70 Latest e-commerce statistics (New 2026 data)

Ecommerce is still growing, but buyer behavior has changed. What worked last year can already feel outdated. Real data now shapes how stores price, sell, and build trust.

These ecommerce statistics of 2026 show what shoppers expect, how they decide, and where brands win or lose. Each number points at a clear shift in buying habits.

If you want to plan smarter, reduce guesswork, and focus on what drives sales, this data gives you the answers. They show what buyers respond to, and which trends bring tangible results.

Top highlight

Here’s what you should check out before diving deep;

• Global retail e-commerce sales are forecast to reach $6.88 trillion in 2026, a 7.2% increase from the previous year.
• Ecommerce is expected to account for 21.1% of all retail total sales worldwide in 2026.
• The global B2B e-commerce market remains significantly larger than the B2C sector, projected to grow to $36.16 trillion by 2026.
• The number of digital buyers globally is estimated to reach 2.86 billion in 2026.
• Mobile transactions are projected to drive 60% to 74% of all global ecommerce traffic in 2026.
• Digital wallets are expected to dominate 51.7% to 61% of all global ecommerce payments by 2026.
• AI is shifting from a “buzzword” to a core framework, with the AI-in-e-commerce market worldwide projected to hit $9.9 billion in 2026.

Global e-commerce market overview

The ecommerce statistics landscape is continuously expanding, with rapid growth rates normalizing after pandemic-mandated jumps. Market leaders dominate, but emerging regions show explosive potential.

Total retail sales & retail e-commerce sales share

Global retail e-commerce sales are projected to continue growing steadily, consistently outpacing traditional retail growth.

1. The total retail sales are projected to reach $33.7 trillion in 2026.

2. In 2026, global retail e-commerce sales are projected to reach $6.88 trillion, accounting for 21.5% of total global sales.

3. The U.S. online share of e-commerce retail sales is lower than the global average, projected to be around 18.0% in 2026, though it is also steadily climbing each year.

Ecommerce revenue & market size trends

The global e-commerce market is primarily driven by the Asia-Pacific region, where dominance is expected to intensify in 2026, with an 80% share of the global B2B market.

4. While the B2B (Business to Business) market is larger, B2C (Business to Consumer) revenue is also growing, with one report forecasting global sales to reach $8.1 trillion by 2026.

5. Social Commerce is anticipated to be worth $908.5 billion in 2026, a 10.7% annual increase.

6. Nearly 80% of consumers globally make an effort to purchase from brands with aligned values, pushing sustainability into a core business driver.

Category-level market trends

It’s not just a case of any old product being sold online – certain categories are dominating B2C sales and driving growth.

7. Fashion & Apparel: In 2026, Fashion & Apparel market is projected to be valued at approximately $760 billion in revenue,

8. Online Grocery: Expected to surpass $1 trillion globally for the first time in 2026.

9. In the U.S., online grocery is projected to account for 20.5% of the total grocery market, a significant jump from 8.1% in 2020.

10. Consumer Electronics: Remains the leading category globally, projected to reach $922.5 billion in 2026.

11. Jewelry and Accessories: 45.1% of total orders (driven by gift-giving and personalization).

Online shoppers & buying behavior

If you want to get inside online shoppers’ heads, find out how they decide what to buy, discover products, and make purchase decisions, then you need to focus on conversion optimization.

Number of digital shoppers worldwide

The global online shopping audience continues to expand as internet penetration grows in emerging markets.

12. Total Online Shoppers: Approximately 2.86 billion people are expected to shop online globally in 2026.

13. Global Penetration: Roughly 34.5% of the world’s population is now digital buyers.

14. China: Holds the world’s largest base with approximately 915 million digital buyers.

15. India: Projected to have roughly 350 million online shoppers by 2026, growing particularly fast in rural areas (22% CAGR).

How shoppers make online purchases

Shoppers prioritize convenience, speed, and personalization through several key channels:

16. Smartphones are the primary device for 60% to 70% of all online transactions. US shoppers, mostly 76% of adults are smartphone users of online shopping.

17. Voice commerce is projected to grow by over 50% in 2026.

18. Over 72% of global internet users research brands on social media before purchasing.

19. Nearly 99% of shoppers check product reviews before making a significant purchase.

Most common products purchased online

20. Consumer Electronics ($922.5B–$988B): Leading by revenue, this category includes smartphones, PCs, and smart home gear.

