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eCommerce stats cover areas that pertain to the digital facilation of commerce which includes number of online buyers, demographics of online buyers, items purchased online, and other trends and stats related to ecommerce / online purchasing.

Category Tags / Keywords:  ecommerce, b2b, b2c, business to business, business to consumer, sales, retail, spending, world of mouth marketing, viral marketing

Related Categories: Internet Usage Stats   Online Advertising Stats  

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eCommerce Stats

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US Retail E-Commerce Holiday Season Sales 2003-2008  12.9 billion (2003), 16.0 billion (2004), 19.7 billion (2005), 24.7 billion (2007), 32.1 billion (2008)
US Retail E-Commerce Holiday Season % change 2003-2008  24.6% (2004), 23.0 % (2005), 23.4% (2006), 19.6% (2007), 10.0% (2008)
US Holiday Season Retail Sales Growth 1998-2008  5.8% (1998), 8.1% (1999), 2.3% (2000), 3.4% (2001), 1.3% (2002), 5.0% (2003), 6.0% (2004), 5.7% (2005), 3.7% (2006), 2.4% (2007), 2.2% (2008)
Percent of Annual US Retail E-Commerce Sales Attributed to the Holiday Shopping Season (2003-2008)  22.7% (2003), 22.6% (2004-2005), 22.9% (2006), 22.8% (2007), 22.9% (2008)
US Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2007-2012   127.7 billion (2007), 146.0 billion (2008), 164.3 billion (2009), 182.5 billion (2010), 200.6 billion (2011), 218.4 billion (2012)
US Retail E-Commerce percent change, 2007-2012   19.8% (2007), 14.3% (2008), 12.5% (2009), 11.1% (2010), 9.9% (2011), 8.9% (2012)
US Online Shoppers (2007-2012)  133.1 million (2007), 138.5 million (2008), 143.7 million (2009), 148.7 million (2010), 153.5 millions (2011), 158.2 million (2012)
US Online Buyers (2007-2012)  110.7 million (2007), 117.4 million (2008), 123.8 million (2009), 129.6 million (2010), 135.4% (2011) 141.0 million (2012)
Average Annual Amount US Online Buyers Spend Online (2007-2012)  $1,153 (2007), $1,243 (2008), $1,327 (2009), $1,408 (2010), $1,482 (2011), $1,549 (2012)
Percent of Average Annual Amount US Online Buyers Spend Online (2007-2012)  12.2% (2007), 7.8% (2008), 6.8% (2009), 6.1% (2010), 5.2% (2011), 4.5% (2012)
Most trusted source for information about a company and, therefore, products.   Person like me
Leading influencer of product purchases  Recommendations from family and friends trump all other consumer touch points when it comes to influencing purchases, according to ZenithOptimedia.
Number one reason for choosing a particular website.   Recommendation is the number one reason for choosing a particular site.
Influence of user reviews vs. professional reviews  Review users noted that reviews generated by fellow consumers had a greater influence than those generated by professionals.
One type of promotion that Adult Internet users considered most worthwhile.  Adult Internet users surveyed chose recommendations from friends as the one type of promotion they consider most worthwhile.
Consumers trust friends above experts when it comes to product recommendations  Consumers trust friends above experts when it comes to product recommendations (65% trust friends, 27% trust experts, 8% trust celebrities).
Number one (1) influencer of consumer apparel and electronics purchases  Consumers say that word of mouth is still the number one influencer in their apparel (34.3%) and electronics (44.4%) purchases
Most credible form of advertising   Consumer recommendations are the most credible form of advertising among 78% of the study's respondents.
The two leading reasons people contribute content to social shopping sites  The two leading reasons people contribute content to social shopping sites are the need to feel part of a community (31%) and recognition from peers (28%).
Propensity of online social network users to trust their peers' opinions  Online social network users were three times more likely to trust their peers' opinions over advertising when making purchase decisions.
