By Aijaz Alam
What percentage of retail sales are e-commerce in the US?
17.1% of US retail sales were made online in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, according to the Census Bureau (18 August 2026). A year earlier the share was 16.3%, and in Q2 2019, before the pandemic, it was 10.3%. Online sales grew 12.2% in a year, against 6.7% for all retail.
- 17.1%Online share of US retail salesCensus, Q2 2026, seasonally adjusted
- $340.2BUS retail e-commerce sales in the quarterCensus, Q2 2026, seasonally adjusted
- +12.2%Yearly growth in online salesCensus, Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025, all retail +6.7%
- 10.3%Online share before the pandemicCensus, Q2 2019, seasonally adjusted
The numbers
The full breakdown
US retail e-commerce sales by quarter, seasonally adjusted
| Quarter | E-commerce sales | Total retail sales | E-commerce change from a year earlier | Total retail change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2024 | $288.8B | $1,796.0B | +7.1% | +2.1% |
| Q3 2024 | $295.2B | $1,818.2B | +7.3% | +2.0% |
| Q4 2024 | $300.3B | $1,850.8B | +8.5% | +3.8% |
| Q1 2025 | $297.7B | $1,857.2B | +5.2% | +4.4% |
| Q2 2025 | $303.3B | $1,861.6B | +5.0% | +3.7% |
| Q3 2025 | $310.8B | $1,893.1B | +5.3% | +4.1% |
| Q4 2025 | $318.0B | $1,900.7B | +5.9% | +2.7% |
| Q1 2026 | $327.9B | $1,929.8B | +10.1% | +3.9% |
| Q2 2026 | $340.2B | $1,986.5B | +12.2% | +6.7% |
Not adjusted for price changes. Q2 2026 is preliminary, and Census will restate these quarters with its annual revision on 19 November 2026. Q2 2026 was up 3.8% (±0.4%) from Q1 2026.
Yearly sales growth, Q2 2026: online against all US retail
| Sales | Change from Q2 2025 | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | +12.2% | ±0.9% |
| All retail | +6.7% | ±0.5% |
Over time
Online share of US retail sales, every quarter since 2019
| Quarter | Online share (adjusted) | E-commerce sales |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2019 | 10.0% | $130.2B |
| Q2 2019 | 10.3% | $135.5B |
| Q3 2019 | 10.8% | $144.1B |
| Q4 2019 | 11.2% | $150.2B |
| Q1 2020 | 11.9% | $156.9B |
| Q2 2020 | 16.3% | $208.1B |
| Q3 2020 | 14.9% | $212.4B |
| Q4 2020 | 15.0% | $217.2B |
| Q1 2021 | 14.9% | $227.9B |
| Q2 2021 | 14.6% | $236.0B |
| Q3 2021 | 14.5% | $232.2B |
| Q4 2021 | 14.6% | $239.8B |
| Q1 2022 | 14.4% | $244.0B |
| Q2 2022 | 14.2% | $248.0B |
| Q3 2022 | 14.5% | $252.0B |
| Q4 2022 | 14.6% | $252.7B |
| Q1 2023 | 15.0% | $263.0B |
| Q2 2023 | 15.3% | $269.7B |
| Q3 2023 | 15.4% | $275.2B |
| Q4 2023 | 15.5% | $276.8B |
| Q1 2024 | 15.9% | $283.0B |
| Q2 2024 | 16.1% | $288.8B |
| Q3 2024 | 16.2% | $295.2B |
| Q4 2024 | 16.2% | $300.3B |
| Q1 2025 | 16.0% | $297.7B |
| Q2 2025 | 16.3% | $303.3B |
| Q3 2025 | 16.4% | $310.8B |
| Q4 2025 | 16.7% | $318.0B |
| Q1 2026 | 17.0% | $327.9B |
| Q2 2026 | 17.1% | $340.2B |
Census adjusted time series as last revised 18 August 2026. Q2 2026 is preliminary. Census restates past quarters each year.
