As of early 2023, approximately 43 percent of consumers in the United States said they would prefer to shop mostly online rather than in-store, making it the country with highest online shopping preference. In contrast, more shoppers preferred visiting physical stores in countries such as Austria, Finland, and New Zealand.

Inflation was the leading issue plaguing the online shopping experience of global consumers in 2023. Nearly sixty percent of consumers surveyed worldwide in February that year reported rising prices for household goods was the issue having the greatest impact on them while shopping online. In addition, nearly a quarter reported being unable to purchase a product due to it being out of stock.

E-commerce in times of stagflation

As the global economy still reeled from the macroeconomic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war dealt a further blow to worldwide trade. Along with record food inflation, an unprecedented wave of layoffs in tech companies brought the pandemic-induced e-commerce boom to a halt. While online retail sales growth reached a peak of 25.7 percent in 2020, this figure was forecast to slow to 9.7 percent in 2022.

Impact of inflation on consumer behavior

As of January 2023, the European Union hit a double-digit inflation rate and consumers have had to adjust their purchasing behavior accordingly. Discretionary sectors such as clothing and consumer electronics were the most affected, with almost 50 percent of global consumers reporting they have either stopped or reduced their purchases of clothing, shoes, and accessories in response to rising prices.

In 2020, a total of over 80 percent of consumers across the globe shopped online: reaching nearly 90 percent each, the leading regions that year were South America and Asia. North America had the lowest share with just over three in four consumers buying items on the internet. The online store that was used most frequently by shoppers worldwide was Amazon.com.

Favorite online stores in the U.S. As of November 2020, an estimated 60 percent of U.S. consumers stated that their online shop of choice was Amazon, making it by far the favorite e-commerce shop among online shoppers. With less than 15 percent, Walmart’s web shop ranked second. Both male and female consumers in the country had a clear preference for Amazon, however, certain online stores were more popular among specific genders. For instance, more men liked visiting eBay, while a higher percentage of women had a preference for Target.

Why do consumers like Amazon? There were various reasons why U.S. shoppers used Amazon to buy products in 2020, the leading reason being the fast and free shipping services provided. Other key factors consumers mentioned, included Amazon’s broad selection, the easy return process, and the platform having some of the lowest prices.

The number of users in the e-commerce market in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 60 million users (+21.94 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the indicator is estimated to reach 333.5 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of users of the e-commerce market was continuously increasing over the past years.Find other key market indicators concerning the average revenue per user (ARPU) and revenue. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In 2023, over 53 percent of households with two or more people in Japan purchased goods or services online, remaining at a similar level as the previous year. The number of households using e-commerce services increased steadily in recent years, with fashion and electronics representing a recurring category purchased online. B2C online retail Business-to-consumer (B2C) online retail is the main consumer-oriented e-commerce market, with marketplaces, direct-to-consumer (D2C) stores, and digital general merchandisers being common websites accessed in Japan. In particular, marketplaces, taking on the form of a virtual shopping mall, are considered popular one-stop solutions for consumers’ needs. Consequently, Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, and Yahoo! Shopping are the most successful e-retailers in Japan, gathering millions of visitor numbers regularly. Apart from the business-to-many (B2M) platforms, the companies also offer consumer-to-consumer (C2C) services. Japanese C2C platforms C2C e-commerce in Japan is made up of the reuse market encompassing online auctions and flea markets, and the smaller sharing economy segment. The auction business is dominated by Yahoo’s C2C platform Yahoo! Auctions, whereas the successful mobile application operated by Mercari has been shaking up flea market platforms in the country. The main user base of second-hand platforms are adults between the age of 20 to 49, as it is considered a popular mean to save money or shop sustainable.

In 2023, the number of annual online shoppers was estimated to be about 250 million across India. This was a significant increase as compared to the previous year. The annual number of shoppers are likely to increase to 425 million in 2027.

Internet sales have played an increasingly significant role in retailing. In 2024, e-commerce accounted for over 17 percent of retail sales worldwide. Forecasts indicate that by 2029, the online segment will make up close to over 21 percent of total global retail sales. Retail e-commerce Online shopping has grown steadily in popularity in recent years. In 2024, global e-commerce sales amounted to over seven trillion U.S. dollars, a figure expected to exceed 10.4 trillion U.S. dollars by 2028. Digital development in Latin America boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, generating unprecedented e-commerce growth in various economies across the region. So much so that Brazil and Argentina appear to lead the world's fastest-growing online retail markets. This trend correlates strongly with the constantly improving online access, especially in "mobile-first" online communities, which have long struggled with traditioe-comernal fixed broadband connections due to financial or infrastructure constraints but enjoy the advantages of cheap mobile broadband connections. M-commerce on the rise The average order value of online shopping via smartphones and tablets still lags traditional e-commerce via desktop computers. However, e-retailers around the world have caught up in mobile e-commerce sales. Online shopping via smartphones is particularly prominent in Asia. By the end of 2021, Malaysia was the top digital market based on the percentage of the population that had purchased something by phone, with nearly 45 percent having made a weekly mobile purchase. South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines completed the top of the ranking.