% of consumers who said they would trust a friend's recommendation over a review by a critic  86.9% of respondents said they would trust a friend's recommendation over a review by a critic
% of consumers that said they would trust user reviews over a critic.   83.8% of consumers that said they would trust user reviews over a critic.
% of UK social networkers that are more likely to buy a product as a result of a recommendation vs. non-social networkers.   Two thirds of UK social networkers (66%) are more likely to buy a product as a result of a recommendation, compared to 52 per cent of non-social networkers.
Importance of user reviews relative to personal advice from a friend as the driver of purchase decisions  Online reviews are second only to personal advice from a friend as the driver of purchase decisions; user reviews are more influential than third-party reviews.
% of online holiday shoppers that read online customer reviews   81% of online holiday shoppers read online customer reviews
% of consumers that read online business reviews before making purchasing decisions; % of whom say they trust these reviews.   86% of consumers read online business reviews before making purchasing decisions; 90% of whom say they trust these reviews.
% of consumers who read consumer-written product reviews on the Internet.  Almost two-thirds (62%) of consumers read consumer-written product reviews on the Internet.
Sources of information consumers are "very likely" to consult before making a decision about their entertainment options  When asked what sources of information they are "very likely" to consult before making a decision about their entertainment options, 62% named Web sites with user reviews as their top choice, even beating out a knowledgeable friend (59%).
% of consumers who read reviews and share them with friends, family or colleagues, thus amplifying their impact.   Seven in 10 (69%) consumers who read reviews share them with friends, family or colleagues, thus amplifying their impact.
As of October 2008, almost half of US online adults read ratings and reviews at least once a month, and Nearly twice as many read reviews compared with 2007. (The Growth Of Social Technology Adoption, Forrester, October 2008)  As of October 2008, almost half of US online adults read ratings and reviews at least once a month, and 19% post them. Nearly twice as many read reviews compared with 2007.
% of US online adults post ratings and reviews at least once a month.   19% of US online adults post ratings and reviews at least once a month.
% of shoppers intend to do their holiday gift buying online (versus in-store)   49% of shoppers intend to do their holiday gift buying online (versus in-store)
% of consumers who are planning to research products online prior to purchasing (vs. 65% in 2007).  72% of consumers who are planning to research products online prior to purchasing (vs. 65% in 2007).
% of consumers who strongly agree-that they choose companies and brands based on what others say online about their customer service experiences.   74% agree-including 14% who strongly agree-that they choose companies and brands based on what others say online about their customer service experiences, the survey shows. (Society for New Communications Research, May 2008)
% of shoppers said they used product reviews to make decisions.  58.7% of shoppers said they used product reviews to make decisions. Reviews rated higher than clearance sale pages (56.4%) and featured sale pages (51.3%).
People who read a review were 30% more likely to purchase a product and visitors who wrote a review were 80% more likely to convert, based on analysis across several Coremetrics clients.   People who read a review were 30% more likely to purchase a product and visitors who wrote a review were 80% more likely to convert.
Among the 46% of respondents who had posted or planned to post reviews about their online shopping experience, the % that said those reviews either were, or would be positive.  Among the 46% of respondents who had posted or planned to post reviews about their online shopping experience, 88% said those reviews either were, or would be positive.
% of those who read reviews that said that their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews.  More than eight in ten (82%) of those who read reviews said that their purchasing decisions have been directly influenced by those reviews. (Deloitte & Touche, September 2007)
% of surveyed Internet users consulted other people's opinions online, making reviews the #1 resource for product research.   55% of surveyed Internet users consulted other people's opinions online, making reviews the #1 resource for product research.
