Online retail sales increased year over year in January 2026, also growing compared to December 2025, according to Digital Commerce 360 analysis of advanced estimates from the U.S. Department of Commerce.

January ecommerce sales increased year over year at more than triple the rate of total retail sales in 2026. Total retail sales grew to $733.54 billion in January 2026. That amounted to about 3.2% growth over 2025.

However, total retail sales in January slipped compared to December 2025, when they were $734.69 billion (0.15% decrease).

That came despite January being a core month for returns following the peak holiday shopping season of November and December. That window includes the Cyber 5, or Thanksgiving and the four days after it.

Part of that growth could stem from consumers getting money back from holiday-season returns, which they then used on new purchases in January. Additionally, some vendors use their returns technology to encourage selling other products or upselling in an effort to mitigate losses.

Online retail sales in January 2026

In January 2026, online retail sales were more than double what they were during the same month in 2020.

Ecommerce sales in January 2026 hit $132.92 billion. That’s 10.9% growth from $119.84 billion in 2025 and more than double 2020’s $62.45 billion, according to Digital Commerce 360 analysis.

For the month of January, online retail sales first crossed the $100 billion mark in 2023, when they reached $104.75. Five years prior, ecommerce sales were about half that, at $56.10 billion in January 2019.

In January, ecommerce accounted for 18.1% of total retail sales, according to Digital Commerce 360 analysis. That was a slightly higher ecommerce sales penetration than December, when it was about 17.8%. It also exceeded the ecommerce penetration of about 16.9% in January 2025.

Although the Commerce Department’s data from January 2026 features advanced estimates, it indicates a consistent shift in sales channels. Digital Commerce 360 analysis shows that January 2026 is the only month to reach the 18% ecommerce penetration threshold other than April 2020’s 18.77% — the first full month of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in the U.S.

Until January, the highest ecommerce penetration since then was 17.69% in October 2025.

Ecommerce sales calculations

Digital Commerce 360 studies non-seasonally adjusted commerce department data and excludes spending in segments that don’t typically sell online. These segments include:

• Restaurants
• Bars
• Automobile dealers
• Gas stations
• Fuel dealers

U.S. ecommerce penetration reflects the share of dollars consumers could potentially spend online.

The Commerce Department defines ecommerce sales as the sales of goods and services where an order is placed by the buyer or price and terms of sales are negotiated over:

• Internet
• Extranet
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) network
• Electronic mail
• Other online system

Payment may or may not be made online. The Commerce Department publishes estimates that it adjusts for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes.

Percentage changes may not align exactly with dollar figures due to rounding. Click here to read last month’s update on U.S. online retail sales.

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