Current data on ecommerce growth, consumer behavior, mobile shopping, social commerce, checkout, returns, and payments
Online shopping continues to take a larger share of global retail, but the headline numbers only become useful when brands can compare them with their own performance using consistent definitions. Global retail ecommerce sales are projected to reach $6.88 trillion in 2026, while U.S. ecommerce accounted for 17.1% of total retail sales in the second quarter.
For Shopify brands doing $10M or more in annual revenue, Saras iQ provides a certified data foundation for analyzing contribution margin, customers, cohorts, and sales and marketing performance with governed metric definitions.
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The Global Online Shopping Landscape in 2026
1. Global ecommerce sales reached $6.42 trillion in 2025
Worldwide retail ecommerce sales totaled an estimated $6.42 trillion in 2025. That scale makes ecommerce performance increasingly relevant to decisions around customer acquisition, retention, channel investment, and profitability.
2. Global ecommerce sales are projected to reach $6.88 trillion in 2026
Worldwide retail ecommerce sales are forecast to rise to $6.88 trillion in 2026, an increase of roughly 7.2% from 2025. The figure provides a useful market benchmark, but individual brands still need ecommerce analytics grounded in their own revenue and cost data.
3. Ecommerce represents 21.1% of global retail sales in 2026
Online commerce accounts for 21.1% of worldwide retail sales in 2026. That means more than one in every five retail dollars globally will be associated with an ecommerce transaction.
4. Global online sales are projected to exceed $8.9 trillion by 2030
Current projections put global online spending above $8.9 trillion by 2030. For larger Shopify brands operating across products and channels, that growth increases the value of an enterprise analytics platform that can keep definitions and reporting consistent as complexity increases.
5. U.S. ecommerce sales reached $340.2 billion in Q2 2026
Seasonally adjusted U.S. retail ecommerce sales reached $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That was 3.8% higher than Q1 2026 and 12.2% higher than Q2 2025.
6. Ecommerce represented 17.1% of U.S. retail sales in Q2 2026
Online transactions accounted for 17.1% of seasonally adjusted U.S. retail sales in Q2 2026. Brands evaluating their own growth should compare market expansion with internal ecommerce KPIs, rather than assuming market growth translates directly into profitable growth.
Consumer Buying Behavior: How Shoppers Research and Choose
7. More than 57% of internet users prefer shopping online
More than 57% of internet users say they prefer shopping online rather than in physical stores. DataReportal notes that this share has declined from its pandemic-era highs, showing that ecommerce remains dominant without eliminating the importance of physical retail.
8. 90.3% of online adults discover products through digital media
Digital channels remain central to product discovery. 90.3% of online adults learn about new products and services through some form of digital media. Understanding where those customers originate requires consistent ecommerce attribution and channel definitions.
9. 96% of consumers check reviews before a first-time purchase
A 2026 survey of 400 U.S. consumers found that 96% check reviews before buying a product or service they have not purchased before. Reviews therefore remain an important input into customer behavior analysis, particularly for acquisition-stage shoppers.
10. 72% read reviews while comparing options
Nearly three-quarters of consumers in the same study, 72% of respondents, said they consult reviews while comparing products or services. For ecommerce teams, this reinforces the need to evaluate conversion behavior alongside product, acquisition, and customer segmentation data.
11. 69% check reviews again before completing a purchase
Reviews continue to influence shoppers close to conversion. 69% of respondents said they check reviews before finalizing a purchase, suggesting that trust signals remain relevant throughout the buying journey.
12. 72% will not consider products rated below four stars
The same 2026 research found that 72% of consumers will not consider products with ratings below four stars. Product-level review patterns can therefore be useful context when brands investigate changes in conversion, retention, or customer lifetime value.
Mobile Commerce: Where Online Shopping Is Moving
13. Mobile will account for nearly half of U.S. online sales in 2026
EMARKETER expects mobile devices to generate nearly half of U.S. retail ecommerce sales in 2026. Mobile performance should therefore be evaluated alongside desktop performance when reviewing ecommerce analytics and channel economics.
14. Mobile will exceed 50% of U.S. ecommerce sales in 2027
Mobile is expected to become the majority channel for U.S. retail ecommerce in 2027, with its share forecast to exceed 50%. EMARKETER's forecast indicates that mobile's role in online purchasing is still expanding rather than plateauing.
15. Mobile already drives 60% of global ecommerce sales
Globally, mobile devices account for approximately 60% of ecommerce sales. Mobile shoppers also represent nearly 74% of digital shopping traffic, making device behavior important when assessing contribution margin alongside revenue and conversion.
16. Mobile users generate nearly 74% of online shopping traffic
Mobile accounts for nearly 74% of digital shopping traffic worldwide. The difference between traffic share and completed purchase share makes device-specific conversion analysis particularly useful.
17. 85% of U.S. mobile shoppers prefer apps to mobile websites
Among U.S. mobile shoppers, 85% prefer ecommerce apps over mobile websites. Sixty percent of those app-preferring shoppers cite a better user experience as a reason.
18. Mobile drives about 60% of U.S. holiday ecommerce sales in 2026
Mobile's share becomes even larger during peak shopping periods. EMARKETER expects mobile devices to account for roughly 60% of U.S. holiday ecommerce sales in 2026. Brands preparing for peak periods should connect mobile conversion data with sales analytics and profitability.