% of shoppers that deemed customer reviews as "extremely" or "very" helpful.   In a study of 2,000 shoppers, 92% deemed customer reviews as "extremely" or "very" helpful. (eTailing Group, 2007)
% of their users considered customer reviews to be more valuable than expert reviews.   59% of their users considered customer reviews to be more valuable than expert reviews. (Bizrate, October 2007)
% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews.   63% of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews. (Major consumer electronics retailer/iPerceptions study, January 2008)
% consider the availability of customer reviews to be "very important" and "somewhat important".   81% consider the availability of customer reviews to be "very important" (33%)"somewhat important" (48%). (Major consumer electronics retailer/iPerceptions study, January 2008)
% of respondents said they would trust a friend's recommendation over a review by a critic and % that said they would trust user reviews over a critic.   86.9% of respondents said they would trust a friend's recommendation over a review by a critic, while 83.8% said they would trust user reviews over a critic. (MarketingSherpa, October 2007)
% of consumers earning more than $150,000 annually visit sites where customers review and rate products and services including restaurants.   84% of consumers earning more than $150,000 annually visit sites where customers review and rate products and services including restaurants. (The Luxury Institute, April 2007)
% of UK online shoppers seek out ratings and reviews.   71% of UK online shoppers seek out ratings and reviews. (NetExtract, 2007)
% of online consumers said they use the Internet to research everyday grocery products.   70% of online consumers said they use the Internet to research everyday grocery products. (Prospective, January 2008)
% of UK consumers research products via the Internet before shopping in a store.   67% of UK consumers research products via the Internet before shopping in a store. (Accenture, April 2007)
% of millionaires say they always or often look at reviews before buying luxury goods; % of ultra-affluent shoppers use consumer reviews.   91% of millionaires say they always or often look at reviews before buying luxury goods; 68% of ultra-affluent shoppers use consumer reviews. (Unity Marketing/Google study, reported in AdAge, October 2008)
Size of Mobile user-generated content market worldwide in 2012 and 2007.   Mobile user-generated content will generate $5.7 billion worldwide in 2012, up from $576 million in 2007. ("Mobile Social Networking: Opportunities & Forecasts 2008-2013," Juniper Research, October 2008)
Satisfaction for those who recalled customer reviews on the retailers' site is 10% higher than those who said there were no reviews offered.   Satisfaction for those who recalled customer reviews on the retailers' site is 10% higher than those who said there were no reviews offered.
% of consumers that have a higher likelihood to purchase online when they read customer reviews  7% higher likelihood to purchase online
% of consumers that with a greater likelihood to purchase from the retailer next time they're buying similar merchandise   8% greater likelihood to purchase from the retailer next time they're buying similar merchandise
% of consumers that have a greater likelihood to recommend the site to others.  11% greater likelihood to recommend the site to others.
% of shoppers said online product evaluations and reviews influenced their purchasing decisions.   83% of shoppers said online product evaluations and reviews influenced their purchasing decisions. (Opinion Research Corporation, an infoGROUP company, July 2008)
% of consumers who said they had done internet research on "everyday grocery products," and % that said they had done so for health and beauty products.   In an online survey of 4,000 consumers, 70% said they had done internet research on "everyday grocery products," and 63% said they had done so for health and beauty products.
% of U.S. toy purchasers that are influenced by product reviews online.   57.2% of U.S. toy purchasers are influenced by product reviews online. (Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice, Fall 2008)
% of online UK retailers that stated the main benefit of consumer-generated rating and reviews was that they improved site conversion rates.   79% of online UK retailers surveyed reported that the main benefit of consumer-generated rating and reviews was that they improved site conversion rates. (eMarketer, 2007)
% of online marketers that believe "media is in big trouble and will lose dollars to user-generated content."   68% of online marketers believe "media is in big trouble and will lose dollars to user-generated content." (iMedia Connection, February 2008)
% of retailers that have reviews   43% of retailers have reviews - double in one year. (Marketing Sherpa, February 2007)
% of US retailers that said user-generated content would have a greater impact on their marketing goals in the near future.   76% of US retailers said user-generated content would have a greater impact on their marketing goals in the near future. (SLI Systems/Zoomerang, November 2008)
Most important reasons merchants add customer reviews to their sites  Of merchants who adopt customer reviews, 58% said improving customer experience was the most important reason for adding reviews to their sites, followed by building customer loyalty (47%), driving sales (42%), and maintaining a competitive advantage (37%).
