Research highlights: US ecommerce is expected to reach $1.84 trillion in revenue by 2029, more than 3.5 times higher than in 2019 when it was $514.7 billion. 16.4% of retail sales in the US are from online channels. Amazon and Walmart together generate over $222.9 billion in sales, or 57% of the top 10 combined.
Related research: E-commerce growth: How much has e-commerce grown over the years? | What percentage of sales are online? | How big is the e-commerce industry? | How big is mobile in ecommerce?
US ecommerce market size
US ecommerce is expected to reach $1.84 trillion in revenue by 2029, more than 3.5 times higher than in 2019 when it was $514.7 billion
Between 2019 and 2029, the U.S. e-commerce market is projected to grow by $1.33 trillion, representing a 258.4% increase over the decade
US ecommerce crossed the $1 trillion mark in 2023
The sharpest year-over-year growth happened in 2020, when ecommerce revenue jumped from $514.7B to $670.2B, a 30.2% increase likely due to pandemic-driven digital shopping
The annual revenue growth is expected to average around $135 billion per year between 2023 and 2029
The smallest year-over-year growth rate occurred between 2021 and 2022, with an increase of only $76.2 billion or 9.1%
From 2020 to 2024, e-commerce revenue grew from $670.2 billion to $1.19 trillion, an increase of 77.5% in just four years
Year | Revenue of the e-commerce industry in the U.S. 2019-2029 |
---|---|
2029 | $1.84T |
2028 | $1.75T |
2027 | $1.64T |
2026 | $1.50T |
2025 | $1.34T |
2024 | $1.19T |
2023 | $1.03T |
2022 | $908.8B |
2021 | $832.6B |
2020 | $670.2B |
2019 | $514.7B |
What percentage of retail sales in the US are online?
In Q4 2024, ecommerce made up 16.4% of all US retail sales
Ecommerce's share of total US retail sales more than tripled from 4.2% in Q1 2010 to 16.4% in Q4 2024
From Q1 2023 to Q1 2024, the e-commerce share grew from 15.1% to 15.8%, a 0.7 percentage point increase
The biggest leap happened during the pandemic: in Q2 2020, the share jumped to 15.7%, up from 11.4% in Q1 2020
Before the pandemic (Q4 2019), e-commerce was 11.3% of retail sales. By Q4 2024, that figure had risen to 16.4%, a 5.1 point increase in five years
The surge in Q2 2020 to 15.7% marked the only quarter where e-commerce jumped more than 4 points in a single quarter
Quarter/Year | Ecommerce as share of total retail sales in the US |
---|---|
Q4 '24** | 16.40% |
Q4 '23* | 15.60% |
Q4 '22 | 14.80% |
Q4 '21 | 14.50% |
Q4 '20 | 13.60% |
Q4 '19 | 11.30% |
Q4 '18 | 10.10% |
Q4 '17 | 9.10% |
Q4 '16 | 8.20% |
Q4 '15 | 7.50% |
Q4 '14 | 6.60% |
Q4 '13 | 6.10% |
Q4 '12 | 5.50% |
Q4 '11 | 5.10% |
Q4 '10 | 4.60% |
Q3 '24* | 16.30% |
Q3 '23 | 15.50% |
Q3 '22 | 14.80% |
Q3 '21 | 14.60% |
Q3 '20 | 13.80% |
Q3 '19 | 11.10% |
Q3 '18 | 10% |
Q3 '17 | 9.10% |
Q3 '16 | 8.20% |
Q3 '15 | 7.30% |
Q3 '14 | 6.50% |
Q3 '13 | 5.90% |
Q3 '12 | 5.40% |
Q3 '11 | 4.90% |
Q3 '10 | 4.60% |
Q2 '24 | 16% |
Q2 '23 | 15.30% |
Q2 '22 | 14.50% |
Q2 '21 | 14.50% |
Q2 '20* | 15.70% |
Q2 '19 | 10.80% |
Q2 '18 | 9.80% |
Q2 '17 | 8.90% |
Q2 '16 | 8% |
Q2 '15 | 7.10% |
Q2 '14 | 6.30% |
Q2 '13 | 5.80% |
Q2 '12 | 5.30% |
Q2 '11 | 4.80% |
Q2 '10 | 4.40% |
Q1 '24 | 15.80% |
Q1 '23 | 15.10% |
Q1 '22 | 14.50% |
Q1 '21 | 14.90% |
Q1 '20 | 11.40% |
Q1 '19 | 10.50% |
Q1 '18 | 9.40% |
