E-commerce share of US retail sales: 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.
Data last updated · Period: 2000–2026
Understanding the chart
The line chart above tracks e-commerce share of US retail sales for each year from 2000 to 2026 (2 quarters), 27 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 %, average of quarters. 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 2000–2026 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 2000 to 2026 (2 quarters) the figure moved from 0.9% to 17.1%, a change of 16.2 percentage points.
- The highest value was 17.1% (2026 (2 quarters)) and the lowest 0.9% (2000).
- The biggest single change came between 2019 and 2020 (+3.9 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 5.4% in 2010 to 2014, 8.8% in 2015 to 2019 and 15.5% in 2020 onwards. The value went up in 25 of the 26 year-to-year steps and down in 1. The biggest one-year rise came in 2020 (+3.9 percentage points). The biggest one-year fall came in 2022 (−0.3 percentage points). Year to year, the figure typically varied by about 5.4 percentage points around its average of 7.5%, a volatile 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 by quarter, 2019–2026: 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.
- 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.
- US retail and food services sales by type of business, January–September 2026: $6.45 trillion (total retail and food services sales, January–September 2026). US retail and food services businesses sold $6.45 trillion of goods and services in the first nine months of 2026, 4.7% more than a year earlier.
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?
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.
How has it changed over time?
From 2000 to 2026 (2 quarters) the figure moved from 0.9% to 17.1%, a change of 16.2 percentage points. The highest value was 17.1% (2026 (2 quarters)) and the lowest 0.9% (2000).
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 2000–2026. Yearly figures are averages of the seasonally adjusted quarterly shares. Retail excludes food services, online travel, ticket agencies and financial services. Covers businesses with paid employees.
Data
| Year | E-commerce share of retail sales (%, average of quarters) |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.9% |
| 2001 | 1.1% |
| 2002 | 1.4% |
| 2003 | 1.8% |
| 2004 | 2.1% |
| 2005 | 2.5% |
| 2006 | 2.9% |
| 2007 | 3.4% |
| 2008 | 3.6% |
| 2009 | 4.0% |
| 2010 | 4.5% |
| 2011 | 4.9% |
| 2012 | 5.4% |
| 2013 | 5.9% |
| 2014 | 6.4% |
| 2015 | 7.1% |
| 2016 | 7.9% |
| 2017 | 8.8% |
| 2018 | 9.7% |
| 2019 | 10.6% |
| 2020 | 14.5% |
| 2021 | 14.7% |
| 2022 | 14.4% |
| 2023 | 15.3% |
| 2024 | 16.1% |
| 2025 | 16.4% |
| 2026 (2 quarters) | 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: 2000–2026. Coverage: United States.
Yearly figures are averages of the seasonally adjusted quarterly shares. Retail excludes food services, online travel, ticket agencies and financial services. Covers businesses with paid employees.
Cite this statistic
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 by quarter, 2019–2026
- US sales at nonstore retailers, 2026
- US retail and food services sales by type of business, January–September 2026
- US retail and food services sales, 2026
- US sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers, 2026
- US sales at general merchandise stores, 2026
- US sales at department stores, 2026
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