By 2020, % of marketers that agree that building customer trust will become marketing's primary objective.   By 2020, 84% of marketers agree that building customer trust will become marketing's primary objective, and 82% agree that collaboration with customers will prevail over marketing. (1to1 Media survey of the 1to1 Xchange panel, April 2008)
% of retailers that reported a increase in conversions as a result of adding reviews to their sites  11% of retailers reported a 20% or more overall increase in conversions as a result of adding reviews to their sites, 21% reported an 11% to 20% increase and 5% reported a 1% to 10% increase. (eTailing Group, June 2008)
% of marketers surveyed say that their social media spending will meet or exceed their traditional advertising spending within the next 5 years.   81% of marketers surveyed say that their social media spending will meet or exceed their traditional advertising spending within the next 5 years. (TWI Surveys/Society for New Communications Research, November 2007)
Positive effects of user-generated content as stated by UK website owners.  56% of UK website owners say that user-generated content lifts conversion levels; 77% say it increases traffic; and 42% say it increases the average spend on site.(eConsultancy survey of 360 website owners across all sectors, November 2008)
% of the 137 top retailers surveyed that offered customer ratings and reviews  Only 26% of the 137 top retailers surveyed offered customer ratings and reviews, but 96% of them ranked customer ratings and reviews as an effective or very effective tactic at driving conversion. (Forrester, 2007)
% of online shoppers surveyed report that content is insufficient to complete research or purchase online "always, most often or some of the time."   76% of online shoppers surveyed report that content is insufficient to complete research or purchase online "always, most often or some of the time." (eTailing Group, June 2007)
% of consumers lost by online businesses due to lack of online product information  Online businesses lose as many as 67% of consumers due to a lack of online product information.
% of online shoppers would make purchases if sites offered increased interactive elements.   83% of online shoppers would make purchases if sites offered increased interactive elements. (Allurent, January 2008)
% of shoppers that said they left a store because of a lack of assistance.  One in four (24.5%) shoppers said they left a store because of a lack of assistance. (Shop.org, November 2007)
% of UK shoppers that said they wish they could communicate directly with businesses - using live chat, forums or call-me-back facilities - via their websites; one in three require it from the UK businesses they currently use.   90% of UK shoppers surveyed said they wish they could communicate directly with businesses - using live chat, forums or call-me-back facilities - via their websites; one in three require it from the UK businesses they currently use. (1&1, October 2007)
% of consumers said they prefer being able to find the answers they need online on their own if they had a question or wanted help while shopping online.   42% of consumers said they prefer being able to find the answers they need online on their own if they had a question or wanted help while shopping online. (Harris Interactive, May 2007)
Traffic increase to question-and-answer Web sites from 2007 to 2008   The share of traffic to question-and-answer Web sites has more than doubled from 2007 to 2008 (HitWise, 2008)
Yahoo Answers user visits in February 2008   Yahoo Answers had 25.3 million visits in February 2008 (comScore Media Metrix, March 2008)
% of consumers trust "people like me" first for product advice.   68% of consumers trust "people like me" first for product advice. (Edelman Trust Barometer, January 2007)
% of online consumers that have left a site without purchasing multiple products because they couldn't get a question answered about one of the products in their shopping cart  42% of 1,179 online consumers surveyed have left a site without purchasing multiple products because they couldn't get a question answered about one of the products in their shopping cart
% of online consumers that decided not to make a planned purchase because they couldn't readily find a piece of information about the product or service.   41% decided not to make a planned purchase because they couldn't readily find a piece of information about the product or service. (JupiterResearch, September 2007)
Conversion rates with and without product reviews   Conversion rates nearly doubled, going from .44% to 1.04% after the same product displayed its five-star rating. (MarketingExperiments Journal, July 2007)
% of online UK retailers that reported that the main benefit of consumer-generated rating and reviews was that they improved site conversion rates.  79% of online UK retailers surveyed reported that the main benefit of consumer-generated rating and reviews was that they improved site conversion rates. (eMarketer, 2007)
Online travel buyer conversion rates after looking at TripAdvisor reviews on the Hayes & Jarvis site  Online shoppers who look at TripAdvisor reviews on the Hayes & Jarvis site book trips at double the rate of online shoppers who have not seen the TripAdvisor reviews, based on first four months after launch.
