There also are big differences in how much traffic retailers get from social media based on what they sell. The retail sites likely to attract the most clicks from social sites sell the kind of products consumers like to chat about, such as jewelry, apparel/accessories and cosmetics. Social is less of a factor in bringing consumers to sites selling more mundane products like auto parts and office supplies.

That’s reflected in the list of the 10 Top 1000 retailers that get the most traffic from social media. Six of the 10 sell apparel and accessories and one sells jewelry. Eight of the 10 are web-only retailers, and the same number are ranked in the lower half of the Top 1000. Smaller retailers typically don’t have the budget to compete heavily for eyeballs through paid search. But they can post actively on social media for free and create buzz for their brands at little cost.