Xin Ou
Research expert covering Greater China
Online shopping behavior in the United States - statistics & facts
Over the years, it has become impossible to imagine a world in which one cannot make purchases online. In the United States, for example, e-commerce has become so common that over 85 percent of the country's consumers have shopped for items on the web. And these numbers are set to increase even further in the future: retail e-commerce sales in the U.S. are forecast to grow by around nine percent between 2025 and 2029.
Among the most popular categories for U.S. online shoppers were clothing, shoes, and food and beverages. Almost 30 percent of e-shoppers did most apparel and accessories purchases online, consolidating fashion as one of the favorite product categories to buy digitally. Online food delivery is another digital market booming in the United States, with DoorDash leading the pack of food delivery companies over service providers like Uber Eats and Grubhub.
Ultimately, whether it is the holidays or not, one thing is clear: online shopping in the U.S. is not going anywhere. Instead, many online businesses are now working to improve their services for shoppers by implementing new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) into the online shopping experience.
Where and what do American consumers buy online?
Consumers in the United States buy all kinds of products from a variety of retail platforms such as Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Target.com. Aside from these American e-commerce giants, foreign online stores are gaining relevance in the online shopping landscape in the country. In 2024, almost half of the latest online purchases from abroad among U.S. buyers were made in China. The most popular Asian marketplaces among American online shoppers were Temu and Shein, where 57 and 43 percent of them bought products in 2024, respectively.Among the most popular categories for U.S. online shoppers were clothing, shoes, and food and beverages. Almost 30 percent of e-shoppers did most apparel and accessories purchases online, consolidating fashion as one of the favorite product categories to buy digitally. Online food delivery is another digital market booming in the United States, with DoorDash leading the pack of food delivery companies over service providers like Uber Eats and Grubhub.
Online shopping for the holidays
When it comes to the busyness of the holiday season, many shoppers opt to buy their gifts online. In 2024, a survey revealed that over 70 percent of American retail consumers were likely to buy holiday gifts in online-only retailers. Almost 80 percent of Americans were making e-commerce purchases during Cyber Week, with Black Friday as the most popular day for online shopping during the sales week. Alongside Black Friday and Cyber Monday, more traditional holidays like Christmas have also greatly increased the online shopping craze during the holiday season. Although it is not directly holiday-related, Prime Day also counts among the main online shopping events in the U.S., reaching sales of over 14 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.Ultimately, whether it is the holidays or not, one thing is clear: online shopping in the U.S. is not going anywhere. Instead, many online businesses are now working to improve their services for shoppers by implementing new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) into the online shopping experience.