In September 2020, a survey found that 26 percent of respondents in the United States had been buying household supplies online before the coronavirus pandemic. After COVID-19, there was an expected 13 percentage point increase in consumers buying these home items online. The same survey was conducted in February 2021 and it revealed that spending intentions decreased across many categories. Fitness and wellness, groceries, personal care products, and household supplies were among the few segments where post-COVID-19 growth was still expected.

The change is real The coronavirus pandemic has upended lives worldwide, from how we work to shop and socialize, in general. In a survey published in March 2021, U.S consumers were asked about the important attributes of shopping online, among which the most chosen answers were faster delivery and in-stock availability. However, the share of consumers that shopped online for the first time is relatively minimal. For instance, only two percent of German and Japanese respondents had never purchased online before 2020.

Shopping online more than ever The e-commerce purchase frequency has also changed. In the U.S., over 23 percent of respondents mentioned that their household goods online purchasing cycle had increased compared to one month previously. In terms of traffic and reach, food and groceries, home and garden, and sports and outdoors were the fastest-growing e-commerce categories worldwide.

In 2023, global retail e-commerce sales reached an estimated 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Projections indicate a 39 percent growth in this figure over the coming years, with expectations to surpass eight trillion dollars by 2027.

World players Among the key players on the world stage, the Chinese retail giant Alibaba holds the title of the largest e-commerce retailer globally, accounting for a 23 percent market share. Nevertheless, forecasts suggest that by 2027, Seattle-based e-commerce powerhouse Amazon will surpass Alibaba in estimated sales, reaching a staggering 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in online sales.

Leading e-tailing countries The Chinese e-commerce market was the biggest worldwide in 2023, as internet sales constituted almost half of the country's retail transactions. Indonesia ranked second with the highest share of retail sales online (32 percent), closely trailed by the United Kingdom and South Korea, exceeding the 30 percent mark. That year, the up-and-coming e-commerce markets centered around Asia. The Philippines and India stood out as the swiftest-growing e-commerce markets based on online sales, anticipating a growth rate surpassing 20 percent.

Consumer preference for online shopping varies greatly per product category. When it came to holidays and entertainment purchases, 72 percent of respondents to a global 2023 survey preferred to shop online vs. offline. The most popular FMCG category for online shopping was tech, as 54 percent of consumers preferred to shop consumer electronics online.

Although consumers visit physical stores more frequently, the number of people that shop online each week is not to be discredited: in the United Kingdom (UK), for example, approximately half of surveyed consumers said they shopped online each week in 2023. More than 75 percent UK shoppers visited physical stores on a weekly basis. About the same number of Australians stated they had been shopping digitally and physically each week.

In Hungary, the share of online shoppers grew significantly between 2010 and 2023. The number of e-commerce users in the country shot up in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the share of online shoppers in the total population reached over 79 percent by 2023. In comparison, less than 55 percent of Hungarians were online shoppers in 2019. How important are online sales for enterprises? Enterprises operating in Hungary source a considerable share of their revenue from online sales, however, this figure has declined over the past couple of years. In 2022, e-commerce sales accounted for 20 percent of enterprises’ revenue, compared to 24 percent recorded in 2019. When it comes to online sales channels’ share in Hungary’s total retail trade revenue, figures peaked in 2021 at over 10 percent. By 2022, the e-commerce share in retail trade decreased to 9.6 percent. Leading online marketplaces in Hungary In 2022, eMag was the leading online marketplace in Hungary based on the number of webshops using the platform. It was followed by Facebook Marketplace and Árukereső, with over 40 percent of Hungarian online retailers using them. In the past decade, the Romanian-founded marketplace, eMag has grown into a key player in the region, establishing a strong presence in Bulgaria and Poland as well.

In 2020, the leading reason why internet users around the world added a product to their online basket and purchased the item, was the free delivery: just over half of consumers stated that this benefit would increase their likelihood of buying a product when shopping online. Many internet users also kept reviews from other customers and easy returns policies in mind.

