Online shopping is now the norm for many buyers. Millions of people around the world start and end their customer journeys online, especially over the past couple of years. So it’s important to understand what’s causing the move online and what you can do to give your potential customers the best ecommerce experience possible.
If you want to set up or scale your online store, these online shopping statistics will help guide you in the right direction.
1. There Are Over Five Billion People Online
Presently, there are over five billion internet users across the world, with that number increasing every year. It stands to reason that ecommerce purchasing is also on the rise. In 2025, ecommerce sales in the retail sector may very well go beyond $4.3 trillion.
This is good news for you, whether you're an online buyer or an online seller.
The reason people shop online varies from convenience to competitive prices. In addition to that, online businesses are trying their best to make sure that the experience of online shopping matches in-person shopping experiences.
Now, buyers can find more details and product descriptions from the comfort of their homes much more easily, thanks to advancements such as 360-degree product views and model size details for online clothing stores.
If you've got an ecommerce store, you probably know that with growing competition, it can be hard to stand out. That's why it's important to choose your target audience carefully, and try to focus your efforts on your customers. One way to do this is to provide customers with detailed product descriptions and images.
2. Shoppers Go Online First Nearly Two Thirds of the Time
Back in 2018, Google released a report showing that nearly three quarters of shopping started with an online search. Shoppers tend to go online first on more than 60% of occasions.
This means that no matter where customers are finally making the purchase (online or in brick-and-mortar stores), their journey starts online. That's why it's crucial for brands to have a strong online presence.
Understanding how people search helps businesses create a unique experience for them. No two customers shopping online have the exact same path to purchase. That's why if you're an online store owner, it's important to understand what you can do to customize the online journey for your customers.
3. Consumers Shop via Mobile
If you plan on running a successful ecommerce website, you can't afford to ignore mobile users and mobile shopping. Smartphones are the primary device that people use to visit retail websites.Consumers are using their mobile devices across all steps of the buyer journey, and that includes various online shopping activities.
In 2018, nearly half of consumers shopped more on mobile than in-store. Now in 2025, revenue from mobile commerce is expected to reach around $2.5 trillion, representing around 63% of all ecommerce in the retail sector.
This being the case, you should make sure that your store has a user-friendly mobile app or mobile website that your customers can access. Even if they don't make the final purchase through their mobile devices, you should try to provide them with a comfortable and enjoyable experience. It's your responsibility to make sure that you create a shopping experience that appeals to your customers.
If you'd like to get to know more about mobile commerce, check out The Ultimate Guide to Mobile Commerce.
4. Online Marketplaces are Hugely Profitable
Chinese platform Taobao was the biggest online marketplace in 2022, with a GMV of $711 billion. In comparison, Tmall and Amazon ranked second and third with $672 billion and $390 billion in annual GMV, respectively.
To put this statistic into perspective, the top three online marketplaces in the world sold $1.78 trillion. The fourth- and fifth-biggest online marketplaces, JD.com and eBay, had annual gross merchandise values of $244 billion and $87 billion, respectively.
An ecommerce marketplace is a website where the products are provided by several third parties while the transactions are processed by the marketplace itself. The transaction is processed by the marketplace and then the order is fulfilled by the chosen retailer or dropshipper.
And since ecommerce marketplaces list products from a number of different sellers, there is usually more variety and availability in terms of products, compared to online retail stores.
5. Online Wallets Are the Preferred Payment Method
Digital and mobile wallets are the most popular payment methods among online shoppers worldwide. Around half of shoppers online choose this method, with credit cards coming lagging behind substantially in second place.
Digital and mobile wallets, also known as mobile wallets, are electronic devices or online services that make it possible to make digital transactions. This includes online payments, and also in-person purchases. Some of the commonly known mobile wallets include Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal.
If you have an online store or are planning to start an ecommerce store, it's important for you to consider your payment gateways. You need to always ensure that you provide your customers with a secure and easy checkout experience.
That aside, you should also keep in mind the location of your target audience. This way, you can ensure that the online payment methods that your store allows are the ones that they're aware of and familiar with.
6. COVID-19 Changed Shopping Behavior
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and resulting global lockdowns caused massive shifts in shopping behavior, moving a ton of commerce online. According to a 2025 report, the pandemic increased the use of contactless payments, home delivery, and online shopping.
Around half of consumers indicate that their shopping habits have been forever altered, with this change persisting over the past years during and since the height of the pandemic.
Grocery shopping is one area where this shift is especially pronounced. In the US, online grocery sales reached $9.5 billion in late 2024, growing by around $2 billion compared to the previous year. And in the retail space, online sales accounted for 16.2% of total sales in the first quarter of 2025.
