X-ray of eCommerce in the United States: this is the most powerful online market in the West

March 25, 2023

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If we stop to think, in the United States everything is big. Right off the bat, it is twice the size of the European Union, and it is the third largest country in the world after Russia and Canada. It is the first world economy and is the first power in most aspects you can think of. In the world of online shopping it was not going to be less, since it is also the main commercial force in the Western world. That’s why today we’re doing a x-ray of eCommerce in the US.

eCommerce in the US, the most powerful market and leader in innovation

Undoubtedly, eCommerce in the US has sufficient credentials to demonstrate his might. In the first place, it is supported by the most important economy in the world and the United States is the second world power, after China, as far as online commerce is concerned. Nor can it fall into oblivion, which is the birthplace of online giants like Amazon or eBay.

Although some consider it the country that best represents the most exaggerated consumerism, it is also a leader when it comes to innovation and technological advances. Online sellers are tempted to enter this market despite trade barriers and strong competition. Mainly because eCommerce in the US is a great opportunity business for anyone.

It is considered one of the markets most attractive, but also one of the most competitive. In addition, it is the country with the largest immigrant population, so its racial and ethnic multiculturalism predisposes him to a greater diversity of tastes and consumption needs.

How are online shoppers in the United States

According to data from the Digital 2023 study, prepared by We Are Social together with Meltwater, it should be noted that of the 339.1 million people who live in the US, at least 311.3 million are active Internet users, that is, 91.8% of the population of the North American country. In addition, it must be taken into account that 246 million are active on social networks and 383.4 million connect to the network through their mobile devices.

Data from the US Department of Commerce show that in the last decade electronic commerce has been gaining popularity, something that is demonstrated in the rise in its sales figures. By 2022, total eCommerce sales in the United States will reach a record $1.03 trillion.which is equivalent to approximately 950,000 million euros, with an annual increase of 7.44%.

Annual turnover in billions of dollars. Source: Census.gov

Between 2012 and 2022, annual eCommerce sales in the US multiplied by 5, with an increase in the average annual growth rate of 16.4%. The largest increase was recorded in 2020, the year of the pandemic, when total sales increased by 42.4%.

Going back to the Digital 2023 data, a total of 268.2 million Americans made purchases online in 2022, with an average cost per person of 3,374 dollars a year (3,114 euros). 46.8% of purchases were made through mobile phones.

How Americans shop online

The majority of Americans made some digital payment in 2022 (91.3%), which are used mostly by women at 93.8%. 74.5% bought online at least once through their mobile. If we delve into the behavior of online shoppers in the US, we can see that weekly 57.5% made the purchase of a product or service online24.3% bought food products and 11.3% bought second-hand items.

Main reasons for purchase and payment methods

Each population can be motivated by different factors to make a purchase. In the case of the United States, the top 5 online purchase drivers would look like this:

Free delivery (61%) Coupons and discounts (47.4%) Easy return policies (38.7%) Reviews from other buyers (37.3%) Easy and fast online checkout (33.4%) Same day delivery day (31.6%)

Regarding the way in which online buyers in the United States make their payments, it was observed that 51% of them resorted to the use of credit or debit cards, while 30% used digital wallets. The rest was divided into other payment methods (9%), bank transfers (8%) and cash payments (2%).

Logistics

The delivery in the the same day is gaining prominence in the US due to the increasing penetration of the online channel. Between 2020 and 2021, the use of same-day delivery increased in the United States, especially among pure players. According to a survey, 24 percent of US online shoppers opted for same-day delivery for pure player purchases in 2020. As of February 2021, the percentage has increased to 36 percent.

Among the leaders of the logistics sector for eCommerce in the United States, names such as those of Amazon, FedEx, DHL, UPS, XPO Logistics, DB Schenker and SF Express. Especially, Fedex and DHL They have significantly strengthened their infrastructure dedicated to e-commerce in recent years, reaching multiple alliances with small local delivery companies, with the idea of covering most of the territory. In addition, USPSthe national transport company (not to be confused with UPS) has notably developed its business around sales from the online channel, launching services such as USPS Connect, aimed at meeting the needs of small sellers.

Leaders of eCommerce in the US

According to Statista, the top e-commerce websites in the United States are:

Amazon: it was positioned as the most visited eCommerce in the country with approximately 2,450 million monthly visits.
eBay: another of the ecommerce classics, which registered more than 885 million visits per month.
Walmart: the American retail giant ranked third, surpassing 410 million visits.
etsy. A popular platform that allows creators of all kinds to sell their works in a simple way
Home Depot. The Home Depot is the quintessential hardware and DIY distribution chain and also occupies one of the top eCommerce positions in the US.
Target. Target is another department store chain that emerged in the 1960s and is one of the largest retail companies in the country.
Lowe’s. Retail distribution of home improvement products, construction materials and DIY
Best Buy. It also has its Best Buy site, a company specializing in technological and electronic products. Created in Minnesota in 1966, it knew how to successfully jump into the digital world.
wayfair. Online home and decoration store
costco. It is a hypermarket chain that sells wholesale products at lower prices. It has more than 500 stores around the world.

As we see, Amazon continues to be the most visited retail site in the United States and accounts for the vast majority of e-commerce sales. In recent years, the eCommerce giant’s retail sales have grown steadily. Yet competition has also been growing: Etsy, closely followed by Walmart and Target, are among the fastest-growing businesses in 2021.

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