United States · US nonstore retail, YoY growth
US Online Retail Sales Growth
As of Sep 2026 U.S. Census Bureau (via FRED) Next update: Monthly, about two weeks after month end
Year over year growth of US nonstore retail sales, the Census Bureau's monthly proxy for online retail demand.
How fast are US online retail sales growing? Growth of US nonstore retail sales, the Census Bureau's monthly measure dominated by e-commerce, was 8.2% year over year in September 2026, against 6.3% a year earlier and an average of 7.4% over the last twelve months.
Key takeaways
- Growth of US nonstore retail sales was 8.2% year over year in September 2026, against 6.3% a year earlier and 7.4% on average over the last twelve months.
- Nonstore retail is dominated by e-commerce, which makes this the fastest official read on US online demand, published monthly.
- Over the period shown, the yearly rate ranged from 1.7% in July 2024 to 15.0% in July 2022.
- Comparing it with total retail growth shows whether online is gaining or losing share of wallet right now.
- The figure is nominal, so price increases flow into the growth rate alongside real demand.
The data
| Period | US nonstore retail, YoY growth |
|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 8.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 7.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 6.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 9.8% |
| May 2026 | 9.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 8.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 8.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 7.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 6.7% |
| Dec 2025 | 4.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 6.1% |
| Oct 2025 | 6.1% |
| Sep 2025 | 6.3% |
| Aug 2025 | 8.3% |
| Jul 2025 | 7.0% |
| Jun 2025 | 4.1% |
| May 2025 | 6.0% |
| Apr 2025 | 7.2% |
| Mar 2025 | 4.3% |
| Feb 2025 | 7.4% |
| Jan 2025 | 5.3% |
| Dec 2024 | 4.1% |
| Nov 2024 | 4.7% |
| Oct 2024 | 4.1% |
| Sep 2024 | 3.2% |
| Aug 2024 | 2.2% |
| Jul 2024 | 1.7% |
| Jun 2024 | 5.0% |
| May 2024 | 2.8% |
| Apr 2024 | 2.4% |
| Mar 2024 | 6.2% |
| Feb 2024 | 2.9% |
| Jan 2024 | 4.5% |
| Dec 2023 | 9.5% |
| Nov 2023 | 9.7% |
| Oct 2023 | 7.4% |
| Sep 2023 | 8.0% |
| Aug 2023 | 7.6% |
| Jul 2023 | 9.3% |
| Jun 2023 | 8.1% |
| May 2023 | 7.6% |
| Apr 2023 | 7.8% |
| Mar 2023 | 7.3% |
| Feb 2023 | 7.7% |
| Jan 2023 | 6.1% |
| Dec 2022 | 7.7% |
| Nov 2022 | 4.6% |
| Oct 2022 | 7.9% |
| Sep 2022 | 10.6% |
| Aug 2022 | 10.5% |
| Jul 2022 | 15.0% |
| Jun 2022 | 7.6% |
| May 2022 | 10.4% |
| Apr 2022 | 8.9% |
| Mar 2022 | 7.4% |
| Feb 2022 | 13.9% |
| Jan 2022 | 11.9% |
| Dec 2021 | 7.3% |
| Nov 2021 | 9.3% |
| Oct 2021 | 9.3% |
What this means for e-commerce and DTC brands
The quarterly e-commerce share tells you where online retail is structurally. This monthly line tells you what online demand is doing right now, which is the horizon media plans actually operate on. When nonstore growth outruns total retail, online is taking share and aggressive acquisition compounds. When it converges or falls below, online demand is cooling and efficiency targets should be read against that headwind rather than blamed on the account.
What this statistic does not tell you
Nonstore is a proxy, not a pure e-commerce measure: it includes some mail order and excludes the online sales of store-based retailers, which are a growing part of true e-commerce. It is nominal and US-only. The advance estimate is revised twice, so treat the latest one or two points as provisional.
Frequently asked questions
How fast are US online retail sales growing?
Growth of US nonstore retail sales, the monthly proxy for online retail, was 8.2% year over year in September 2026, after 6.3% a year earlier. Over the last twelve months it averaged 7.4%, and over the period shown the yearly rate ranged from 1.7% in July 2024 to 15.0% in July 2022.
Is online retail growing faster than total retail?
Mostly, yes. From July 2022 to September 2026, US nonstore sales grew faster than total retail sales excluding food services in every month but one, March 2025. That gap is what keeps pushing the online share of US retail upward.
Is nonstore the same as e-commerce?
Not exactly. It is the closest monthly official proxy: mostly electronic shopping, plus some mail order, minus the online sales that store-based chains report under their store category.
How is this different from the US e-commerce growth rate?
The e-commerce growth rate on this site is quarterly and counts online sales wherever they happen, including the online arms of store-based chains. This page is monthly and covers the nonstore segment, so it shows the pulse about a quarter sooner, while the quarterly series is the more complete measure.
Is this growth adjusted for inflation?
No. It is nominal growth in dollar sales, seasonally adjusted. When prices rise, part of the growth is higher prices rather than more orders, so compare it with your own nominal revenue growth.
Why does the latest month change after publication?
The first print is the Census Bureau's advance estimate, based on a subsample of retailers. It is revised in the following two monthly releases as fuller data arrives, so treat the latest one or two points as provisional.
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