Ecommerce Business Statistics 2025: Complete Industry Guide

United States Market Performance

In the United States, the ecommerce market is forecast to hit $1.3 trillion in 2025. U.S. Census Bureau data for Q1 2025 shows retail ecommerce sales grew 6.1% year-over-year, outpacing the 4.5% growth of total retail sales.

However, this growth occurs within a new context of normalization. Q1 2025 marked the 15th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth below 10%, indicating the market is transitioning from hyper-growth to strategic maturation.

Ecommerce Penetration

Globally, 21% of all retail purchases are expected to be transacted online in 2025, climbing to 22.6% by 2027. In the U.S., ecommerce constituted 16.2% of total retail sales in Q1 2025, with projections showing this will reach 20% by 2028.

Consumer Behavior Trends

The Convenience-First Mindset

Today’s consumers have developed a “bring-it-to-me” mentality that’s reshaping expectations. 76% of online shoppers cite convenience as their primary purchasing driver. This extends directly to logistics:

• 74% of shoppers consider fast delivery a crucial factor in their buying decisions
• 33% expect delivery within one to two days of ordering
• 89% of shoppers are influenced by free shipping offers

Economic Pressures and Value Seeking

Despite the demand for convenience, consumers are highly price-sensitive due to persistent inflation. Key behaviors include:

• Actively seeking deals and using coupons
• Shifting loyalty to more affordable store brands
• Demanding flexible payment options

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services reflect this trend, with U.S. transaction volume projected to grow from $133 billion in 2024 to $206 billion by 2029.

The Conscious Consumer Revolution

A powerful counter-trend to pure price sensitivity is the growing importance of sustainability:

• 80% of consumers are willing to pay up to 5% more for sustainably produced goods
• 44% of consumers rank product sustainability as more important than brand name
• Environmental considerations are becoming mainstream purchase drivers

Personalization Expectations

Generic experiences no longer suffice in the modern marketplace:

• 72% of consumers report being more loyal to brands providing personalized experiences
• 60% of online shoppers prefer brands that tailor offerings and communications
• Consumers increasingly share first-party data in exchange for personalized benefits

Mobile Commerce Statistics

Mobile’s Market Dominance

Mobile commerce has transitioned from an emerging trend to the primary engine of online retail:

• $4.01 trillion in mobile commerce sales projected for 2025
• 59% of all ecommerce revenue will come from mobile transactions
• U.S. mobile commerce sales projected to grow from $491 billion in 2023 to $856 billion by 2027

Traffic and User Behavior

Smartphones drive the majority of ecommerce traffic:

• 62% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices
• 75% of retail website visits originate from smartphones
• 78% of ecommerce traffic expected from mobile by 2026

More than 30% of the U.S. population uses smartphones for weekly online shopping purchases. This behavior is particularly strong among younger demographics:

• 46% of mobile ecommerce users are aged 18-24
• The 25-34 age group represents the largest mobile shopping cohort

The Mobile Conversion Challenge

Despite traffic dominance, a critical performance gap persists:

• Mobile website conversion rates average 2% vs. desktop’s 3%
• Mobile app conversion rates are 3x higher than mobile websites
• Cart abandonment on mobile websites reaches 85.65% vs. 20% in mobile apps

Key Factors and Challenges in Online Shopping Decisions

Critical Purchase Drivers

Several factors significantly influence whether visitors complete their purchases:

Shipping and Returns

• 89% of shoppers are influenced by free shipping
• 50.6% cite free shipping as their top purchase motivator
• 18% abandon purchases due to unsatisfactory return policies

Pricing Transparency

• 48% of cart abandonment results from unexpected costs (shipping, taxes, fees)
• Hidden charges revealed at checkout are the #1 conversion killer
• Complex checkout processes frustrate ready-to-buy customers

Trust and Social Proof

• 25% abandon carts due to security concerns
• 99% of customers look for reviews before purchasing
• 42% find reviews extremely helpful in decision-making

Top Cart Abandonment Factors

Major Business Challenges

Rising Customer Acquisition Costs Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) has surged 222% between 2013-2024. Brands now lose an average of $29 for every new customer acquired, up from $9 a decade ago.