Table of Contents
Ecommerce Market Overview
The global ecommerce market continues its rapid expansion, creating massive opportunities for online advertising. Understanding market size and trends helps contextualise advertising investments.
The global ecommerce market is expected to total $6.88 trillion by the end of 2026, with ecommerce representing 20.5% of total retail sales. This share is projected to reach 22.5% by 2028.
Global ecommerce market (2026)
Source: Statista
Ecommerce share of retail
Source: eMarketer
Projected retail share by 2028
Source: eMarketer
US ecommerce sales (2025)
Source: US Census
Annual ecommerce growth
Source: Statista
UK ecommerce market
Source: Statista
Ecommerce Growth Drivers
- Mobile commerce: M-commerce now accounts for 70%+ of ecommerce traffic
- Social commerce: Shopping directly on social platforms growing at 35% annually
- Cross-border: International ecommerce growing faster than domestic
- Subscription models: Subscription commerce reaching $275B by 2026
- BOPIS adoption: Buy-online-pickup-in-store now 25% of retail ecommerce
Shopping Ads Performance
Google Shopping has become the cornerstone of ecommerce advertising, now dominating retail search ad spend with strong performance metrics.
Google Shopping ads now account for 75%+ of retail search ad spend, delivering 30% higher conversion rates than traditional text ads. With 1.2 billion monthly searches, Google Shopping is essential for ecommerce success.
Retail search spend on Shopping
Source: Merkle
Higher conversion vs text ads
Source: Google
Monthly Google Shopping searches
Source: Statista
Average Shopping CTR
Source: WordStream
Average Shopping CPC
Source: WordStream
Average Shopping conversion rate
Source: WordStream
Shopping Ads Best Practices Impact
- Product title optimisation: Optimised titles increase CTR by 18-25%
- High-quality images: Professional images increase conversion rates by 30%
- Competitive pricing: Products within 15% of competitors see 2x impressions
- Ratings and reviews: Products with 4+ stars see 25% higher CTR
- Merchant promotions: Sale badges increase CTR by 10-15%
- Free shipping badge: Free shipping mention increases conversion by 20%
Google Free Listings Impact
- Traffic contribution: Free listings now drive 20%+ of Shopping traffic
- Adoption: 85% of eligible retailers have enabled free listings
- Complementary: Best results when used alongside paid Shopping ads
Amazon Advertising
Amazon has become the third-largest digital advertising platform globally, essential for brands selling on the marketplace.
Amazon's global advertising revenue is projected at $65-70.8 billion in 2026, with over 70% of Amazon sellers actively advertising. Amazon now captures 11% of the global digital ad market.
Amazon ad revenue (2026)
Source: eMarketer
Amazon sellers advertising
Source: Jungle Scout
Global digital ad market share
Source: eMarketer
Projected average CPC
Source: Ad Badger
Annual ad revenue growth
Source: Amazon
Average conversion rate
Source: Ad Badger
Amazon Advertising Performance
- Sponsored Products: 76% of Amazon ad spend, highest conversion rates
- Sponsored Brands: 16% of spend, strong for brand awareness
- Sponsored Display: 8% of spend, growing for retargeting
- DSP (Demand Side Platform): Premium option for off-Amazon targeting
Amazon vs Other Platforms
- Intent: 74% of Amazon shoppers have purchase intent (vs 15% Google)
- Conversion: 9.89% average conversion (vs 1.91% Google Shopping)
- Attribution: Closed-loop measurement within Amazon ecosystem
- Competition: Increasing CPCs as more brands advertise
Mobile Commerce
Mobile devices now dominate ecommerce traffic and are increasingly driving purchases, making mobile-optimised advertising essential.
Mobile accounts for 71% of retail traffic and generates 61% of online orders. In the US, mobile commerce is projected to reach 49.1% of total ecommerce by 2027, with 79% of Shopify traffic coming from mobile devices.
Retail traffic from mobile
Source: Shopify
Online orders from mobile
Source: Shopify
US m-commerce share by 2027
Source: eMarketer
Shopify traffic from mobile
Source: Shopify
Higher cart abandonment on mobile
Source: Baymard
US m-commerce sales (2026)
Source: eMarketer
Mobile Optimisation Impact
- Load speed: Every 1-second delay reduces conversions by 7%
- Mobile-first design: Mobile-optimised sites see 15-20% higher conversion
- One-click checkout: Reduces cart abandonment by 35%
- Apple/Google Pay: Digital wallets increase mobile conversion by 25%
- App vs web: Apps convert 3x higher than mobile web
Mobile Advertising Performance
- Mobile CPCs: 20-30% lower than desktop in many industries
- Mobile CTRs: Often higher due to prominent ad placement
- Mobile conversion: Lower than desktop but gap is closing
- Cross-device: 65% of purchases involve multiple devices
Conversion & ROAS Benchmarks
Understanding conversion rates and ROAS benchmarks helps ecommerce advertisers set realistic goals and evaluate campaign performance.
The average ecommerce conversion rate is 2.58%, with returning customers converting at 25-30%. Top-performing ecommerce advertisers achieve ROAS of 4-6x, while the average ROAS on Meta Ads is 2.5-4.0x.
Average ecommerce CVR
Source: WordStream
Returning customer conversion rate
Source: Shopify
Average ROAS (Meta Ads)
Source: Meta
Top performer ROAS
Source: Industry Reports
Typical CAC range
Source: Industry Reports
Average cart abandonment rate
Source: Baymard
ROAS by Campaign Type
- Google Shopping: 4-8x ROAS typical for optimised campaigns
- Google Search (brand): 8-15x ROAS for brand keywords
- Google Search (non-brand): 2-4x ROAS typical
- Meta Ads (prospecting): 1.5-3x ROAS for cold audiences
- Meta Ads (retargeting): 4-8x ROAS for warm audiences
- Amazon Sponsored Products: 3-5x ROAS typical
Improving Ecommerce ROAS
- Audience segmentation: Segment by value and intent for better ROAS
- Creative testing: Test 5-10 ad variations for 15-25% improvement
- Landing page optimisation: A/B testing can improve CVR by 20-30%
- Retargeting: Cart abandonment campaigns recover 10-15% of lost sales
- Customer lifetime value: Focus on CLV, not just first-purchase ROAS
About This Data
These ecommerce advertising statistics are compiled from Statista, eMarketer, WordStream, Shopify Commerce Report, Merkle, Amazon, and platform-specific reports. Data represents 2025-2026 measurements and projections.
Important note: Ecommerce performance varies significantly by product category, price point, and brand awareness. These benchmarks represent industry averages.
Social Commerce Statistics
Social commerce is transforming ecommerce advertising, allowing consumers to discover, research, and purchase products without leaving social platforms.
Global social commerce (2026)
Source: eMarketer
Growth from 2024
Source: eMarketer
US social commerce (2026)
Source: eMarketer
TikTok Shop transaction growth
Source: TikTok
Consumers influenced by social
Source: Sprout Social
Average annual spend via social
Source: Accenture
Platform-Specific Social Commerce
Social Commerce Consumer Behaviour