E-commerce share of US retail sales by quarter: 17.1% (online share, 2026 Q2). The online share of US retail jumped from 11.9% to 16.3% in the second quarter of 2020 as stores closed, eased back, and has since climbed to a record 17.1% in 2026 Q2.
Data last updated · Period: 2019–2026
Understanding the chart
The line chart above tracks e-commerce share of US retail sales by quarter for each year from 2019 Q1 to 2026 Q2, 30 data points in all. Each dot is one year; the first and last years and the highest point are labelled with their values, and the vertical scale is in %. All values in this period were above zero. The data table below the chart lists every value, and you can download the data, embed the chart or share it from the buttons above. The figures cover 2019–2026 and come from U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, via FRED series ECOMPCTSA (seasonally adjusted; last updated 18 August 2026).
Key insights
- From 2019 Q1 to 2026 Q2 the figure moved from 10.0% to 17.1%, a change of 7.1 percentage points.
- The highest value was 17.1% (2026 Q2) and the lowest 10.0% (2019 Q1).
- The biggest single change came between 2020 Q1 and 2020 Q2 (+4.4 percentage points).
- The latest readings are the highest or level with the ones before, a rising recent trend.
Analysis
Averaged over periods, the figure was 10.6% in 2015 to 2019 and 15.4% in 2020 onwards. The value went up in 21 of the 29 year-to-year steps and down in 7. The biggest one-year rise came in 2020 Q2 (+4.4 percentage points). The biggest one-year fall came in 2020 Q3 (−1.4 percentage points). Year to year, the figure typically varied by about 2.0 percentage points around its average of 14.7%, a moderately variable pattern.
What it means
A rising online share means more customers research and buy online, even for products they could find in a nearby store. For small businesses, a website, a Google Business Profile and online ordering or booking are increasingly how customers find them, while physical stores still handle more than four in five retail dollars.
Related figures
- E-commerce share of US retail sales, 2000–2026: 17.1% (of US retail sales were online, 2026 Q2). Online sales made up 17.1% of US retail sales in 2026 Q2, up from 16.3% a year earlier and less than 1% in 2000.
- US sales at nonstore retailers, 2026: $1.05 trillion (sales, January–September 2026). Nonstore retailers (online and mail-order sellers) sold $1,046.1 billion in January to September 2026, up 8% from the same months of 2025.
About this statistic
The Census Bureau's Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales report measures online sales by retailers: sales where the order is placed, or the price and terms are agreed, over the internet, a mobile app, email or a similar online system, whether or not payment is made online. It uses the same sample as the Monthly Retail Trade Survey, about 10,800 retail firms weighted to represent more than two million.
Retail here excludes restaurants, online travel agencies, ticket sellers and financial services. Since the April 2025 benchmark, the figures cover only businesses with paid employees, so very small one-person online sellers are not counted. The share is seasonally adjusted, so holiday peaks are smoothed out.
Questions and answers
What is the e-commerce share of US retail sales by quarter?
17.1% (online share, 2026 Q2). The online share of US retail jumped from 11.9% to 16.3% in the second quarter of 2020 as stores closed, eased back, and has since climbed to a record 17.1% in 2026 Q2.
How has it changed over time?
From 2019 Q1 to 2026 Q2 the figure moved from 10.0% to 17.1%, a change of 7.1 percentage points. The highest value was 17.1% (2026 Q2) and the lowest 10.0% (2019 Q1).
Where does this data come from?
From U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, via FRED series ECOMPCTSA (seasonally adjusted; last updated 18 August 2026), covering 2019–2026. Seasonally adjusted quarterly shares. Earlier quarters are revised as new annual survey results arrive.
How this page was made
Generated by Advanton from U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, via FRED series ECOMPCTSA (2019–2026), data updated 10 November 2026: chart, ranks, comparisons and text are computed from the published figures; no figures are changed. Our methodology.
Data
| Quarter | E-commerce share of retail sales (%) |
|---|---|
| 2019 Q1 | 10.0% |
| 2019 Q2 | 10.3% |
| 2019 Q3 | 10.8% |
| 2019 Q4 | 11.2% |
| 2020 Q1 | 11.9% |
| 2020 Q2 | 16.3% |
| 2020 Q3 | 14.9% |
| 2020 Q4 | 15.0% |
| 2021 Q1 | 14.9% |
| 2021 Q2 | 14.6% |
| 2021 Q3 | 14.5% |
| 2021 Q4 | 14.6% |
| 2022 Q1 | 14.4% |
| 2022 Q2 | 14.2% |
| 2022 Q3 | 14.5% |
| 2022 Q4 | 14.6% |
| 2023 Q1 | 15.0% |
| 2023 Q2 | 15.3% |
| 2023 Q3 | 15.4% |
| 2023 Q4 | 15.5% |
| 2024 Q1 | 15.9% |
| 2024 Q2 | 16.1% |
| 2024 Q3 | 16.2% |
| 2024 Q4 | 16.2% |
| 2025 Q1 | 16.0% |
| 2025 Q2 | 16.3% |
| 2025 Q3 | 16.4% |
| 2025 Q4 | 16.7% |
| 2026 Q1 | 17.0% |
| 2026 Q2 | 17.1% |
Source and notes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, via FRED series ECOMPCTSA (seasonally adjusted; last updated 18 August 2026). Period: 2019–2026. Coverage: United States.
Seasonally adjusted quarterly shares. Earlier quarters are revised as new annual survey results arrive.
Cite this statistic
Formats, embedding and reuse: how to cite Advanton.
Please also credit the original source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, via FRED series ECOMPCTSA (seasonally adjusted; last updated 18 August 2026).Related statistics
- E-commerce share of US retail sales, 2000–2026
- US sales at nonstore retailers, 2026
- Growth in US retail sales by type of business, 2026 vs 2025
- US retail trade sales, 2026
- US sales at food and beverage stores, 2026
- US sales at department stores, 2026
- US sales at miscellaneous store retailers, 2026
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