25 United States (US) Online Retail Statistics and Trends

US Online Retail Sales, Statistics, and Trends

In 2012, for the first time, ecommerce sales topped $1 Trillion. Two-thirds of Americans 50-plus buy from e-retailers online. Seventy-two percent of Millennials research and shop their options online before going to a store or the mall.

Regional Trends

Here is a breakdown of the share of B2C ecommerce worldwide sales by region.

1. Asia Pacific:
2013 – 33.4%
2014 – 36.2%
2015 – 38.2%
2016 – 39.7%

2. North America:
2013 – 31.5%
2014 – 29.7%
2015 – 28.8%
2016 – 28.2%

3. Western Europe:
2013 – 25.7%
2014 – 24.3%
2015 – 23.4%
2016 – 22.6%

4. Latin America:
2013 – 3.5%
2014 – 3.6%
2015 – 3.6%
2016 – 3.5%

5. Middle East & Africa
2013 – 2.1%
2014 – 2.2%
2015 – 2.3%
2016 – 2.3%

It is expected that by 2017, in the United States, 100% of retail sales will be made online. Here is the forecast for United States online retail sales for 2013 to 2017 in billions.

1. 2013 – $258.9 Billion
2. 2014 – $296.7 Billion
3. 2015 – $338.9 Billion
4. 2016 – $384.9 Billion
5. 2017 – $434.2 Billion

Mobile Impact

In 2013, online sales from mobile devices like smart phones and tablets account for 15% of the total sales. This is estimated to reach 25% by 2017.

According to the forecast for the ecommerce for 2013-2017, here is the breakdown in billions.

1. 2013 – $38.84 Billion
2. 2014 – $53.41 Billion
3. 2015 – $71.16 Billion
4. 2016 – $92.39 Billion
5. 2017 – $108.56 Billion

Top Categories

1. Electronics and Appliances – 21.93%
2. Apparels and Accessories – 20.93%
3. Auto and Parts – 9.84%
4. Books, Music, and Videos – 9.42
5. Home Furnishing and Furniture – 7.80%
6. Toys and Hobby – 5.05%
7. Health and Personal Care – 4.82%
8. Office Equipment and Supplies – 3.08%
9. Food and Beverages – 2.24%
10. Other – 14.83%

In the United States alone, 83% of internet users have made purchases while 56% of them have made multiple purchases. A survey was conducted to determine the top US online spending days of 2012.
1. Nov 1-Dec 14: $33,808
2. Nov 23-Thanksgiving: $633
3. Nov 23-Black Friday: $1,042
4. Nov 24-Nov 25 Thanksgiving Weekend: $1,187
5. Cyber Monday: $1,465
6. Dec 10-Green Monday: $1,275
7. Dec 7-Dec 14: 6,992

Based on penetration of age, here is the breakdown of US digital buyers.
Ages 14-17: 54.8%
Ages 18-24: 73.5%
Ages 25-34: 74.5%
Ages 35-44: 77.4%
Ages 45-54: 75.2%
Ages 55-64: 77.6%
Ages 65 and above: 63.8%

Based on the unique monthly visitors, here is the list of the top 10 online retailers.

1. Amazon – 164 Million visitors
2. Ebay – 92 Million visitors
3. Wal-Mart – 57 Million visitors
4. Apple – 55 Million visitors
5. Target – 40 Million visitors
6. Best Buy – 27 Million visitors
7. The Home Depot – 21 Million visitors
8. Etsy – 20 Million visitors
9. Sears – 20 Million visitors
10: Lowe’s – 19 Million visitors