80 Need-to-Know Online Shopping Statistics for 2019

February 26, 2018

As ecommerce continues to grow rapidly, delivery times get shorter, technology gets smarter and consumer expectations get higher. Looking ahead in 2019, it’s important for retailers to stay up to date with ecommerce and online shopping statistics and trends to better understand the quickly changing ecommerce landscape.

With recent research suggesting that 66% of Americans make at least one online purchase every month and 95% of purchases slated to be made online by the year 2040, the future of online shopping looks bright.

By better understanding online consumer behavior, businesses can make smarter decisions about their ecommerce strategies. We’ve compiled a list of ecommerce trends and statistics for 2019 to help you navigate and improve the online shopping experience for your brand. Read on to understand the latest online shopping trends or jump to the infographic for an overview.

General Online Shopping Statistics

A brief overview of the online shopping market reveals that U.S. consumers are making more frequent and more significant purchases online. Increasingly, U.S. consumers are shopping while at work and joining online marketplaces. As consumers move more purchases online, your business should plan for growth in ecommerce and the infrastructure needed to sustain these online shoppers.

224.1 million people in the U.S. are online shoppers (Statista)
66% of U.S. consumers make an online purchase at least once a month (Adtaxi)
52% of consumers spend just as much, or more, of their money online than in-store (Adtaxi)
140 million Americans (57%) shop online at work (Finder)
25% of consumers believe the online experience has surpassed the in-store experience (Walker Sands)
72% of U.S. online shoppers have a membership to an ecommerce marketplace (Radial)
Retail ecommerce sales will account for 13.7% of all retail sales worldwide in 2019 (Statista)
Consumers worldwide will spend $3.45 trillion online in 2019 (Statista)
An estimated 95% of purchases will be made online by 2040 (Nasdaq)
55% of consumers would be happy to buy everything online (Adtaxi)
At 50%, convenience is the most popular reason people shop online (Adtaxi)

Common Ecommerce Mistakes

The mobile shopping experience can make or break a customer’s opinion of your brand. Make sure your website is optimized for readability as well as any features the user will encounter when visiting your site. Along with a poor mobile experience, extra fees for shipping are also a large deterrent for online shoppers.

The average cart abandonment rate is 69.89% (Baymard)
46% of American small businesses do not have a website (G2 Crowd)
22% of online retailers don’t have a mobile-friendly website (3dcart)
77% of consumers will abandon their shopping cart if presented with shipping and extra fees (Namogoo)
26% of US shoppers have abandoned an order due to a complicated checkout process (Baymard)
57% of online respondents say they have doubts that ecommerce sites will keep their personal information secure and confidential (Nielsen)
The average e-commerce site can increase conversions 35.26% by improving checkout design (Baymard)
73% of mobile internet users say that they’ve encountered a website too slow to load (KISSMetrics)
A 1-second delay in page response reduce conversions by 7% (KISSMetrics)
40% of shoppers abandon a website when it takes more than 3 seconds to load (KISSMetrics)

Online Shopping Demographics

In order to understand how to best reach your consumer, you have to know who you are trying to reach. For example, women make up the slight majority of online shoppers while men are more likely to make larger purchases online. Using simple analytics and data, you can use these demographic profiles to cater to certain shoppers with specialized offers or content.

96% of the adult online population shops online (Verto Analytics)
Women make up 52% of all online shoppers (Verto Analytics)
In 2017, men spent more money per transaction than women — $220 vs. $151 (KPMG)
Men (52%) are more likely than women (48%) to spend time shopping online while at work (Finder)
33% of baby boomers, 57% of Gen X and 71% of Gen Y shop online at work (Finder)
60% of millennials share their bad post-purchase experience with others (Pitney Bowes)
Consumers aged 60 and above are more concerned with sharing their information (27%) than they are with shipping time (4%) (Adtaxi)
The opposite is true of younger consumers — consumers between 18 and 29 are more concerned with shipping time (22%) than they are with sharing information (9%) (Adtaxi)

Customer Experience Statistics

Online consumers crave a highly personalized and convenient ecommerce experience. Consumers want fast delivery options and are willing to share their experience online. However, one negative experience can be enough for them to never purchase again, so make sure your customer experience is up to par.

77% of online consumers cite convenience as the main reason to shop online (Deloitte Insights)
43% of consumers prefer companies that personalize their online shopping experience (Subscriptionly)
36% of consumers shop elsewhere after one bad experience (Pitney Bowes)
33% of online shoppers begin their shopping journey research with online retailers (Deloitte Insights)
25% of consumers who had a bad online shopping experience an online retailer or brand never purchased from that site again (Pitney Bowes)
27% of consumers cite an inability to touch or try on an item before purchasing as their least favorite aspect of online shopping (Big Commerce)
When consumers return an item in-store that was originally purchased online, 67% will browse or shop in that store afterward (Big Commerce)
44% of consumers have used a same-day delivery service in the past year (Walker Sands)
26% of consumers report they purchased a product through Amazon because it was faster and less expensive compared to other options (Walker Sands)
30% of online consumers said they have posted product feedback online (KPMG)

Desktop vs. Mobile Statistics

Mobile devices are increasingly being used to shop online. Your website must be mobile-optimized or else you risk losing consumers to competitors with mobile-friendly sites. It’s important to note that consumers are not only shopping on mobile devices but also researching and comparing prices on their devices.

