In the last five years, e-commerce has risen from a temporary solution during the pandemic to the new normal. Whether ordering essentials from your phone, browsing reviews on a laptop, or running an online business from your home office, one thing is clear: online shopping is deeply embedded in everyday life. High-speed internet is a valuable tool, whether you’re the producer or the consumer. Let’s look at e-commerce’s growing foothold in the U.S. and how fast and reliable the internet is crucial to its success.

The Rise of E-Commerce

According to Capital One, over 270 million Americans—around 80% of the population—have been shopping online in 2024. E-commerce shows no signs of stopping, with that number projected to grow to 333 million by 2029. Online shopping is no longer a niche habit; it’s how most Americans buy what they need.

In 2024, U.S. retail e-commerce sales hit around $1.3 trillion, and it’s not slowing down: online sales are predicted to total $1.5 trillion by 2025, zooming past $2.5 trillion by 2030. E-commerce now makes up 16% of all retail sales in the U.S. and is on track to hit 20% by 2027. That means 1 out of every 5 dollars spent on retail will be online in just a few years.

The Secret Weapon: High-Speed Internet

For online businesses, fast internet is like having the perfect power source to keep everything running efficiently. Businesses need speed to compete in the digital marketplace.

Real-Time Everything

From inventory updates to order confirmations, e-commerce businesses rely on cloud tools that sync instantly across teams and warehouses. Integrating cloud-based networks decreases hardware costs while speeding up connections across long distances. In addition, cloud-based infrastructure allows for the use of data clean rooms. According to databricks.com, data clean rooms provide an environment where first-party data can be shared and analyzed while retaining complete control over the data. Through this method, personally identifiable information and other sensitive data run minimal risk of accidental exposure. High-speed internet makes it all possible.

Quick Shipping & Processing

With a rise in online shopping comes an increase in shipping—these goods still need to be transported and delivered. According to statistics from Oberlo, the average e-commerce order value in 2024 was $148. Pairing this with the estimated $1.3 trillion in e-commerce sales that year, it can be concluded that around 8.78 billion orders were made in 2024. If even half of those are for physical goods, that would still mean deliveries in the billions.

If you’ve used Uber or other such apps, you know how important a strong connection is to delivery. Developments such as automated delivery, pinpoint GPS accuracy, and real-time tracking systems are all powered by high-speed internet. Powerful internet means less lag and a smoother management process.

Lightning-Fast Load Times

We’ve all clicked off a slow-loading site before, sometimes abandoning it entirely instead of putting it off for later. Losing customers to a little lag might seem like a non-issue, but the stats disagree. Roobykon Software reports that 83% of internet users expect websites to load within three seconds. Should a site lag, approximately 40% of users will abandon the site. According to Dennis Mbugua of TechSavvy Insights, 53% of mobile users abandon a site before it loads. Narrowing our statistics towards e-commerce, research from Liquid Web states that 76% of consumers abandon carts due to slow web speeds. High-speed internet means pages load quickly, and shoppers stick around longer.

Better Security

Online stores deal with sensitive information every second, whether theirs or from customers. Slow internet runs the risk of crashing, leading to potential file corruption and data loss. Additionally, security updates can take longer to download with a slow internet connection, assuming these updates don’t fail and leave you vulnerable to attack. High-speed internet supports strong encryption, fast software updates, and reliable data backups.

Conclusion

E-commerce in the U.S. isn’t just common—it’s the default way for millions of us to shop. And high-speed internet makes it all work, powering operations behind the scenes and improving your experience at every click.

So, whether you’re filling your cart or running the store, know this: faster internet means better business, smoother shopping, and more convenience for everyone.

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Sources

https://capitaloneshopping.com/research/online-shopping-statistics/#:~:text=,sales%20worldwide%20as%20of%202024

https://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf#:~:text=the%20fourth%20quarter%20of%202024,3%20percent%20of%20total%20sales

https://roirevolution.com/blog/coronavirus-and-ecommerce/

https://www.databricks.com/blog/2022/06/28/introducing-data-cleanrooms-for-the-lakehouse.html

https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/average-order-value

roobykon.com/blog/posts/175-top-10-reasons-users-leave-your-site

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-53-mobile-users-leave-your-site-before-loads-how-stop-mbugua-xuhuf/

https://www.liquidweb.com/white-papers/site-speed-every-second-counts-research-study/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#Customer-patience-and-abandonment-rates

National Cyber Security Alliance: Shop Safely Online. -https://associationsnow.com/2015/12/cybersecurity-group-shares-how-to-safely-shop-online/

Voice Search and Page Search Optimization: How and Why They Relate - TheCare Up.https://thecareup.com/voice-search-and-page-search-optimization-how-and-why-they-relate/

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