Shoppers who browsed the site's new "Top Rated Products" page, which features products rated most highly by customers, had a 59% higher conversion rate than the site average and spent 16% more per order than other browsers of products.  Shoppers who browsed the site's new "Top Rated Products" page, which features products rated most highly by customers, had a 59% higher conversion rate than the site average and spent 16% more per order than other browsers of products.
Conversion rates and per order figures for shoppers who browsed "Top Rated Products" page on PETCO website  Shoppers who browsed the site's "Top Rated Products" page, which features products rated most highly by customers, had a 49% higher conversion rate than the site average and 63% more per order than other site shoppers. (PETCO, June 2007)
Sales impact of giving shoppers the ability to sort products within a category and by customer ratings  Giving shoppers the ability to sort products within a category by customer rating led to a sales increase of 41% per unique visitor. (PETCO, June 2007)
% more in price consumers are willing to pay for 4 and 5-star products  Consumers were willing to pay between 20 to 99% more for a 5-star rated product than for a 4-star rated product, depending on the product category. (comScore/Kelsey, October 2007)
Top-rated products site navigation path featuring 4- and 5-star products in each category delivered 35% higher conversion and 40% higher average order value.   Top-rated products site navigation path featuring 4- and 5-star products in each category delivered 35% higher conversion and 40% higher average order value. (Bazaarvoice, June 2007)
Increase in spending attributed to user reviews usage  Reviews usage drives higher spending: 27% of users report an increase of 5-10%; almost 7% report an increase of 20%+. (Avenue A/Razorfish "Digital Consumer Behavior Study," October 2007)
% of Social Researchers (those who refer to user-generated content when shopping) research products online more than half the time, no matter where they ultimately buy the product (store, Web, catalog, etc.).   64% of Social Researchers (those who refer to user-generated content when shopping) research products online more than half the time, no matter where they ultimately buy the product (store, Web, catalog, etc.).
Online consumers are becoming precision shoppers. For every $1 in online sales, the Internet influenced $3.45 of store sales. (eMarketer, 2007)  Online consumers are becoming precision shoppers. For every $1 in online sales, the Internet influenced $3.45 of store sales. (eMarketer, 2007)
% of those surveyed say they have a better overall shopping experience when they research products online before shopping in-store.   90% of those surveyed say they have a better overall shopping experience when they research products online before shopping in-store. (Harris Interactive, October 2007)
5% of adults that said they regularly or occasionally research products online before buying them in a store.   92.5% of adults said they regularly or occasionally research products online before buying them in a store. (BIGresearch, November 2008)
% of Internet users that reported using online reviews prior to paying for a service delivered offline.  Nearly one out of every four Internet users (24%) reported using online reviews prior to paying for a service delivered offline. (comScore/The Kelsey Group, October 2007)
Number of review users in nearly every category that reported that the review had a significant influence on their purchase, with hotels ranking the highest (87%).   More than three-quarters of review users in nearly every category reported that the review had a significant influence on their purchase, with hotels ranking the highest (87%). (comScore/The Kelsey Group, October 2007)
% of those surveyed who said they made a purchase based on an online review said they found the review to have been accurate.   97% of those surveyed who said they made a purchase based on an online review said they found the review to have been accurate. (comScore/The Kelsey Group, October 2007)
% increase in spending consumers who shop online for TVs and cameras vs. those that do not search online  Consumers who shop online for digital cameras and TVs spend 10% more on in-store purchases than consumers who do not search online. (ChannelForce for Yahoo Search Marketing, July 2007)
Increase in email click through rates from reviews and ratings info in emails from PETCO  Email study: PETCO realized a 5X increase in email click-through rates by including relevant ratings and reviews content in the campaign promotion.
