Online shopping 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 added strain of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-store shopping, many legacy brick-and-mortar chains are struggling. Meanwhile, a crop of new small businesses, direct-to-consumer retailers, and ecommerce startups are gaining popularity with shoppers.
We’ve gathered over 40 online shopping statistics, along with their key takeaways, broken into 10 categories:
Online Shopping Basics
1. The number of global online shoppers is predicted to rise more than 60% from 2014 to 2021
The number of people shopping online is on the rise. In 2021, over 2.14 billion people worldwide are expected to purchase something online, 62% higher than the 1.32 billion global digital buyers in 2014.
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. Millennials are the largest group of online shoppers in the US
Millennials aged 25 to 34 comprised 20.2% of online shoppers in the US as of February 2020. The second-largest online shopper demographic was 35- to 44-year-olds, who accounted for 17.2% of US digital buyers.
4. In 2022, US ecommerce sales will reach $1 trillion
In the US, online sales, including digital services, are anticipated to surpass $1 trillion by 2022. This is 17% growth from 2021, when sales were estimated at $933 billion. After 2022, ecommerce sales are forecast to grow by double digits.
5. 54% of US consumers prefer to shop online
A 2021 Raydiant study on US consumer behavior reports that 54% of survey respondents prefer to shop online rather than in person. That is a 9% jump from last year’s report.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s no longer enough to just be a brick-and-mortar retailer. There are a number of ways to add an online store component, which allows you to reach a larger customer base than a traditional retail store alone.
- Although the growth rate of ecommerce should not be ignored, in-store shopping will not completely go away. Instead, it will evolve. A hybrid online/traditional shopping experience will commence. We are seeing it happen with curbside pickup, click and collect, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence (AI) assistants.
- There’s still a need for in-person interactions, both for customers who don’t use the internet and those who do. Explore events, markets, pop-up shops, and other in-person retail activities to appeal to all groups.
- Your permanent retail store is still important. Focus on creating an in-store experience that’s synonymous with and builds on the online experience—acting as a fulfillment center for customers who buy online and pick up in-store.
Online Shopping Features & Priorities
6. 75% of online buyers shop at least once a month
A survey shows that online shopping happens frequently for global consumers—with 20% shopping online once a week, 24% shopping once every two weeks, and 31% shopping once a month.
7. 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 60% citing direct home delivery as a good reason to buy an item online. Cheaper prices, round-the-clock availability, and a more extensive product range also top the list.
8. Free delivery is the leading incentive to drive purchases online
In 2020, 53% of consumers said that a free delivery option would increase their likelihood of purchasing products online. A notable 35% also cited reviews from other customers and easy returns policies.
9. The average spend of an online shopper worldwide is $2.91 per visit
In the second quarter of 2021, online shoppers spent an average of $2.91 per visit across retail industry sectors such as luxury, active and general apparel, health and beauty, and home and appliances.
10. Over half of consumers research major purchases online
A consumer’s buying journey begins online, with 55% doing research online when planning a major purchase. This is further reinforced by a Think with Google Study that shows 66% of shoppers prefer online shopping to find items they are looking for, compared to 27% who prefer to search offline.
11. 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.
12. 63% of online shoppers go to Amazon when searching for products
Amazon is slowly outranking search engines when it comes to product searches and shopping inspiration. A Wunderman Thompson study in 2020 shows that 63% of consumers go to Amazon when searching for products, with only 48% turning to search engines. It’s a close tie between Amazon and search engines for shopping inspiration sources, though, with Amazon getting 52% and search engines 51%.
13. A majority of shoppers prioritize good search and navigation features
Sixty-one 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. Have products appear alongside related products as well.
14. Online consumers read up to half a dozen product reviews before making purchase decisions
It has become increasingly important for online shoppers to check product reviews and read up on a business or service before spending money. In 2021, nearly 70% of online shoppers typically read between one and six customer reviews before making a purchasing decision. Less than 10% did not have a habit of reading customer reviews before buying.
15. 87% of younger consumers want financing options for online purchases
Solutions that allow customers to buy now and pay later (such as Klarna, Affirm, Splitit, and Sezzle) and offer monthly installment plans help increase online shopping sales. Eighty-seven percent of consumers ages 22-44 are interested in monthly payment plans.
16. Shop local trends continue as 70% of consumers shop small business websites
Intuit surveyed 1,500 consumers, finding that 70% are supporting 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 shipping local, cited by more than a quarter of respondents.
Key Takeaways:
- Free shipping is one of the leading drivers of online sales. Learn how to offer free shipping on your products.
- A seamless buyer’s journey, social proof (reviews), and good website navigation are all part of growing your online store. Read our tips on how to grow your ecommerce business.
- Learn how to offer customer financing and buy now, pay later options to your customers.
- Setting up a blog on your site is one of our recommended ecommerce marketing strategies. You may use it to provide valuable information for research purposes or highlight local products and artisans.
