The e-commerce industry continues to grow at a rapid pace and is continually evolving as brands and consumers adapt to change. In the last decade, online shopping has completely transformed the commerce landscape, and today, a vast number of factors influence its continual upward trajectory.
We’ve compiled a list of current statistics to understand how the e-commerce industry is growing and what’s affecting buyer behavior and consumer trends.
Top 2024 E-Commerce & Online Shopping Statistics
- In 2024, retail e-commerce sales will reach $6.3 trillion. (Statista)
- Around 2.71 billion consumers will shop online in 2024. (Emarketer)
- The US e-commerce market is currently valued at $843 billion. (Statista)
- According to market value, the top three most-purchased products online are electronics, clothing, and shoes. (Statista)
- Retail sales in 2024 will account for 20.1% of the total retail sales worldwide. By 2027, it’s expected this figure will increase to 22.60% (Statista)
- Facebook Marketplace now has four times the number of customers than Amazon. (Fortune)
- In 2024, total sales from mobile devices are expected to reach $2.5 trillion. (Statista)
- 89% of consumers make online purchases after watching marketing videos. (Wyzowl)
- Amazon currently ranks second out of the world’s 50 biggest retailers. (National Retail Federation)
- The most downloaded app in the US prior to January 2024 was Temu, then Shein. (Statista)
E-commerce Growth Statistics
As more and more people shop online, e-commerce continues to grow in new and exciting directions. The following statistics reveal where and how the industry is expanding in 2024:
- E-commerce penetration in the grocery sector is set to reach 15% by 2026. (Insider Intelligence)
- 2024 figures show that there’s been an 8.8% yearly increase in e-commerce sales. (Emarketer)
- Between 2024 and 2027, e-commerce sales will continue growing at an average CAGR of 7.8%. (JP Morgan)
- By 2027, global online sales will just about reach $8 trillion. (Statista)
- In the US, retail e-commerce sales were up by 2.1% in the first quarter of 2024. (US Census Bureau)
- From 2024-2025 cross border e-commerce sales will grow from $8.38 billion to $8.410 billion in 2025. (Market Research Future)
Global & Regional E-commerce Statistics
The e-commerce industry differs from place to place, and there are some countries that dominate, while others still have some catching up to do. In 2024, this is how global and regional online shopping statistics are shaping up:
- China remains the biggest global e-commerce market, with an expected CAGR of 11.6% between 2023 and 2027. (Global Data)
- Approximately around 2.71 billion consumers globally will shop online in 2024. (Emarketer)
- In Q1 of 2024, India had the highest number of online shoppers globally (98%) and Morocco the fewest (75%). (Statista)
- In the UK, fashion is the largest market and accounts for 28.7% of e-commerce revenue. (ECDB)
- Latin America’s e-commerce market is expected to grow to approximately $160 billion by 2025. (Statista)
- In the US, online buyers spend an average of $5,381 annually. (Emarketer)
- US consumers list convenience as one of the main reasons for making online purchases. (ResearchGate)
- More than 81% of the total population in the United States is happiest shopping online. (Statista)
E-Commerce Website Statistics
Websites and apps are what make shopping online possible, and there are some that are claiming a huge amount of market share with certain demographics. Here’s what the e-commerce landscape looks like for websites, apps, and users in 2024.
- Shopify, WooCommerce, and Wix power the largest number of online stores globally. As of May 31, 2024, Shopify is in first place with 17.63%, WooCommerce is second with 12.49%, and Wix is third with 12.27%. (Built With)
- Shopify has millions of merchants in 175 countries. (Shopify)
- Most shopping journeys start online. 44% start with an internet search, and 41% in e-commerce stores. (Klarna)
- Amazon is the most valuable e-commerce site, with a value of US$1.55 trillion. (ECDB)
- Amazon’s Chinese competitors, Pinduoduo and Alibaba, hold the 2nd and 3rd spots, while Argentina-based MercadoLibre ranks just a bit lower in value. (Companies Market Cap)
- In April 2024, Temu was downloaded over 46 million times, making it more popular than Amazon. (Statista)
- Discounts and coupons motivate 39.3% of people to shop online. (Data Reportal)
- In the US, 56% of Gen Z prefer to shop online rather than in-store. (GWI)
Social Media E-commerce Statistics
Social commerce—the process of selling products directly on social media—has achieved major growth in the last few years. Find out how influencers and social media are impacting the e-commerce world in 2024.
- The global social commerce market will hit $1.698 trillion in 2024 after reaching $1.2 trillion in 2023. (Statista)
- Facebook has the largest number of social commerce buyers, followed by Instagram and then TikTok. (Emarketer)
- 78% of TikTok users buy a product after they see it featured on the social media platform. (TikTok)
- Over a quarter of people confirm that they have used or use social media to find products to buy online. (Influencer Marketing Hub)
- Meta now has 1.2 billion active users shopping on Marketplace. (Capital One Shopping)
- 14% of shoppers prefer to start their shopping journey on social media. (Klarna)
- If a social media influencer they trust recommends a product, 63% of shoppers are more likely to buy it (Hubspot)
Mobile E-commerce Statistics
Mobile commerce, or m-commerce, is one of the fastest-growing sub-sectors of e-commerce. Globally, Statista now estimates that 60% of all online sales are from a mobile device. Let’s see what other trends are prevalent here:
- M-commerce sales in the US are projected to exceed $558.29 billion in 2024. (Emarketer)
- In 2024, smartphones are expected to be used to place 66% of online orders. (Statista)
- Mobile commerce will likely account for 44.6% of retail e-commerce sales in 2024. (Emarketer)
- In China, 92% of consumers use their phones for online shopping; in India, 88% do; and in the US, 73%. (Statista Global Consumer Survey 2023)
- As many as 72% of in-store shoppers research price comparisons using their smartphones. (1WorldSync)
- By 2026, tablet m-commerce sales are expected to reach $54.01 billion. (Emarketer)
E-commerce Consumer Statistics
Consumer behavior plays a major role in e-commerce trends and sales. In 2024, this is what consumers want and where they’re spending their money.
- Consumer electronics are expected to generate $922.5 billion in sales in 2024, followed by fashion with an estimated $760 billion spend. (Statista)
- In 2024, the average revenue per e-commerce user is expected to reach $1,079. (Statista)
- 52% of consumers order online from both local and international websites. (Statista)
- India has the highest number of new online consumers in 2024, followed by China and the rest of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. (Beyond Borders)
- AI, generative AI, and the IoT are some of the biggest trends shaping the e-commerce industry in 2024. (Forbes)
- Some of the most in-demand niche products in 2024 include skincare and beauty, pet supplements, probiotics, vitamins, and coffee products. (ShipBob)
- Unified omnichannel experiences, personalized service, VR and AR-enhanced shopping, and voice search are the biggest marketing trends consumers are looking for in 2024. (The Future of Commerce)
E-commerce in 2024 & Beyond
By 2027, Statista predicts that global e-commerce retail sales will reach over $8 trillion, with revenue expected to show a CAGR of 9.49% between 2024 and 2029. Looking at these figures, it’s clear that not only is online shopping here to stay, but it’s become a way of life for consumers around the globe.
The convenience, easy access, lack of geographical limitations, and increasing digitalization of the world are all contributing to the success of the e-commerce sector, and brands everywhere can benefit.