E-commerce was 17.1% of U.S. retail sales in Q2 2026 (Census Bureau)
Verified Confidence: high
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
- Commonly cited as
- "What share of US retail is ecommerce?" / "Ecommerce is 20% of retail sales"
- True origin
- U.S. Census Bureau — Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales, 2nd Quarter 2026 (CB26-133, Aug. 18, 2026)
- Type
- Reference fact: A frequently needed number or rule taken directly from a primary source (e.g. Pew, Census, IAB/PwC, FTC), with its as-of date.
- Year
- 2026
- Data as of
- Q2 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary; released Aug. 18, 2026 (check census.gov for the next quarterly release)
- Last checked
- What the source says
the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2026, adjusted for seasonal variation, but not for price changes, was $340.2 billion ... E-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2026 accounted for 17.1 percent of total sales.
- Method & sample
- Monthly Retail Trade Survey: probability sample of about 10,800 retail firms (excluding food services) weighted to the universe of 2M+ retail firms; employer businesses only.
- Drift between quote and source
- None — check the quarter: the share is seasonally adjusted (not adjusted Q4 2025 was 18.3%); the Census page notes revisions published after Sept. 28, 2026
- Interest
- n/a (federal statistical agency).
Safe rephrasing
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated e-commerce at $340.2 billion, or 17.1% of total retail sales, in Q2 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary).
Sources we opened
Machine-readable: /api/claims/census-ecommerce-17-1-percent-retail-q2-2026.json · Last checked 2026-10-16