Why sources differ
Same question, different answers
| Number | When | Who measured | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17.1% | Q2 2026 | US Census Bureau, seasonally adjusted | Online sales divided by all retail trade, including car dealers and gas stations |
| 16.4% | Q2 2026 | US Census Bureau, not seasonally adjusted | Same survey without removing seasonal swings |
| +6.8% ($257.8B) | Nov-Dec 2025 | Adobe Analytics (vendor) | Online spending only, from retailer site data; a growth rate, not a share of retail |
| 56.4% | Nov-Dec 2025 | Adobe Analytics (vendor) | Share of online holiday transactions made on a smartphone, often misread as the share of shopping done online |
The Census figure is lower than many people expect because of what it divides by. The bottom of the fraction is all US retail trade, and that includes car dealers and gas stations. Shares that leave out cars and gas come out higher, so check the definition before you compare. Seasonal adjustment also moves the number a little: the same quarter is 16.4% without it. Vendor figures, such as Adobe's holiday numbers, come from retailer website data and measure online spending or its growth, not a share of all retail. Adobe's 56.4% is the share of online holiday orders placed on phones, and it is the usual source of the claim that most shopping is now online. Global online shares from private forecasters use their own definitions and should not be set beside this one. Claims such as "95% of purchases will be online by 2040" have no traceable source at all.
What it means
How to use these numbers
About one dollar in six that Americans spend at retailers now goes through an online order. That is the official number, and it is lower than the figures many sales decks quote, mostly because it counts car dealers and gas stations in total retail.
The trend matters more than the level. When Census began counting, in the last quarter of 1999, the share was 0.6%. The pandemic pushed the share to 16.3% in Q2 2020, it fell back to 14.2% by Q2 2022, and it has climbed each year since to a record 17.1%. Online sales are now growing almost twice as fast as all retail, 12.2% against 6.7%.
For a store owner, the takeaway is that most sales still happen offline, but the online part is where the growth is. Customers who buy in person often check online first, so a working website and correct product details matter even if you never ship a parcel.
For anyone quoting the number, give the quarter, say "seasonally adjusted", and note that Census revises these figures each year.
Method and sources
How it was measured
Method
- Publisher
- US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales (release CB26-133)
- Sample
- Monthly Retail Trade Survey plus administrative records. US retail trade only, businesses with paid employees (since the April 2025 benchmark; earlier releases also counted nonemployers).
- Definition
- E-commerce sales are sales of goods and services where the order or price is agreed online. Payment can be online or not. Share is e-commerce sales divided by total retail sales, including cars and gas.
- Adjustment
- Seasonally adjusted, not adjusted for price changes
- Margin of error
- ±0.9% on the change from Q2 2025; ±0.4% on the change from Q1 2026
- Released
- 18 August 2026
- Checked at source
- 23 October 2026, on census.gov and the adjusted time series file
- Next release
- Q3 2026 figures on 19 November 2026, including annual revisions
- Last changed
- 30 Oct 2026
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Sources
- Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, US Census Bureau Official data
- Adobe Digital Insights / Adobe Analytics press releases, Adobe Vendor data
Change log
- 18 Aug 202617.1% Q2 2026 preliminary. Q2 2025 was 16.3% (revised).
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FAQ
More questions people ask
Did the pandemic jump in online shopping last?
Partly. The online share hit 16.3% in Q2 2020, fell to 14.2% by Q2 2022, and first rose above the 2020 peak in Q3 2025, at 16.4%.
Why is the online share of US retail lower than other numbers I have seen?
Census divides online sales by all retail, including car dealers and gas stations. Shares that leave those out, or that come from vendor or global forecasts, use different definitions and come out higher.
How much do Americans spend online each quarter?
$340.2 billion in Q2 2026, seasonally adjusted, up from $303.3 billion a year earlier.
Is online retail growing faster than stores?
Yes. From Q2 2025 to Q2 2026 online sales grew 12.2% (±0.9%) while all retail grew 6.7% (±0.5%).
Every number on this page was checked at its original source (US Census Bureau, Adobe). Free to cite with a link to this page.