In 2019, mobile ecommerce sales will reach $2.32 trillion (Statista)
79% of smartphone users made a purchase online using their mobile device in the last six months (OuterBox)
65% of online shoppers look up price comparisons on mobile while shopping in a physical store (KPMG)
65% of consumers have used a mobile app to shop online (Adtaxi)
51% of consumers that use mobile apps say they do so because they’re easy to use (Adtaxi)
35% of online shoppers only use mobile devices to shop, while 18% of online shoppers only use PCs to shop (Verto Analytics)
24% of retailers are focused on improving the mobile shopping experience (BRP)

Voice Search Statistics

The rise of smart home devices is important for retailers because it means optimizing your website, product descriptions and checkout process for voice search. Conquer voice search sooner rather than later.

57% of smart speaker owners have bought something using voice search (NPR)
24% of smart speaker owners have used a voice-activated smart device to make a purchase (Adtaxi)
45% of consumers are most concerned about security when using voice search to make a purchase (Walker Sands)
Entertainment products were the most common items purchased through voice search or virtual assistants at 43% (NetElixir)
40% of millennials have used voice search before making an online purchase (Shopify)

Video Statistics

Video is king in the world of ecommerce. More consumers are expecting high-quality videos to explain your business or product offering. Videos help online shoppers interact and experience your brand in a way a picture could never offer. Test out the impact of videos by adding product videos to showcase specific features or explainer videos to describe how to use your product or service.

79% of people say watching a brand’s video convinced them to buy an app or piece of software (Wyzowl)
68% of people prefer to learn about a new product or service by watching a video (Wyzowl)
54% of millennials prefer video content from a brand or business they support (Hubspot)
45% of consumers found out about a new brand or product through video ads before purchasing (Animoto)
Product videos increase conversions by 144% (Neil Patel)
4 in 5 consumers believe that demo videos are helpful. (Hubspot)

Social Media Statistics

Meet your consumer where they are by amping up your social media marketing. Whether it’s paid or organic posting, social media is an opportunity to influence your consumers’ decision-making process in a space that they are already in. Consumers are engaged and willing to interact with your brand on social media, so make an effort to connect in an authentic way.

84% of online shoppers review at least one social media site before making a purchase (Small Biz Trends)
48% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that a family member or friend interacted with on Facebook (Wolfgang Digital)
76% of consumers have purchased a product they saw in a brand’s social media post (Curalate)
52% of U.S. consumers saw a product they were interested in on Facebook in the last 3 months (Curalate)
70% of people who buy online at least once a week follow brands on social media (Curalate)
54% of consumers report using social media as part of their path to purchase a product (Walker Sands)
73% of consumers have been impacted by a brand’s social media presence when making a purchasing decision (Animoto)
Shopify users referred by Pinterest spend an average of $80, while those referred by Facebook only spend $40 (Jeff Bullas)
60% of consumers have made an online purchase after seeing a digital ad on social media (Adtaxi)

Omnichannel Statistics

Ecommerce is only one touch for your customers. The majority of consumers are used to shopping on a variety of channels while making a single purchase, whether it’s using their smartphones while inside a store or researching products online before visiting. Streamlining these channels into a personalized and convenient experience is what matters most to consumers.

66% of consumers rely on more than one channel for purchases (Wharton)
51% of consumers want a personalized experience across all channels within a brand (BRP)
57% of retailers say their top digital customer experience priority is creating a consistent brand experience across channels (BRP)
8 out of 10 customers use their smartphones as shopping assistants while shopping in stores (Amasty)

Technology Statistics

Smart consumers are making smart purchases. From initial research to final purchasing, technology is involved in ecommerce every step of the way. Make sure your website is optimized for all devices and accessible to all, while also protecting private information.

The average shopper engages with 6 different apps and 1.5 shopping apps within a single device session (Verto Analytics)
72% of consumers under the age of 36 own a connected home device, while 93% of consumers aged 18–25 own a smart device (Walker Sands)
75% of consumers use digital tools prior to their in-store visit (BRP)
48% of consumers would be more likely to shop at a retailer that utilized augmented reality (BRP)

Ecommerce and Coupons

Online shopping behavior can be heavily influenced by available coupons and discounts. Consumers are most concerned with free and fast shipping, so offering coupons may help persuade them to purchase rather than abandoning their cart. Learn more about coupon usage with these statistics for 2019.

67% of shoppers decide which store to shop at based on where they can use paperless discounts (Forbes)
8 in 10 millennials use coupons when they shop online (Emarketer)
Online shoppers list free shipping (80%) and fast shipping (66%) as the two most important criteria in determining where to shop online (BusinessWire)
46% of shoppers search for deals and coupons for travel goods and services (Nielsen)
Digital coupon redemption is projected to rise by 94% by 2022 (Juniper Research)
By 2022, mobile will account for 80% of coupons redemption (Juniper Research)

Ecommerce trends for 2019 involve knowing your customer, personalizing their experience, meeting them on their own platforms and offering solutions to their biggest concerns.

The rise of voice search and video mean optimizing your website, app and promotion in ways that appeal to both. Mobile devices, social media and advanced technology mean consumers are allowing brands more closely into their lives whether it’s in their homes or on their daily commutes.

Below, our infographic breaks down how you can use these insights to improve the online shopping experience for your customers.