% increase in revenue per email for top rated product email vs. other email types  Top rated product email drive 46% higher revenue per email in A/B test. (Golfsmith, June 2007)
% of UK retailers who reported that consumer-generated activity leads to better search engine optimization.   In a study of online UK retailers, 59% reported that the consumer-generated activity leads to better search engine optimization. (eMarketer, 2007)
% increase in purchase satisfaction and loyalty attributed to user reviews.   Reviews drive 21% higher purchase satisfaction and 18% higher loyalty. (Foresee Results Study, January 2007)
% increase in customer retention and loyalty at UK retailers as a result of user generated ratings and reviews.  Online UK retailers reported improved customer retention and loyalty by 73% once they implemented consumer-generated rating and reviews. (eMarketer, 2007)
% return rates decreased with use of reviews vs. those without reviews  Products with reviews have a 17% lower return rate than those without reviews. (Bazaarvoice PETCO Case Study, 2007)
Return rate of Products with 50+ reviews vs. those with less than 50 reviews.   Products with 50+ reviews have a return rate that is half of those with fewer than five reviews. (Bazaarvoice PETCO Case Study, 2007)
% of the adults in the UK that say they use social networking because they like to participate with brands they favor.   While those adults in the UK who use social networking do so to attain a feeling of community, 17% of the adults surveyed say they do so because they like to participate with brands they favor.
% of people that don't believe that companies tell the truth in advertisements.   75% of people don't believe that companies tell the truth in advertisements. (Yankelovich)
Impact on sales per session when sites allow customers to refine site search results by customer rating.  The ability to refine site search results by customer rating led to 22% more sales per unique visitor on a same-session basis and 41% more sales per visitor on a multi-session basis.
% increase in click through rates on RSS feeds with reviews that those without reviews  Burpee measured a 43% higher click-through on RSS feeds with reviews than without.
Total Retail Sales - All Types, U.S.   4,495 Bil. US$
Total E-Commerce Sales, U.S. (Excluding Travel)  131 Bil. US$
Online Holiday E-commerce Sales in 2005 - 2006 (not counting travel revenues)  Online Holiday E-commerce Sales in 2005 - 2006 (not counting travel revenues): 2005 ($19.6 billion), 2006 ($24.6 billion)
Heaviest shopping day of 2005 was Monday, December 12  Heaviest shopping day of 2005 was Monday, December 12: $556 million on December 12
Heaviest online shopping day of 2005   Heaviest online shopping day of 2005: $556 million on December 12
US Retail Ecommerce Revenue (2005, 2006)  US Retail Ecommerce Revenue (2005, 2006): 2005 ($82.3 billion), 2006 ($102.1 billion)
The heaviest online spending day of 2006  The heaviest online spending day of 2006: $667 million
2006 US Retail Ecommerce Revenue  2006 US Retail Ecommerce Revenue: $102.1 billion
2005 US Retail Ecommerce Revenue  2005 US Retail Ecommerce Revenue: $82.3 billion
Q4 2008 retail e-commerce sales growth vs. the same quarter a year ago  Q4 2008 retail e-commerce sales / online retail spending declined 3 percent versus year ago


News / Press Related to eCommerce Stats

Date Headline
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2/12/2009 U.S. Retail E-Commerce Declines 3 Percent in Q4 2008 versus Year Ago but Sales for Full Year Grew By 6 Percent



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