The Department of Commerce data shows that in Q3 2021 ecommerce grew by 6.6% from the same quarter of 2020, while total retail sales increased by 13.1% in the same period. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, ecommerce retail growth in the United States slowed in the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2021. The U.S. retail ecommerce sales estimate (PDF) for Q3 2021, adjusted for seasonal variation but not for price changes, was 4.6 billion, down 3.3% from Q2 2021.
The Department of Commerce defines ecommerce sales as “… sales of goods and services where the buyer places an order, or the price and terms of the sale are negotiated over an Internet, mobile device (m‐commerce), extranet, electronic data interchange (EDI) network, electronic mail, or other comparable online system. Payment may or may not be made online.” In Q3 2021, the ecommerce share of total U.S. retail sales stood at 13%, down from 13.8% in the same quarter from the previous year. Nonetheless, from April through June 2021, retail ecommerce sales in the United States surpassed 0 billion, the highest quarter in history.
