 47% of November and December holiday sales came from smartphones, amounting to $99.3 billion.

The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Impact on Ecommerce

59. Online grocery spending hasn’t decreased despite restrictions easing up

Online grocery ordering became the norm during the pandemic and it shows no signs of stopping. Even with restrictions easing up, roughly one out of every two households in the US placed an online order for groceries in 2021, registering $97.7 billion in sales via pickup, delivery, and ship-to-home channels.

60. There have been noticeable shifts in consumer shopping behavior, and these changes are likely to stay

Consumers prioritize convenience, shift to value, and will continue to support brands that share the same values.

• Omnichannel experiences, such as the ability for consumers to purchase online and pick up their orders in store, increase store visits by 80%. Global searches for “along my route” (+1,000%) and “curbside pickup” (+3,000%) are indicative that consumers will most likely choose retailers who offer more fulfillment options.
• Shoppers are also starting to spend their money on businesses with values that align with theirs. Google reports that searches for ethical brands and ethical online shopping in 2020 grew 300% and 600%, respectively. This is further validated by a 2022 survey that found 58% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. In fact, environmental factors often outweigh cost now.

Online Shopping Statistics FAQs

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Bottom Line

Online shopping statistics show that having a digital presence is critical for retail businesses. It’s more than just a place to sell your products—consumers are also using retail websites and social media to discover products, read reviews, and compare pricing before making a purchase online or offline.

Online shopping may have experienced a surge due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it isn’t going anywhere. Learn how to take your online sales to the next level.