21. Fashion & Apparel ($760B–$920B): The most popular category for online shopping by store count, with over 18% of all online stores selling apparel.

22. Food & Beverages ($708.8B): Driven by the maturity of online grocery and rapid-delivery “quick-commerce” fulfillment.

23. Beauty & Personal Care ($169.6 Billion): Sustained by high repeat-purchase cycles and subscription models.

Mobile commerce (M-commerce)

Mobile phones have overtaken desktops as the primary shopping channel, reshaping how retailers must approach design, checkout, and customer experience.

Mobile devices’ share in online sales

24. Mobile commerce is expected to account for approximately 60% of total global e-commerce sales in 2026, with e-commerce revenue projected to surpass $2.5 trillion.

25. Smartphones generate between 75% and 78% of all retail website traffic globally.

26. While the leading part of online sales on mobile belongs to Asia-Pacific (over 65%), the U.S. is catching up, with mobile commerce expected to make up nearly 50% of its total online sales by the end of 2026.

27. Dedicated mobile applications have a 3.5% conversion rate, which is much higher than that of mobile websites at 2%.

Mobile e-commerce market trends

New technologies and evolving consumer expectations define the market:

28. These are the new default payment methods, used by over 5 billion people globally, and are projected to process over 60% of all online payments by 2026.

29. Shopping directly within social media apps (like TikTok Shop and Facebook) is a primary sales channel, with global sales forecast to exceed $1.17 trillion in 2026.

30. AI-driven personalization can increase conversion rates by 10-15% and boost average order values.

Mobile-first shoppers

Mobile-first shoppers expect a seamless and immediate experience:

31. The majority of mobile shoppers in the U.S. are Gen Z and Millennials, who together account for nearly 79% of the demographic.

32. Over 85% of consumers globally shop online at least once per month, with many accessing shopping apps multiple times a day.

33. Improving mobile load speeds can increase conversion rates by up to 20%.

Social commerce & live commerce trends

Social media platforms have transformed from discovery channels into full shopping destinations, with Gen Z leading adoption.

Social commerce growth

34. Worldwide social commerce sales are expected to represent over 17% of total online retail sales.

35. Social commerce sales in the US are forecast to break the $100 billion barrier in 2026 (up from $85 billion in 2025).

36. TikTok Shop’s US sales alone are projected to reach $20 billion to $23.4 billion in 2026.

37. By 2026, 50% of all US social commerce buyers are expected to make a purchase specifically on TikTok.

Live shopping & live commerce expansion

38. Live commerce is a mature, dominant channel in China, with the market projected to reach approximately $1.11 trillion (over 8 trillion yuan) in 2026.

39. The US shopping market is accelerating, projected to hit between $55 billion and $67.8 billion by 2026.

40. As of recent data, 53% of global shoppers have purchased products via a live shopping event.

Role of social media in the buying journey

Social media has transitioned from a place for inspiration to a “search-and-buy” ecosystem.

41. Nearly 46% of Gen Z now use social platforms (like TikTok and Instagram) as their primary search engine instead of Google.

42. 72.9% of global internet users research brands on social media before making a purchase.

43. Brands are seeing strong returns, earning an estimated $6.50 for every $1 invested in influencer marketing.

Ecommerce website & platform performance

Platform choice and site performance directly impact conversion rates, with speed and trust signals proving critical.

Retail e-commerce sites growth

44. There are over 28 million e-commerce websites worldwide as of 2026.

45. In the U.S., Amazon is a dominant force, accounting for approximately 37% of all online retail sales in 2024.

46. The global e-commerce platform market size is projected to reach $13.92 billion in 2026, growing with substantial investment in cloud-based solutions and AI.

Ecommerce platform market leaders

While shares vary by measurement (total websites vs. high-traffic stores), two platforms dominate nearly half of the global market:

47. WooCommerce, with a global market share of 23% – 38.74%, primarily focuses on SMBs & WordPress users.

48. Shopify with global market share of 18.06% – 26.2%, primarily focus on Small-to-mid businesses & DTC.

49. Shopify now powers approximately 28% to 30% of all ecommerce websites in the United States.

Checkout, payments & order fulfillment

50. The average e-commerce cart abandonment rate across all industries remains high at over 70%.

51. The global “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) market is projected to reach $28.44 billion in 2026.

