10th April 2020 - US E-Commerce Sales forecasts

The US Department of Commerce's Q1 2020 Statistics to be Released Next Month

According to it's US Census Bureau News, the US Department for Commerce will issue it's Quarterly Retail E-Commerce sales estimate for the first quarter of 2020 on May 19, 2020 at 10:00 A.M. EDT. In 2019, there was a continued upward trend in e-commerce sales,and it will be interesting to see how the Coronavirus crisis will impact 2020 sales figures and trends particularly in the first quarter of 2020, (during both panic buying, and the challenges of employee health & safety).

According to their latest report issued earlier this year, "The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the fourth quarter of 2019, adjusted for seasonal variation, but not for price changes, was $158.0 billion, an increase of 2.6 percent(±0.7%) from the third quarter of 2019. Total retail sales for the fourth quarter of 2019 were estimated at $1,386.2 billion, an increase of 0.4 percent (±0.2%) from the third quarter of 2019. The fourth quarter 2019 e-commerce estimate increased 16.7 percent (±1.1%) from the fourth quarter of 2018 while total retail sales increased 3.8 percent (±0.4%) in the same period. E-commerce sales in the fourth quarter of 2019 accounted for 11.4 percent of total sales. On a not adjusted basis, the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the fourth quarter of 2019 totaled $187.3 billion, an increase of 28.4 percent (±0.7%) from the third quarter of 2019. The fourth quarter 2019 e-commerce estimate increased 16.4 percent (±1.1%) from the fourth quarter of 2018 while total retail sales increased 4.0 percent (±0.4%) in the same period. E-commerce sales in the fourth quarter of 2019 accounted for 12.8 percent of total sales.Total e-commerce sales for 2019 were estimated at $601.7 billion, an increase of 14.9 percent (±1.1%) from 2018. Total retail sales in 2019 increased 3.4 percent (±0.4%) from 2018. E-commerce sales in 2019 accounted for 11.0 percent of total sales. E-commerce sales in 2018 accounted for 9.9 percent of total sales."

For information, including estimates from 4th quarter 1999 forward, visit the Census Bureau’s Web site census.gov/retail and Census Bureau e-business measurement programs and plans.

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