In 1998, e-commerce made up about what share of total U.S. retail sales?
Answer0.2%
E-commerce has grown enormously as a share of retail since the early days of online shopping.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce (2015) commerce.gov
Business · Facts & sources
Commerce facts & stats
4 sourced facts about e-commerce and online retail, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Going deeper
About how many people did Amazon employ worldwide in 2025?
Answerabout 1,576,000
That headcount includes warehouse and logistics staff alongside corporate and tech employees.
Source: Wikipedia, citing Amazon financial filings (2025) en.wikipedia.org
Expert level
From 1998 to 2015, U.S. e-commerce sales grew at an average annual rate of about...
Answerabout 28% per year
E-commerce sales grew roughly nine times faster than in-store sales over that stretch.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce (2015) commerce.gov
In 2015, which retail category had the highest e-commerce penetration?
Answerelectronics and appliances (18%)
Shoppers were quicker to buy electronics online than groceries or furniture at the time.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce (2015) commerce.gov
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