52. An optimized checkout design can increase an e-commerce site’s conversion rate by over 35%, with simple changes like enabling guest checkout and removing redundant form fields being key.

Customer experience, loyalty & retention

Customer expectations have never been higher. Poor experiences lead to immediate abandonment, while personalized interactions drive loyalty.

Customer expectations

53. 71% of customers expect personalized interactions, and 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.

54. The “need for delivery speed” is extreme, with 61% of shoppers now expecting online orders to arrive within 1 to 3 hours.

55. 78% of consumers prioritize sustainable living and expect brands to align with these values. 44% are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly products.

Collecting and displaying authentic customer reviews builds the trust needed to meet these expectations. WiserReview automates review requests via email, SMS, or WhatsApp after purchases, capturing feedback while experiences are fresh and converting more browsers into buyers.

Customer retention & loyalty benchmarks

56. The average customer retention rate for ecommerce sales generally sits around 31%.

57. Loyalty program members generate 12% to 18% more incremental revenue annually than non-members.

58. 75% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand if there is a loyalty program.

Average order value & purchase frequency

59. The global average order value across all industries was approximately $150 as of October 2025.

60. 34% of shoppers shop online at least once a week.

61. Food & Beverages and Personal Care see the highest purchase frequency, with 73% of regular shoppers in these categories buying at least once per week.

Ecommerce technology & new innovations

Artificial intelligence, automation and new technologies are changing the game for ecommerce at every turn – from marketing to supply chain.

Adoption of AI, personalization & automation

62. 84% of e-commerce businesses rank AI as their highest priority.

63. Over half (51%) of e-commerce businesses already use AI to create smoother, more personalized shopping experiences.

64. Companies using AI for personalization can earn 40% more revenue than those that do not.

65. Product recommendations alone can boost sales by up to 59%.

Emerging technologies

66. The AR in the e-commerce market is projected to reach $38.5 billion by 2030.

67. GenAI is transforming content creation and customer interaction. The global market for GenAI in content creation is expected to reach $26.2 billion in 2026.

68. Nearly 97% of mobile users already use voice search or an AI-powered voice assistant.

Market share shifts due to new tech

In 2026, the retail ecommerce sales market is undergoing a structural realignment. Market share is shifting away from traditional “monolithic” retailers toward companies utilizing Composable Commerce and AI-Agentic ecosystems.

69. Retailers that have fully embedded AI into their customer journey are reporting a 15% to 25% increase in revenue.

70. Market leaders are using AI-driven predictive analytics to reduce inventory holdings by 20% to 30%.

Key challenges in e-commerce

Growth or not, e-commerce retailers face a growing mountain of challenges, including fraud, returns, and operational costs that are threatening to make the whole thing unprofitable.

Ecommerce fraud & security

Fraud has become more sophisticated, with bad actors leveraging generative AI to bypass traditional security measures. Fraudsters now use generative AI to combine real and fake data to create entirely “new” personas.

These identities have realistic credit histories, making them nearly impossible for basic KYC (Know Your Customer) protocols to flag.

Returns, refunds & operational costs

With the cost of sending stuff back and forth getting unsustainable, lots of big retailers have recently begun charging customers for return shipping, or even asking them to drop it off at a store, or fee-based shipping to protect their shrinking margins.

For low-value or bulky items, it often is cheaper for many retailers to provide a refund and ask the customer to keep the item instead of paying for return shipping.

Global economic & supply chain pressures

Delivery remains the most expensive part of the journey. In response, retailers are turning to micro-fulfillment centers, small, automated warehouses located in urban basements or converted retail spaces, to satisfy the demand for sub-3-hour delivery.

To avoid the bottlenecks of 2020–2024, brands are moving manufacturing closer to their primary markets (e.g., U.S. companies moving production to Mexico).

Wrap up

Mobile-first shoppers, AI-powered personalization, and social commerce integration define Ecommerce in 2026.

Success requires optimizing for speed, building trust through reviews and transparent policies, and meeting customers where they already spend time: on their phones and social feeds.

The ecommerce statistics data is clear: businesses that embrace automation, leverage AI for personalization, and prioritize customer experience will capture market share.

Focus on what drives conversion: fast-loading sites, personalized recommendations, authentic reviews, and frictionless checkout. Tools like WiserReview help to automate review collection and display social proof where it matters most.