Growing a shop & ecommerce brand
Online sales were 17.1% of US retail in the second quarter of 2026, growing almost twice as fast as all retail. Reach shoppers on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest.
How big is the shop & ecommerce industry?
US online retail sales reached $340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, 17.1% of all retail sales.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Online retail sales in one quarter | $340.2 billion | Q2 2026 |
| Share of all US retail sales | 17.1% | Q2 2026 |
| Growth from a year earlier | 12.2% | Q2 2025 to Q2 2026 |
| Sales by online and mail-order retailers | $1.28 trillion | 2025 |
| Merchandise sold through Shopify (GMV) | $378.4 billion | 2025 |
The quarterly figures come from the Census Bureau's e-commerce report, adjusted for seasonal swings but not for price changes. Total US retail grew 6.7% over the same year.[1, 2, 3]
Who are shop & ecommerce customers?
In 2023, three in four US internet users shopped, booked travel or used other services online, most of all at ages 25 to 44.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| Ages 25 to 44 | 82% shop or book online, the most of any age group |
| Ages 65 and older | 65% shop or book online |
| Women | 78%, against 74% of men |
| Household income $100,000 or more | 87%, against 58% under $25,000 |
These are adult internet users in the government's 2023 Internet Use Survey.[4]
Which platforms should a shop & ecommerce brand grow on?
Instagram reaches 51% of US adults, more than TikTok or Pinterest. TikTok reaches only 29% of adults in households earning $100,000 or more, the group that shops online most.
| Platform | US adults | Ages 30 to 49 | Income $100,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51% | 64% | 59% | |
| TikTok | 37% | 45% | 29% |
| Pinterest, 2024 | 36% | 43% | 40% |
Pew's Pinterest figures are from 2024, its latest survey of the platform; the others are from 2026. Your Shopify store and .com are where those visits become orders, and Protecting your trademark covers the name once it's filed. For domain endings and trademark classes, see naming an online shop.[4, 5, 6, secondary]
Checks Shopify store, the .com, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and trademarks in one search.
Who are the top shop & ecommerce creators?
MrBeast, Brent Rivera and Alix Earle sell their own products and are on Forbes' 2026 list of top creators. Codie Sanchez, also on the list, teaches small-business ownership.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| MrBeast | YouTube stunts; his Beast Industries sells Feastables and Lunchly | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #1 |
| Codie Sanchez | Small-business tips on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #10 |
| Brent Rivera | Stunt videos; launched Levels chips in 2025 | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #12 |
| Alix Earle | "Get ready with me" videos; launched Reale Actives skincare in 2026 | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #16 |
Sources [7, secondary]
Which sites are the authorities on shop & ecommerce?
The Census Bureau, the National Retail Federation, the FTC and Digital Commerce 360 are the main authorities on US ecommerce.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Census Bureau: Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales (opens in a new tab) | The government's quarterly count of US online retail sales | Market size and growth |
| National Retail Federation (opens in a new tab) | The retail trade group, representing retail for over a century | Retail forecasts and holiday data |
| FTC: Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Rule (opens in a new tab) | The FTC's business guide to the shipping rule | Shipping times, delays and refunds |
| Digital Commerce 360 (opens in a new tab) | Ecommerce news and research, founded as Internet Retailer in 1999 | Rankings of leading US online retailers |
Sources (10)
- PrimaryUS Census Bureau: Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2nd Quarter 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryUS Census Bureau: Monthly Retail Trade, sales by kind of business, 1992 to present (opens in a new tab), 2025 annual total for electronic shopping and mail-order houses
- PrimaryShopify: Form 10-K for 2025 (opens in a new tab), gross merchandise volume
- PrimaryNTIA Data Explorer (opens in a new tab), Internet Use Survey, November 2023: shops, makes travel reservations or uses other consumer services online
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (archived copy) (opens in a new tab), Pinterest figures from a survey of US adults, 1 Feb to
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (archived copy) (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryNational Retail Federation: About (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryFTC: Business Guide to the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryDigital Commerce 360: About (opens in a new tab)