E-commerce has changed the face of our global economy — but you already know that. By the end of 2024, global retail e-commerce reached $4.32 trillion. As internet sales continue to be an increasingly vital part of retailing, they represent more than 17% of retail sales worldwide and a significant opportunity for business owners to take advantage of.
To keep you ahead of the curve, we've compiled a list of the top e-commerce statistics, from mobile shopping and social influencers to the latest AI-driven strategies. These trends provide insights and help shape actionable strategies for increasing e-commerce traffic and conversions.
Click on a statistic to take a closer look.
CHAPTER 1
E-Commerce Growth Statistics and Trends
Global retail e-commerce generated $4.32 trillion USD in revenue, underscoring its significant economic impact.
StatistaTurkey's e-commerce market is set to lead global growth until 2029, currently valued at 3.4 trillion Turkish lira.
StatistaGlobally, e-commerce made up over 17% of all retail sales in 2024, marking its growing dominance.
StatistaTotal e-commerce sales in 2024 reached an estimated $1,192.6 billion, showing a robust 8.1 percent increase compared to the previous year.
Census BureauWith a global digital population exceeding five billion, the pool of online shoppers continues its rapid expansion.
StatistaBy 2029, over 21% of global retail sales are expected to occur online.
StatistaIn 2024, total retail sales increased by 2.8 percent over the figures from 2023.
Census BureauWith its vast and digitally engaged population, Asia stands as the world's largest e-commerce market.
StatistaAsia's e-commerce revenue was approximately $500 billion USD greater than that of the Americas.
StatistaIn 2024, the combined e-commerce revenue for Australia, Oceania, and Africa was less than $50 billion USD, lower than other regions.
StatistaAmazon averages 2.3 billion global visits each month.
SimilarWebDuring its highly anticipated Prime Day event in 2024, Amazon achieved remarkable sales, with over 200 million items purchased.
AmazonIndia's e-commerce market is projected to expand rapidly, boasting one of the highest compound annual growth rates globally at over 11 percent annually between 2024 and 2029.
StatistaProjections indicate that by 2026, the value of the online retail market in the United States is forecasted to exceed 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars.
StatistaGlobal e-commerce sales reached over $7 trillion USD in 2024 and are projected to surpass $10.4 trillion USD by 2028.
StatistaWithin the last decade, nearly 45% of Malaysia's population made weekly mobile purchases, ranking it as the top digital market for this behavior.
StatistaBy 2027, global e-commerce is projected to near $10 trillion USD, growing at over twice the pace of physical retail.
ActivateOnline marketplaces like eBay, Alibaba, and JD.com facilitated nearly 30 percent of all online shopping orders placed globally.
StatistaE-commerce sites across sectors averaged a conversion rate of just over two percent.
StatistaIn 2024, online retail in Asian countries generated a substantial total revenue of close to two trillion U.S. dollars.
StatistaRecent surveys indicated that nearly half of shoppers in the United States anticipated increasing their online spending throughout the year.
Retail DiveThe Food segment is projected to hold the highest value in online retail, reaching an estimated 1.23 trillion U.S. dollars.
StatistaDuring the final quarter of 2024, the food and beverage sector experienced the highest online conversion rates among e-commerce sites, reaching 3.1 percent.
StatistaBetween 2024 and 2028, the U.S. is projected to lead 20 countries in e-commerce growth with an 11.8% annual rate.
ActivateGlobally, the average value of e-commerce orders rose from approximately $118 USD in September 2022 to about $126 USD in September 2023.
StatistaBy 2029, retailers anticipate that two-thirds of all deliveries will be completed within the same day or the following day.
DeloitteAsia's dominance in e-commerce is largely due to China, which generated over $1.4 billion USD in revenue in 2024.
StatistaAmazon was the top platform for recent cross-border purchases (24%), followed by Temu (21%).
StatistaBy the end of 2024, the food and beverage sector demonstrated one of the lowest rates of online shoppers abandoning their virtual carts.
StatistaLeading countries in retail e-commerce growth, the Philippines, have experienced increases as high as 24 percent.
StatistaIn 2024, the average global lead time for obtaining production materials was 79 days.
DeloitteIn a 2024 survey, over a quarter (28 percent) of digital shoppers indicated they also made purchases in physical retail locations.
StatistaE-commerce in Latin America (Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico) is projected to grow 22% between 2023 and 2026.
AMICHAPTER 2
Mobile E-Commerce and Payment Statistics
Orders from smartphones and tablets have a lower average value than those from desktop computers.
StatistaGlobally, smartphones accounted for about 78 percent of retail website traffic and drove 68 percent of online shopping orders.
StatistaAbout 60% of U.S. adults view mobile shopping as essential for online convenience, fueling projected growth in retail m-commerce sales.
eMarketerIn 2020, digital or mobile wallets were the preferred payment method for roughly 60 percent of online purchases in the Asia Pacific region.
StatistaUK online shoppers favored debit cards (around 30%) in 2020, while U.S. shoppers preferred credit cards.
StatistaBy 2027, cryptocurrency is projected to account for a very small fraction of the total transaction value, estimated at just 0.2 percent.
StatistaIn 2024, mobile wallets were used for about half of all online purchases globally, establishing them as the most popular online payment method worldwide.
StatistaCredit cards held the second-largest share of the global e-commerce payment market in 2024, at 20 percent, but this figure is expected to decrease.
StatistaAs of January 2025, PayPal maintained its lead in the global online payment processing technology market with a substantial 45 percent share.
StatistaCHAPTER 3
Buyer Behavior and Online Shopping Statistics
While shopping online in 2024, customers added an average of 4.95 items to their virtual carts per order.