7. Shoppers Expect to See New Products Constantly
Online shoppers are always on the lookout for new products. In fact, 75 percent of consumers' search queries each month are brand new (Salesforce).
This goes to show that when people are browsing online, they're actively searching for new products. On top of that, 69% of consumers say it's important or very important to see new merchandise each time they visit a store or site.
Ecommerce businesses need to keep up with the needs of consumers, and retailers must evolve side by side to be able to succeed. Online retailers need to customize their buyers' shopping experiences.
By providing them with new products to browse and purchase, they can enhance the shopping experience. Not only does this give customers more variety when shopping, but it also gives them fewer reasons to go look elsewhere.
8. Nearly 80% of Online Shoppers Shop Once Per Month
Not only are there a lot of shoppers online, but people tend to shop frequently. In 2022, IPC reported that nearly 80% of online buyers shop at least once per month, and nearly 50% of them shop once every two weeks. Around 22% claim to shop once a week.
However, it’s important to note that shoppers often find themselves deciding between far too many options. You don’t want to overwhelm potential buyers and have them abandon their online carts as a result.
Online businesses can improve the customer decision-making process by streamlining ecommerce experiences. For instance, businesses can reach out to their customers through email, by giving them information on the latest offers, or communicate with them through social media channels. Assisting your customers can help them understand what they're looking for and improve their shopping experience.
9. Bread Machines Saw 652% Growth in 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked panic-buying in many countries, affecting brick-and-mortar and online shopping alike. Essential items and medical products saw a massive surge in online sales, with toilet paper and non-prescription flu, cold, and pain medications flying off the shelves.
And as gyms shut down, the demand for fitness equipment increased by 55% as consumers looked for ways to exercise at home. The furniture and home improvement markets also saw their demands rise.
Some product categories saw even more drastic growth. In 2020, bread machines saw 652% growth for bread machines, with packaged foods rising by 377% and weight training equipment experiencing growth of 307%. As expected, disposable gloves saw the most significant growth at 670%.
While panic buying didn’t last as a shopping trend, consumers adopted more and more online buying habits. In 2021, between 60% and 70% of consumers shopped using omnichannel methods, with social media becoming a popular storefront. And 92% of people who shopped online in 2019 made it a habit.
10. Extra Costs Make Shoppers Abandon Their Carts
Every online business fears abandoned shopping carts. In 2025, the Baymard Institute reported that 39% of cart abandonment in the US can be attributed to extra costs like shipping and taxes being too high. Also, over 20% of potential buyers abandon their carts at checkout when they see how long shipping will take.
Nowadays, free shipping has become more of a necessity than an added advantage. Adding extra costs to the online shopping process, especially at the very last step, deter buyers from following through with their intended purchase.
These costs are an immediate source of annoyance for online shoppers, who may see this as a lack of transparency. It's better to list all costs right from the beginning of the buyer's journey.
Another successful strategy is to bundle the extra cost of shipping into the product and then offer "free" shipping to the customer. At the end of the day, transparency is valued highly by online shoppers, and it's crucial for your online store to be able to succeed.
Speaking of transparency, nearly 20% of shoppers leave their carts on the side of the digital road because they’re asked to create an account. You want to make it as easy as possible to make purchases, so consider giving shoppers a guest option that doesn’t involve asking for too much data or requiring so many extra steps.
Your Customers Live and Shop Online
There's no doubt that online shopping is quickly evolving and in the coming years, we'll be seeing further development.
If businesses want to survive in the competitive online landscape, they can't afford to ignore the billions of people who prefer to shop online, or how most buyer journeys begin with Google or LLM searches, as opposed to wandering the high street. Having a mobile-friendly storefront is also an absolute necessity now.
So, make sure to keep these online shopping statistics in mind when you're planning for your business strategy in 2025.
Online Shopping Statistics 2025 FAQ
How many people buy products online?
Statista estimated that over two billion people made purchases online in 2017, and there are currently over five billion users on the internet today, meaning that the ecommerce world has only grown. Retail ecommerce sales are estimated to eclipse $4.3 trillion in 2025, so businesses have a huge opportunity when it comes to finding potential customers online.
How often do people shop online?
In 2022, IPC reported that nearly 80% of online buyers shop at least once per month, and nearly 50% of them shop once every two weeks. Around 22% claim to shop once a week.
What are the most common reasons people abandon their shopping carts?
In 2025, 39% of cart abandonment in the US can be attributed to extra shipping and tax costs. Over 20% of potential buyers abandon their carts at checkout when they see how long shipping will take. Also, nearly 20% of shoppers leave their carts on the side of the digital road because they’re asked to create an account.