58 Mind-Blowing Ecommerce Statistics for 2021

Over the past decade, the growth of eCommerce has been phenomenal and it won’t be slowing down any time soon.

As online competition increases, sellers need to be smart about their approach to business. To help you do this, we’ve selected a range of insightful eCommerce statistics from reliable and up-to-date sources. Check them out below!

General eCommerce statistics

The following data aims to provide some tips, trends and a general outlook on eCommerce for the year to come.

1. An estimated 2 billion people will make online purchases this year. (Oberlo)
2. According to eCommerce predictions, online sales will increase by nearly 19% this year. (xSellco)
3. 45% of small businesses in the US don’t have a website. (CNBC)
4. 49% of Americans have an app, which provides retail deals and discounts. (RetailMeNot, Inc.)
5. With sales growing 16.9% year-over-year, Cyber Monday will continue to be the largest online shopping day in the US. In 2019, sales hit $9.2 billion. (Adobe)
6. 73% of Americans are more likely to buy a product or service after watching an online video about it. (Animoto)
7. Consumer spending via chat is expected to reach $142 billion by 2024, growing from $2.8 billion in 2019. (Juniper Research)
8. 38% of consumers are more likely to buy from a company if they offer live chat support. (CrazyEgg)
9. According to a study of American Express customers, 60% prefer to have simple questions answered by apps or chat tools because of the faster response time. (American Express)
10. 75% of consumers want brands to reduce packaging. (Nosto)
11. Millennials and Gen Xers spend 50% more time shopping online than older generations. (BigCommerce)
12. 32% of consumers will pay more for a product from a sustainable brand. (Nosto)
13. 43% of online shoppers have made a purchase from bed; 25% from a brick-and-mortar store and 23% from the office. (BigCommerce)
14. eCommerce sales are growing much faster than in-store sales. But last year, they still only accounted for 14% of transactions. (eMarketer)
15. It’s predicted that eCommerce will account for half of B2B revenue by 2025. (Episerver)

Mobile eCommerce statistics

Mobile eCommerce sales are continually growing in importance. Here are ten mobile eCommerce statistics that you need to know in 2020.

1. This year mobile will account for 42.9% of US eCommerce sales. (Statista)
2. By 2021, 53.9% of eCommerce is expected to be generated via mobile. (Statista)
3. 69% of in-store shoppers would rather read a review on their phone than ask a store assistant for advice. (RetailMeNot, Inc.)
4. Back in 2018, 67% of Amazon shoppers said they like to complete purchases via desktop. (CPC Strategy)
5. Amazon’s app has 145.2 million mobile users monthly; eBay’s has 66 million. (Statista)
6. In 2019, 81% of American mobile users accessed Amazon’s app making it the country’s most popular shopping app. (Statista)
7. 52% of users say a bad mobile experience makes them less likely to engage with a company. (Think with Google)
8. Last year, smartphones drove the majority of visits to retail sites on Cyber Monday. This represents 19% growth year-over-year. (Adobe)
9. The average value of smartphone shopping orders is $79. (Statista)
10. 67% of consumers prefer to use a mobile website over an app. (ReadyCloud)

Online marketplace statistics

Online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay drive eCommerce and are areas that could potentially drive huge growth. Here are some insightful online marketplace eCommerce statistics that show their importance

1. eBay has roughly 167 million active users and 25 million sellers. (eDesk)
2. Amazon has over 300 million customer accounts and around 2 million sellers. (eDesk)
3. 169,782 new sellers have joined Amazon’s marketplaces in 2020. (Marketplace Pulse)
4. In 2017, Amazon held 37% of the US eCommerce market. This is expected to grow to 47% in 2020 and 50% 2021. (Statista)
5. After selecting a product on an eCommerce website, 90% of shoppers visit Amazon to compare prices. (BigCommerce)
6. In January 2020, Amazon surpassed 150 million Prime subscribers. (Business Insider)
7. Prime Day will take place on 13th July 2020. Last year, Amazon sold over a million toys, 650,000 cleaning products, 400,000 pet products, 300,000 headphones and 200,000 TVs during the event. (TechRadar)
8. 46% of online retailers would consider merging fulfillment networks with other brands to compete with Amazon. (Yottaa)

Shopping cart statistics

Cart abandonment is a huge problem for online retailers and reducing it can make a huge difference to your online sales. Here are some eCommerce statistics relating to the very bottom of the funnel.

1. The average rate of shopping cart abandonment is 69.57%. (Baymard Research)
2. Abandonment rates increase on Black Friday. Last year it was 73.78% globally. (Barilliance)
3. In 53% of cases, cart abandonment at checkout is caused by shipping and taxes being too high. (Baymard Research)
4. 23% of online shoppers have abandoned an order because checkout is too complicated. (Baymard Research)
5. Shopping cart abandonment is much higher among mobile users. (OptinMonster)

Email marketing eCommerce statistics

In 2020, email continues to play a significant role in driving traffic and sales for eCommerce businesses.

1. In 2019, just over half of those surveyed said they prefer US brands to contact them via email. (Statista)
2. 58% of the top 1,000 US eCommerce businesses send welcome emails. (Smart Insights)
3. In 2016, email assisted with 10% of online conversions, playing an important role in eCommerce marketing. (Wolfgang Digital)
4. 45% of cart abandonment emails are opened. (Moosend)
5. Marketers see a 760% increase in returns from email when moving to segmented campaigns. (Campaign Monitor)

Social media eCommerce statistics

As eCommerce becomes more central on social media, here are some helpful insights.

1. With Instagram and Pinterest seeing huge increases, social media was the fastest-growing driver of eCommerce referrals between 2016 and 2018. (eMarketer)
2. 80% of Instagram users refer to the app when making a purchase. (Facebook)
3. After being presented with product information in their feed, 87% of Instagram users take an action, such as following a brand, visiting a website or buying something. (Facebook)
4. Consumers are most open to buying products through Facebook (20%), followed by Pinterest (17%), Instagram (14%), Twitter (12%) and Snapchat (10%). (BigCommerce)
5. 25% of consumers want to be contacted by brands via social media. (Statista)

Customer experience eCommerce statistics

Customer expectations are constantly rising, so online sellers must invest accordingly to keep up. Here are some customer experience eCommerce statistics that demonstrate its importance.

1. eCommerce is a top priority for 15% of customer experience leaders in 2020. (Adobe)
2. 53% of Americans start their shopping journey online, even when they make a purchase in-store. (RetailMeNot, Inc.)
3. For 73% of consumers, customer experience is an important factor in their purchasing decisions. (PwC)
4. 67% say they’re more likely to make a purchase on a mobile-friendly site. (Think with Google)
5. 61% of online sellers believe faster websites drive more conversions. (Yottaa)
6. 86% of consumers say they’re likely to make another purchase from a brand which provides excellent customer service. (Experience Matters)
7. 77% of consumers who’ve had an excellent customer experience are likely to recommend a brand. (Experience Matters)
8. Personalized eCommerce customer experiences on-site or through marketing channels can boost revenue by 25%. (BCG)
9. 61% of retailers say they will leverage headless commerce in 2020. (Yottaa)
10. 61% of customers read online feedback before making a purchase. (eMarketer)

Final thoughts

Hopefully, this list of eCommerce stats for 2021 will help inspire and guide some of your company’s decisions for the coming year. You can always stay on top of the latest data on our blog.