Social Commerce: Shopping Moves Into Social Platforms
19. Global social commerce revenue is forecast at $585.88 billion in 2026
Worldwide social commerce revenue is projected to reach approximately $585.88 billion in 2026, up from an estimated $502.94 billion in 2025. The latest forecast is materially lower than some older trillion-dollar estimates, largely because definitions and methodologies vary across research providers.
20. Social commerce accounts for 15.2% of global ecommerce
Sales through social networks are expected to represent 15.2% of total worldwide ecommerce sales in 2026. Brands active across social platforms need consistent marketing analytics to distinguish platform-reported performance from broader business results.
21. TikTok Shop is forecast to generate $23.41 billion in U.S. sales in 2026
EMARKETER forecasts $23.41 billion in U.S. retail ecommerce sales through TikTok Shop in 2026. For brands selling through the platform, TikTok Shop analytics can be evaluated alongside Shopify and other channel data.
22. TikTok is expected to reach 57.7 million U.S. buyers in 2026
The number of U.S. TikTok buyers is forecast to rise from 53.2 million in 2025 to 57.7 million in 2026. That expanding customer base makes cross-channel customer segmentation increasingly relevant for brands operating on both social and owned storefronts.
23. 70% of U.S. social buyers purchased through TikTok
Among U.S. consumers who made a social purchase during the prior 12 months, 70% reported buying through TikTok, according to an April-May 2026 Bazaarvoice and EMARKETER survey.
24. 35% of U.S. adults have used TikTok Shop in 2026
A March 2026 CivicScience survey cited by EMARKETER found that 35% of U.S. adults had used TikTok Shop, compared with 23% a year earlier. Social platforms are increasingly relevant to both customer acquisition and commerce execution.
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Cart Abandonment: Where Online Revenue Disappears
25. The average cart abandonment rate is 70.22%
Baymard Institute's aggregation of 50 studies puts the average documented online shopping cart abandonment rate at 70.22%. Brands should use this as a broad benchmark rather than an automatic target because abandonment varies by category, traffic source, device, and purchase intent.
26. 42% abandon carts because they are browsing or not ready to buy
Baymard's latest quantitative research found that 42% of U.S. online shoppers have abandoned a cart because they were simply browsing or were not ready to purchase. This distinction matters when analyzing cart abandonment, because not every abandoned cart represents fixable checkout friction.
27. 40% cite high extra costs
After excluding shoppers who were simply browsing, 40% cited extra costs, including shipping, taxes, or other fees, as a reason for abandoning checkout. The impact of those costs is better evaluated through contribution margin analysis, not conversion rate alone.
28. 17% abandon because checkout is too long or complicated
17% of U.S. online shoppers said they abandoned an order because checkout was too long or complicated. Baymard's benchmarking also found that the average U.S. checkout presents 23.48 form elements by default, compared with an ideal flow that can be as short as 12 to 14.
Shipping and Returns: Costs Behind the Order
29. 74% of online shoppers expect delivery within two days
Nearly three-quarters of online shoppers, 74% of consumers, expect an order to arrive within two days. Shipping speed therefore affects customer expectations while also creating cost tradeoffs that should be visible in profitability analysis.
30. 68% expect free delivery on orders below $50
68% of online consumers expect free delivery even when an order is valued below $50. For ecommerce brands, the relevant question is not only whether free shipping increases conversion, but how shipping costs affect ecommerce margins.
31. U.S. retail returns totaled an estimated $890 billion in 2024
The National Retail Federation projected $890 billion in U.S. retail returns for 2024. Returns affect recognized revenue, fulfillment expense, inventory availability, and the profitability of individual orders, making it important to understand how returns affect margin.
32. Retailers estimated that 16.9% of annual sales would be returned
NRF's 2024 research estimated that returns would equal 16.9% of annual retail sales. Importantly, this is a share of sales value across retail, not an ecommerce order-return rate. Brands should preserve that distinction when benchmarking their own contribution margin.
33. 45% of recent online returns used third-party drop-off
Among consumers who made online returns during a 30-day period, 45% used a third-party drop-off location. Another 43% returned products by mail, while 35% used a physical store, illustrating how returns can span multiple operational channels.
Turn Online Shopping Benchmarks Into Decisions With Saras iQ
Market statistics help establish context, but your own data determines whether growth is profitable. A Shopify brand can outperform a benchmark on conversion or revenue while still losing margin through returns, fulfillment, acquisition costs, or channel mix.
For brands doing $10M to $50M in annual revenue, Saras iQ Essentials combines a certified data foundation with governed business definitions and deterministic answers across three core use cases: contribution margin, customer analytics, and sales and marketing analytics. Essentials refreshes nightly and is designed to go live in about three weeks.
Use iQ to evaluate:
- Profitability: Track contribution margin using consistent cost definitions.
- Customers: Analyze cohorts, segments, acquisition, and lifetime value.
- Marketing: Compare channel performance against governed sales data.
- Trust: Work from the same defined metrics regardless of who asks the question.
For a $10M+ Shopify brand ready to move from industry benchmarks to its own certified numbers, book an iQ demo.
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