E-commerce has changed the face of our global economy — but you already knew that. By the end of 2021, online purchases accounted for 20% of global retail sales. Across verticals, e-commerce statistics prove digital markets reach the widest audience. As a result, companies moving to an online-first model stand to gain the highest ROI.
To keep you ahead of the curve, we've compiled a list of the top e-commerce statistics. These trends will shape actionable strategies for increasing web traffic and conversions.
Click on a statistic to take a closer look.
CHAPTER 1
Worldwide Statistics
As of 2022, there are 2.14 billion global digital shoppers, over a quarter of the world’s population.
eMarketer
E-commerce accounted for 20% of global retail sales in 2021.
eMarketerWorldwide, over 75% of shoppers purchase something online once a month.
IPCThere are between 12 and 24 million e-commerce storefronts.
digitalintheround
If e-commerce growth rates continue on their projected course, 95% of purchases will occur online by 2040.
Nasdaq93.5% of internet users worldwide buy products online.
Optinmonster
E-commerce will make up 25% of global retail sales by 2025.
eMarketer65% of e-commerce customers prefer product information in their own language, even if it's poor quality.
CSA Research
CHAPTER 2
Growth Statistics
Growth projections estimate that e-commerce's annual revenue will hit 7.4 trillion in 2025.
eMarketer
The Philippines, India, and Indonesia have seen the greatest e-commerce sales growth in 2022.
eMarketer
In 2022, all US e-commerce sectors will grow by an average of 14.1%.
StatistaCHAPTER 3
Platform Statistics
CHAPTER 4
Sales Statistics
81% of customers research a product online before buying it.
General Electric
On average, 2.17% of store page visits convert into a purchase.
Kibo
High additional fees are the main reason shoppers abandon their carts.
Baymard InstituteOnline fashion shoppers visit an average of 32 pages before making a purchase.
ContentSquare43% of shoppers care more about in-stock availability and fast delivery when considering a purchase.
PwC
3 out of 4 repeat purchases are made online.
SalesforceDisposable gloves and bread machines were the fastest growing e-commerce niches during lockdown.
StacklineOnline retailers sell twice as much music, books, movies, and video games as in-store retailers.
PwC
38.4% of online shoppers in the US are under 35. Only 14.4% of shoppers are over 65.
eMarketerOmnichannel shoppers generate 27% of e-commerce sales while only representing 7% of buyers.
MarTechWebsites that don't calculate total order cost upfront are 16% more likely to lose a sale.
Baymard InstituteClothing items have the highest cart abandonment rate at 40%.
Optinmonster
Optimized checkout design can lead to a 35% increase in conversions.
Baymard InstituteE-commerce pages have an average bounce rate of 54.54%
Siege MediaCHAPTER 5
Fulfillment Statistics
30% of customers who have a bad experience with a brand will not return to it, and three bad experiences will lose 70% of customers.
McKinsey and CompanyCustomers trust businesses that are easier to contact (i.e., foster customer relationships and make customer service easily available).
KPMG
53% of online customers list free delivery as the top reason to buy online.
DataReportal
Live chat is the most popular customer support option, with 41% of shoppers preferring it.
Kayako38% of e-commerce shoppers say they're more likely to buy from a company with live chat support.
Kayako
24% of online shopping carts require account creation by online storefronts.
Baymard InstituteOnline shoppers return 30% of all products ordered through e-commerce sales.
InvespReceiving the wrong item is the most common reason for online returns at 23%.
Invesp
CHAPTER 6
B2B Statistics
In 2021, B2B e-commerce sales increased by 17.8% to $1.63 trillion.
Digital Commerce 360
90% of B2B customers would turn to a competitor if their supplier's digital channel couldn't meet their needs.
AvionosProjections estimate the B2B e-commerce market will generate $18.57 trillion in revenue in 2026.
Facts and Factors
In 2021, B2B e-commerce grew 1.17 times faster than all U.S. distributor and manufacturing sales.
Digital Commerce 360
CHAPTER 7
Mobile Statistics
44.2% of e-commerce sales occur through a mobile device
eMarketer
Users with poor mobile website experiences are 62% less likely to return to that business.
Google
Conversion rates are three times higher on mobile apps than on mobile web pages.
MarTechCHAPTER 8
Email Marketing Statistics
Pop-ups asking for an email address have a 5.8% conversion rate on mobile devices and a 3.31% conversion rate on desktop.
drip
Email popups in e-commerce have an average conversion rate of 4.76%.
drip61% of online shoppers prefer to contact vendors through email.
Smart InsightsEmail marketing yields a 4,400% ROI, or $44 earned through e-commerce for every $1 spent.
Optinmonster
60% of online shoppers purchased an item due to a marketing email.
OptinmonsterCHAPTER 9
Social Media Statistics
91% of executives plan to increase their social media budget by as much as 50% in the next three years.
Social Sprout
36% of e-commerce customers in the U.S. make purchases through social networks.
eMarketer
55.5% of social network users in the U.S. between 18 and 24 make online purchases through social media.
eMarketer71% of online shoppers are more likely to make a purchase that's referred to them through social media.
HubSpot
U.S. social media e-commerce sales are expected to exceed 45 billion dollars in 2022.
eMarketerThe number of social commerce sales will triple between 2020 and 2025.
Research and MarketsCHAPTER 10
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 the 2020s, these platforms work alongside mobile devices, social media, promotional blogs, e-commerce marketing strategies, and a wider ecosystem of online sellers.
82 e-commerce statistics later, it's clear another paradigm shift is coming. So, it's best to stay ahead of the game.
While this data highlights 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.
Incorporating e-commerce marketing into a business model takes time and expertise. Our SiegeLearn courses include over 40 lessons and 20 videos to get you up to speed.
Additionally, companies looking to make the most of Siege'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.