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, e-commerce has become so common that roughly 87 percent of the country's consumers shop 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 at a compound annual rate of about six percent through 2030.
From domestic giants to cross-border carts
Consumers in the United States buy all kinds of products from a variety of retail platforms such as Amazon, Walmart, and eBay. Aside from these American e-commerce giants, foreign online stores are gaining relevance in the online shopping landscape in the country. In 2025, 43 percent of the latest online purchases from abroad among U.S. buyers were made in China, with platforms like Temu and Shein now ranking among the most popular online shops nationwide.
What Americans buy and how they find it
Among the most popular categories for U.S. online shoppers were clothing, shoes, and food and beverages. Online food delivery keeps booming too, with DoorDash leading the pack over Uber Eats and Grubhub. Meanwhile, Amazon and Walmart serve as the top platforms for shopping inspiration and product research, outpacing traditional search engines and social media.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the rise of Prime Day
When it comes to the busyness of the holiday season, many shoppers opt to buy their gifts online. In 2025, about 41 percent of holiday buyers intended to do most of their holiday shopping online, with Gen Z leading the way. Cyber Monday and Black Friday remain the biggest online shopping days, with Cyber Monday expected to reach 14.2 billion U.S. dollars in e-commerce revenue in 2025. Although it is not directly holiday-related, Prime Day has also grown into one of the main online shopping events in the U.S., reaching estimated sales of over 24 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.
Generative AI enters the shopping aisle
Generative AI is quietly reshaping how Americans shop online. For many consumers, the main appeal is practical: saving time and finding better deals. As these tools become more capable, they could play a bigger role in the future of U.S. e-commerce.