Online Shopping Technologies
17. Mobile shopping expected to account for almost three-fourths of ecommerce
It’s projected that mobile ecommerce will account for 72.9% of global ecommerce in 2021. According to eMarketer, online shopping conducted through mobile devices grew 41.4% in 2020 and another 15.2% in 2021 to reach $359.3 billion in the US. Annual sales should nearly double by 2025.
18. The average order value Is 42% higher on a desktop vs mobile
While many shoppers are turning to mobile shopping—or mcommerce—they’re still placing larger orders when they shop on traditional devices like desktop computers. In fact, in the third quarter of 2020, the average value of an order placed on a desktop was 42% higher than the average mobile phone order.
19. 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 on (67%), interruptions from messages, apps, and other programs (36%), and difficulty finding what you are looking for (36%).
20. Digital wallet payments are now as popular as credit card payments
Digital payments are projected to reach a whopping $6.6 trillion in 2021, with 29% of respondents in a Statista survey stating they would like to pay using their smartphones all the time. Digital payments are now tied with credit cards as the most preferred way of paying online.
21. Two-thirds of consumers are interested in AR when shopping
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality have the potential to increase buyer confidence by making it easier to envision product details. This can ultimately lead to increased brand loyalty and higher-value sales. In fact, according to a Google survey, 66% of people want help from AR when they are shopping. Some 60% want to be able to visualize how a product fits into their lives.
22. Gamification boosts engagement and encourages spending
The retail industry is an early adopter of gamified solutions, holding a 28.6% market share. 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 Reflect Digital, 60% of consumers say they would be more likely to buy from a brand if they enjoyed playing a game with it. And, emails with gamification elements get 74% better engagement.
Examples of gamification methods include promotional contests, spin-to-win opportunities, and tiered VIP loyalty programs.
23. Nearly a third of US Internet users have used voice searches or voice-enabled devices when shopping online
According to an Invesp study, some 30% of users have used voice-enabled features when shopping online, and voice shopping will reach $40 billion in the US by 2022. 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.
Key takeaways:
- Your desktop and mobile sites are equally important. Using an ecommerce platform like BigCommerce or Shopify makes it easy to create a responsive, mobile-optimized experience for all online shoppers.
- Eliminate distractions in your product images and make sure they stand out and are clear to see, even on small devices—learn how to take high-quality product photos.
- Try to be detailed but concise when writing descriptions for your products. Customers tend to quickly scan items on mobile devices, so ensuring they scroll less when reading descriptions can help increase online conversions. Learn to write product descriptions that sell.
- Enabling your customers to use digital wallets encourages them to spend because of its ease of use and increased security (remember security concerns account for 42% of mobile shopping impediments).
- Leverage technology to enhance the ecommerce journey. Visual search makes it easy for shoppers to find your product, and AR/VR technology allows them to have a deeper product experience—one of the things lacking when it comes to ecommerce. You can also create a virtual tour of your store to entice shoppers to visit.
Social Shopping Statistics
24. More than half of internet users aged 18 to 34 have made a purchase via social media
As of late 2020, 39% of 18- to 34-year-olds have purchased through social media, and 15% more do so regularly. In total, 35% of US adults report having made a purchase through social media (an 8% increase from April 2020). Older shoppers are less interested in the platform—60% of those 55 and older report having no interest in shopping via social media.
25. 31% of US consumers use social media to discover products
According to the 2021 Shopper Experience Index from Bazaarvoice, nearly one-third of consumers in the United States rely on social media to learn about new products. In another survey, this one from Net Solutions, 55% of respondents have purchased a product online after discovering it on social media (11% purchased immediately; 44% purchased later).
26. 7 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). 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.
27. 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.
Key takeaways:
- Facebook and Instagram are the most popular social media platforms consumers use for purchasing online. Reach these shoppers by setting up a Facebook Shop and using it to create a shoppable Instagram page. These platforms also provide many tools for listing products and creating ads to help drive more sales.
- Mix your social content with engagement and promotional posts. You don’t want your audience to feel overwhelmed with too much marketing and advertising.
- Read our guide on social media marketing and how to collaborate with influencers.
Importance of Shipping
28. US click and collect sales exceeded $58 billion in 2020
Click and collect, or buy online and pick up in store (BOPIS), 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 2020, eMarketer reported $58.52 billion in click and collect sales in the US, and this amount is predicted to reach $74.24 billion by 2022.
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.
29. 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—46.2% of consumers and 40.7% of merchants prefer it. Additionally, 15.1% of consumers want same- or next-day delivery. Perhaps surprisingly, though, 34% of merchants reported not giving consumers an option when it comes to shipping times.
30. Less than 20% of shoppers don’t care about shipping cost
According to Shippo, 40.5% of consumers prefer stores that offer free shipping. Of those surveyed, 24.9% would only purchase online with free shipping and 15.2% would opt for a different store that offers free shipping. Only 19.4% of shoppers surveyed reported not caring about shipping costs at all.
In spite of the value of free shipping to many consumers, only 33% of merchants always offer free shopping. That number increases when you include those that occasionally offer free shipping or offer it more than half the time.
31. More than 40% 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 41.2% of US online shoppers. In contrast, 28.1% of shoppers care most about the ease of processing a return; 19.6% don’t care about returns at all.