StatistaExcessive delivery costs caused 41 percent of online shoppers globally to abandon their virtual shopping carts.
StatistaThe rate at which online shoppers leave their virtual carts without completing a purchase has steadily increased, reaching over 70 percent in 2024.
StatistaIn 2024, online transactions represented 16.1 percent of all sales.
Census BureauIn April 2024, Amazon.com led all shopping websites globally with over 12.92% of desktop visits.
StatistaAs of April 2024, approximately one-third of online shoppers preferred online marketplaces over all other available digital avenues.
StatistaWhen shoppers accessed e-commerce sites directly, their average order value was the highest, reaching approximately $167 USD.
StatistaFor 35 percent of online shoppers, the cost of delivery was the most influential factor when considering delivery options.
StatistaFor online shoppers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, free shipping was identified as the most significant factor.
StatistaDuring the last three months of 2024, smartphones generated roughly 79% of global retail website traffic and facilitated two-thirds of all online shopping orders.
SalesforceOver 70 percent of consumers prefer the convenience of online shopping to in-store visits for their holiday and entertainment-related purchases.
StatistaShoppers globally identified faster delivery, free returns, and more convenient shipping as the top three improvements for a better digital shopping experience.
StatistaIn the United States, the main reason for online shopping cart abandonment was the unexpected addition of high extra costs like shipping, taxes, and service fees.
StatistaIn 2024, online marketplaces were the primary platform for digital shopping globally, accounting for approximately 30 percent of all consumer online purchases.
StatistaIn 2024, across all product categories, online shoppers spent an average of roughly $2.98 USD per website visit.
StatistaIn 2024, consumers spent the most per online visit on electronics, averaging $3.32 USD, followed by luxury apparel at $3.10 USD.
StatistaOlder age demographics show a smaller share of mobile internet users shopping online.
Start.ioIn 2024, online marketplaces served as the main source of inspiration for online shopping.
StatistaIn 2024, nearly half (48 percent) of online shoppers reported using searches within online marketplaces to find shopping ideas.
StatistaFor online beauty product inspiration in 2024, around 40 percent of consumers turned to marketplaces, followed by brand websites and social media.
StatistaApproximately 30 percent of consumers reported using online marketplaces as a source of inspiration for luxury goods.
StatistaCHAPTER 4
Technology and Sustainability Statistics
A projected 7.2 million delivery vehicles could produce 25 million metric tons of carbon emissions from shipping.
StatistaA striking 96 percent of surveyed shoppers expressed the opinion that more companies should replace traditional customer support with chatbots.
StatistaDespite the growing adoption of AI in customer service, only a small fraction, about nine percent, of consumers feel it enhances their online shopping experience.
StatistaA notable 14 percent of consumers feel that integrating AI into customer service actually detracts from their online shopping experience.
StatistaIn 2024, only 56% of consumers in Germany, Australia, the UK, and the US trusted retailers to ensure data privacy with AI tools.
StatistaE-commerce growth may extend average commutes, including deliveries, from 53 minutes (2019) to 64 minutes by 2030.
StatistaNearly 80 percent of surveyed shoppers believed it was crucial for retailers to prioritize the ethical application of artificial intelligence.
StatistaAmong e-commerce marketers in Australia, France, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, customer service and support was the top AI application (37%).
StatistaA significant 82 percent of consumers indicated they would prefer using a chatbot over waiting for a customer service representative on a call.
StatistaThe amount of returned goods ending up in U.S. landfills, which nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021 to 4.34 million tons, experienced a slight decrease in 2022.
StatistaCHAPTER 5
Social E-Commerce Statistics
By 2023, social commerce sales in the United States were estimated to have reached $64.8 billion USD.
Research and MarketsChina's Douyin is the top social commerce platform globally, nearing $200 billion USD in revenue in 2024.
StatistaIn 2023, approximately 37.4% of TikTok users in the United States made purchases directly on the platform.
eMarketerMeta projects around $94 million USD in combined social commerce revenue from Facebook and Instagram.
StatistaEstimates suggest that around 33.3 million TikTok users in the U.S. have made purchases via direct links or within the TikTok platform itself.
eMarketerInstagram is projected to be a significant platform for businesses in the U.S., with an estimated 46.8 million social buyers interacting with shopping posts on the app.
eMarketerPurchases originating from social media stores had the lowest average value, falling below $110 USD per order.
StatistaA majority of U.S. marketers (53.7%) were anticipated to use Instagram Reels for influencer marketing in 2023, with projections indicating an increase to 62.2% in 2025.
eMarketerFueled by the ongoing rise of social media's impact, social commerce in the U.S. is forecast to approach $150 billion USD by 2029.
Research and MarketsCHAPTER 6
Improving Your E-Commerce Marketing Strategy
In the mid-'90s, Amazon and eBay broke new ground in online shopping. These digital marketplaces caused a paradigm shift, changing how consumers bought goods and services. In 2025, these platforms work alongside mobile devices, social media, promotional blogs, e-commerce marketing strategies, and a wider ecosystem of online sellers.
While this data highlights e-commerce sales patterns and preferred features, following trends will only get you so far. Ultimately, e-commerce content marketing will determine a company's success. In the digital-first market, you can't separate presentation from service.
With that in mind, we recommend these e-commerce marketing strategies:
- Measure the performance of your content marketing with our free ROI calculator.
- Study your target demographic to reach the right audience.
- Follow SEO best practices to boost web conversions.
- Advertise your services with optimized web copy and promotional content.
Companies looking to make the most of Siege Media's 10+ years of experience can look into our content marketing services.
Online shoppers have made their favorite products and features clear. Now, businesses have to present those services in a format customers love. We'll see you on the other side of this bold, new digital marketplace.