17.1%About 2 in 10of all US retail sales were made online in Q2 2026, up from 16.3% a year earlier
17.1% of US retail sales happened 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%. Before the pandemic, in Q2 2019, it was 10.3%.
Official dataChecked at source, 23 Oct 2026All sizesUSAE-commerce · Sales
Online share of US retail sales, second quarter of each year
Group
E-commerce share (adjusted)
Q2 2019
10.3%
Q2 2020
16.3%
Q2 2021
14.6%
Q2 2022
14.2%
Q2 2023
15.3%
Q2 2024
16.1%
Q2 2025
16.3%
Q2 2026
17.1%
Source: US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce SalesCensus adjusted time series as published 18 Aug 2026 (Q2 2026 preliminary). Census will revise these on 19 Nov 2026.digitaltreed.com/statistics
In plain words
What this number really says
About one dollar in six that Americans spend in stores of all kinds now goes through an online order.
17.1%
of US retail sales were online in Q2 2026
$340.2B
online sales in the quarter
+12.2%
yearly growth online, against +6.7% for all retail
Why you can trust it. Official Census Bureau estimate from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey, published every quarter. Public domain.
Key terms
E-commerce sales Sales of goods and services where the order or price is agreed over the internet or another online system. Payment can be online or not.
Total retail sales All US retail trade, including car dealers and gas stations. That is why the online share looks lower than many people expect.
Seasonally adjusted Changed to remove normal holiday and seasonal swings, so quarters can be compared.
As published by US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, Q2 2026. Standard errors are shown where the source gives them.
Quarter
Online share of US retail (adjusted)
E-commerce sales
Q2 2019
10.3%
$135.5B
Q2 2020
16.3%
$208.1B
Q2 2021
14.6%
$236.0B
Q2 2022
14.2%
$248.0B
Q2 2023
15.3%
$269.7B
Q2 2024
16.1%
$288.8B
Q2 2025
16.3%
$303.3B
Q2 2026
17.1%
$340.2B
Why other "online share of retail" numbers differ
Census divides online sales by all retail, including cars and gas. Shares that leave out cars and gas come out higher.
Not adjusted for seasons, the Q2 2026 share was 16.4%. Some sites also quote global shares from private forecasters, which use other definitions.
Method and use
How it was measured, and how to use it
How it was measured
Publisher
US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales
Source type
Official data: Government statistics office or regulator
What it measures
17.1% of all US retail sales were made online in Q2 2026, up from 16.3% a year earlier
Data period
Q2 2026 (ends 30 Jun 2026)
Published by the source
18 Aug 2026
Who is counted
Estimates from the Census Monthly Retail Trade Survey and administrative records; seasonally adjusted, not adjusted for price changes. US retail trade only.
In the source's words
E-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2026 accounted for 17.1 percent of total sales.
Checked at source
23 Oct 2026: Read on census.gov Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales page (release CB26-133, 18 Aug 2026) and checked against the adjusted time series file tsadjustedsales.xlsx. Census notes that annual revisions of 28 Sep 2026 will appear in the Q3 2026 release on 19 Nov 2026. Q2 2025 share (16.3%) read in the same time series file.
Reuse
Public domain (US government work). Free to quote and redraw; cite the US Census Bureau and the quarter.
18 Aug 2026New data17.1% Q2 2026 preliminary. Q2 2025 was 16.3% (revised).
Cite this number
APA
US Census Bureau. (2026). 17.1% of all US retail sales were made online in Q2 2026, up from 16.3% a year earlier. Via digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ecommerce/us-ecommerce-share-of-retail
MLA
"17.1% of all US retail sales were made online in Q2 2026, up from 16.3% a year earlier." US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, Q2 2026. digitaltreed, https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ecommerce/us-ecommerce-share-of-retail.
HTML link
<a href="https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ecommerce/us-ecommerce-share-of-retail">17.1% of all US retail sales were made online in Q2 2026, up from 16.3% a year earlier</a> (US Census Bureau, Q2 2026)
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<p>Source: <a href="https://digitaltreed.com/statistics/ecommerce/us-ecommerce-share-of-retail">17.1% of all US retail sales were made online in Q2 2026, up from 16.3% a year earlier, digitaltreed</a></p>
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FAQ
Questions about this number
What percentage of retail sales are online in the US?
17.1% in the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted, according to the Census Bureau.
How much do Americans spend online each quarter?
About $340.2 billion in Q2 2026, seasonally adjusted.
Is e-commerce still growing in 2026?
Yes. Online sales grew 12.2% from Q2 2025 to Q2 2026, against 6.7% for all retail.
Did the pandemic jump in online shopping last?
Partly. The share hit 16.3% in Q2 2020, fell to 14.2% by Q2 2022, and first rose above the 2020 peak in Q3 2025 (16.4%).
When is the next update?
The Q3 2026 report is due on 19 November 2026.
Related
More E-commerce statistics
Official dataAll sizesUSA
$340.2B
in US retail e-commerce sales in Q2 2026, seasonally adjusted, up 12.2% from Q2 2025
Sample: Estimates from the Census Monthly Retail Trade Survey and administrative records; seasonally adjusted, not adjusted for price changes. US retail trade only.
yearly growth in US e-commerce sales in Q2 2026, against 6.7% for all retail sales
Sample: Estimates from the Census Monthly Retail Trade Survey and administrative records; seasonally adjusted, not adjusted for price changes. US retail trade only.
of EU firms with 10 or more staff made e-sales in 2024; 48.48% of large firms did, against 21.38% of small firms
Sample: About 157,000 EU enterprises with 10 or more employees and self-employed persons surveyed in 2025 (out of 1.53 million); e-sales refer to calendar year 2024. Size bands: small 10-49, medium 50-249, large 250+.