Key takeaways:
- If foot traffic is slow or your retail store is closed, consider using it as a fulfillment or warehouse space. Adopt new processes like curbside pickup, local delivery, or click and collect to encourage more sales.
- Shop around with different carriers to find the most cost-effective option for you. Remember to balance budget and delivery time. You can also consider allowing the customer to choose from various shipping options.
- Encourage customers to shop by having a clearly communicated return policy that includes free shipping. Have it easily displayed in your website footer, in product pages, and the FAQ section.
Abandoned Cart Statistics
32. Almost 69% 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, 68.7% of all online shopping carts are abandoned.
33. Abandoned cart emails see a nearly 20% 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 18.5% conversion rate.
Key takeaways:
- Don’t forget to customize the checkout experience when you build your online store. Create as few steps as possible to make it easy for shoppers to complete a purchase.
- Incorporate automated abandoned cart emails into your retail email marketing strategy. Once you set it up, the email will be automatically sent without manually triggering the follow-up campaign each time. This is one of the easiest and most passive ways to increase online sales.
- See our full guide on shopping cart abandonment statistics for more information on how to reduce your abandonment rate.
Online Shopping on Amazon
34. Amazon is the most visited online retail website in the world
Amazon.com had a monthly traffic average of almost 3.68 billion visitors in 2020, more than triple the visitors of eBay.com, which had 1 billion visits on average per month. It is also the biggest consumer internet and online service company worldwide with a market cap of more than $1.5 trillion.
35. Shoppers are more likely to buy from Amazon than elsewhere
Not only do about half of consumers visit Amazon at least a few times a week, but shoppers are also extremely loyal to the platform. A 2019 survey reported that 89% of respondents were more likely to buy products from Amazon than another ecommerce vendor. What’s more, almost a quarter of consumers make a purchase on Amazon every few weeks—and 5% make an Amazon purchase daily or almost every day.
36. Most internet users shop on Amazon because of fast, free shipping
Consumers report a number of reasons for shopping at Amazon when making online purchases. Most striking though, is that 79.8% of internet users shop on Amazon because of the fast, free shipping. Similarly, 68.9% choose Amazon because of its broad selection; 65.7% of shoppers opt for Amazon because they are Prime members.
Key takeaways:
- Though Amazon may not be a core part of your strategy, it’s a helpful tool to drive online sales and brand/product awareness. Amazon already has brand recognition and trust, so shoppers who are unfamiliar with your brand are more likely to trust a purchase through Amazon than directly from you.
- Consider selling a select few products on Amazon and keeping the rest exclusive to your store and website. Include extra benefits for shopping directly, like referral codes, customer rewards, and discounts.
COVID-19’s Impact on Ecommerce
37. US ecommerce revenues experienced 32.4% growth in 2020
Because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on in-store shopping, US ecommerce revenues grew by 32.4% in 2020. This is more than double the 15% growth in 2019.
38. Online grocery sales skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic
Online grocery ordering was invented 30 years ago with Peapod, yet by 2019 only 3.4% of all grocery sales happened online. This number saw a huge jump, however, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With shoppers more apprehensive about in-person grocery store visits, online grocery sales increased to 10.2% in 2020. The percentage is expected to continue climbing, surpassing 20% by 2025.
Key takeaways:
- Though the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the retail industry, it has also revealed new opportunities for brick-and-mortar stores and ecommerce sites alike.
- One advantage of being a small business is that you’re more nimble than big-box retailers. You can more quickly adapt to new trends, guidelines, restrictions, and customer behaviors.
- Now that a COVID-19 vaccine is available, in-store shopping may increase in popularity—at least in the short term.
Online Shopping During Holiday Season
39. Cyber Monday generated the most revenue among holiday shopping days in the US
Cyber Monday earned the highest amount of ecommerce sales, generating about $10.8 billion in 2020. Coming in second was Black Friday with $9 billion in online sales.
40. U.S holiday retail ecommerce sales reached $188.2 billion in 2020
In 2020, holiday season retail ecommerce sales reached $188.2 billion—equivalent to two years’ worth of growth.
41. 91% of US consumers buy holiday gifts from Amazon
In an online shopping survey from Statista in November 2020, some 91% of the respondents said that they buy Christmas gifts from Amazon. Walmart.com and Target.com came in a distant second and third with 52% and 38%, respectively. All of these are marketplaces where products are diverse and free one-day shipping is available, making it an ideal solution for some last-minute holiday shopping.
Since most consumers have a long list of gifts to buy, 61% of holiday shoppers make their purchases through a desktop rather than a mobile device.
Key takeaways:
- Capitalize on the holiday sale season. Think of creative ideas for promos.
- Plan ahead and use our recommended strategies and sales tips for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
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.
You May Also Like …
- Find the best ecommerce platform for your business, and learn how to create an online store.
- Learn how to use your POS system to manage customers, products, and orders across all channels.
- Read our guide to credit card processing.
- To learn more about how customers like to buy and what it takes to turn a passive browser into an active customer, read our full report on payment industry trends for small businesses.