Q1 '17 | 8.50% |
Q1 '16 | 7.80% |
Q1 '15 | 6.90% |
Q1 '14 | 6.20% |
Q1 '13 | 5.60% |
Q1 '12 | 5.10% |
Q1 '11 | 4.70% |
Q1 '10 | 4.20% |
Top ecommerce stores in the US by revenue
Amazon leads the ecommerce market in the US with $143.7 billion in e-commerce net sales
Together, Amazon and Walmart account for over $222.9 billion, dominating the landscape with more than 57% of the combined total of the top 10
Shein.com, a fast fashion platform, ranks third with $22.4 billion in US net sales
Target, Apple, and Homedepot are in a tight cluster, each earning between $20 billion and $20.5 billion
BestBuy.com and Costco.com are neck-and-neck with $13.0 billion and $12.5 billion respectively
Online store | E-commerce net sales |
---|---|
amazon.com | $143.7B |
walmart.com | $79.23B |
shein.com | $22.35B |
target.com | $20.54B |
apple.com | $20.26B |
homedepot.com | $20.08B |
bestbuy.com | $12.99B |
costco.com | $12.49B |
samsclub.com | $12.08B |
chewy.com | $11.87B |
Fastest growing ecommerce product categories
The total e-commerce market across all categories is growing at 14.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
Food leads all categories with 24.8% CAGR and beverages follow closely at 22%
Beauty, health, personal, and household care products are growing at a 14.9% CAGR, just above the total market average of 14.2%
Toys, hobby, and DIY have a 12.6% CAGR, driven by a surge in home-based activities and creative hobbies especially during and after the pandemic
Media, which includes books, music, and games, is growing at 8.5% CAGR, still expanding but outpaced by more essential or experiential categories
Furniture and electronics have more modest growth rates of 6.8% and 6.4% respectively
Product category | Ecommerce sales CAGR from 2017-2028 |
---|---|
Food | 24.80% |
Beverages | 22% |
Beauty, Health, Personal & Household Care | 14.90% |
Toys, Hobby & DIY | 12.60% |
Fashion | 11.60% |
Furniture | 6.80% |
Electronics | 6.40% |
Media | 8.50% |
Total | 14.20% |
Most popular product categories according to online shoppers in the US
Among US consumers, the two most popular categories for online purchases are clothing (43%) and shoes (33%)
Food and beverages (excluding restaurant delivery) were bought by 26% of respondents
Books, movies, music & games (excluding downloads) were bought by 20% of respondents, showing that physical media still holds a place in digital shopping habits
Categories like furniture & household goods (12%), toys & baby products (12%), and sports & outdoor products (11%) saw more limited online engagement
DIY and garden products (9%), bags and luggage (8%), and household appliances (10%) are among the least purchased online
Category | Share of respondents |
---|---|
Clothing | 43% |
Shoes | 33% |
Food & beverages (excl. restaurant delivery) | 26% |
Cosmetics & body care | 24% |
Pet products | 22% |
Books, movies, music & games (excluding downloads) | 20% |
Accessories | 19% |
Drugstore & health products | 17% |
Consumer electronics (e.g., TV, smartphones) | 16% |
Furniture & household goods | 12% |
Toys & baby products | 12% |
Sports & outdoor products | 11% |
Household appliances | 10% |
Stationery & hobby supplies | 10% |
DIY & garden products | 9% |
Bags & luggage | 8% |
I have not bought anything online | 7% |
Other | 10% |