In a survey published in March 2021, U.S. consumers were asked about the ways their online shopping behavior changed in the past six months to November 2020. The results revealed that about 83 percent of respondents shopped for fashion items, e.g., clothing and footwear, the same or more during this period.

In a February 2022 survey, the ability to shop at any time was the most mentioned benefit of e-commerce among consumers worldwide. Almost half of respondents preferred this channel because of its flexibility. Better prices was the second main advantage of shopping online, with almost four in ten of the answers.

As of the first quarter of 2023, the main categories that Gen Z shoppers would mostly shop for online if they could choose freely were entertainment and fashion. On the other hand, Gen Z consumers would mostly shop for in-person groceries, pharmaceuticals, and home and garden.

In 2024, marketplaces were the primary source of inspiration for online shopping globally. According to a survey, 48 percent of online shoppers said they sought inspiration through searches on this channel. Browsing in-store ranked second, with almost one-third of respondents using it for this purpose.

The top in every category Marketplaces were the most popular places to get ideas for general online shopping, and this also applies to different types of shopping. When looking for beauty products online, around 40 percent of consumers used marketplaces for inspiration, followed by brand websites and social media channels. Similarly, around 30 percent of consumers stated that they use marketplaces to find inspiration for luxury products. When it came to finding inspiration for purchasing health and pharmaceutical products online, around a fourth of consumers favored online marketplaces.

Under the social media influence Social platforms have a greater influence on consumers than ever before when it comes to purchasing specific items. In 2023, the share of shoppers who purchased an item after seeing it on social media varied by country, with consumers in the United States being the most affected. Social media influenced over half of U.S. shoppers to open their wallets. In comparison, around 28 percent of shoppers in Czechia had purchased an item after seeing it on a social platform.

Mobile phones dominate global digital commerce website visits and contribute to the largest share of online orders. As of the fourth quarter of 2024, smartphones constituted around 78 percent of retail site traffic globally, responsible for generating 68 percent of online shopping orders. Marketplace momentum Retail e-commerce has significantly increased globally over the past few years. Currently, the leading countries in retail e-commerce growth, such as the Philippines, have seen an increase of up to 24 percent. In 2024, the majority of online purchases worldwide were made on online marketplaces, incurring around a 30 percent share of consumer purchases. The top four retail websites for consumers to visit globally were all marketplaces, with the leading website being Amazon.com. Converting clicks When shopping online, website visits often do not end in purchases. This can be due to having second thoughts when online shopping, or simply due to consumers using the platforms to search for products. In 2024, the conversion rate of online shoppers globally was just over two percent, with food and beverages incurring the highest conversion rate from online purchases. Across the globe, almost 20 percent of all retail sales were conducted online. This figure is forecast to increase to at least 21 percent by 2027.

In 2023, over 78 percent of 25- to 45-year-olds in Germany had ordered and purchased products online in the past three months. They were also the largest age group of online consumers. 65- to 75-year-olds were the group that online shopped the least. Where are people shopping online? Some of the most visited fashion websites in Germany included zalando.de, hm.com, and shein.com. Zalando is especially popular because it sells items from multiple different brands, allowing the consumer to find all different types of clothes, shoes, accessories, and more in one place. Another advantage of shopping online is that consumers are not just limited to shopping in the country in which they live. Products can be ordered from almost anywhere in the world (if, of course, consumers are willing to pay a little extra). If you find a better deal elsewhere or a product that is not available anywhere in the home country, then this can be a good reason to make a purchase on a foreign website. Challenges of online shopping Online shopping, however, is not without its challenges. According to consumers, something that prevents them from purchasing online is not trusting the payment and checkout process. This could be due to worries about credit card information being stolen or paying for an item that is never delivered. It is not only the purchasing process that can cause problems. Sometimes once the product arrives it is returned. Products that are most often returned, in Germany and, in fact, the whole of Europe, fall into the fashion category. This could be for several reasons: The item does not fit, it looks different than on the website, or even because it arrives too late. The problem with sending items back is that it has a negative impact on the environment. When asked, consumers did acknowledge that measures could be taken to reduce the number of returns such as more accurate and detailed product descriptions, more accurate information about sizing, and the opportunity to leave customer reviews.

This statistic shows the penetration rate of online shopping in China from 2014 to 2024. As of 2024, around 87.9 percent of internet users in China had shopped online, up from around 83.8 percent a year ago.