Retail is Everywhere

Retail is everywhere. It’s online, in-store and a mix of both. Retail is competitive and full of opportunity for shoppers and retailers of all sizes. Innovation in retail offers convenience, choice and low prices for shoppers everywhere. Americans believe retail is working for them, and don’t want or need the government to get involved.

Read Our Report on the History of Data in Retail

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Shoppers preferences are constantly evolving, and they expect retailers to respond

Customers are rewarding retailers of all sizes that offer a mix of both online and offline channels so shoppers can shop when they want and how they want.

Retailers are constantly innovating

Retail is not stagnant. To keep differentiating among competitors, retailers are innovating to offer consumers more choice and convenience. This has led to more ways of doing business and lower costs.

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Shoppers have lots of choices of who to buy from and how to buy

Shoppers are using a mix of both online and offline channels to conduct research, compare prices, and select the fulfillment option that is most convenient to them for each purchase.

Retailers have and use a mix of online and offline tools to reach shoppers

Retailers don’t just have one way to sell to shoppers. New research found that the typical small business seller uses five different sales methods. The most popular sales methods include physical stores, wholesaling, online marketplaces and business web stores.

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Shoppers value convenience now more than ever

As shoppers return to physical stores, they want the digital options to stay. 83% of shoppers expect omnichannel shipping and fulfillment options such as curbside pickup and buy online, pick up in-store to continue.

Small and medium-sized retailers can compete on a global scale

It is easier than ever to start a business. Sellers can create a website with Shopify, start a social media account, partner with an online marketplace or do all three to sell their products and reach shoppers worldwide.

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Retail is Everywhere: Facts

For every dollar consumers spend, 75 cents go to retailers outside of the five largest retailers.

The five largest retailers in the United States do not account for the majority of the retail marketplace.

The average small and mid-sized seller uses five sales methods, mixing both online and offline channels.

The four most popular are: physical retail stores (79%), wholesaling (78%), 3rd party online marketplaces (68%), and a seller’s owned and operated web store (68%).

Small and mid-sized sellers also frequently use more than one competitive vendor within sales methods.

Taking online marketplaces—a staggering 87% of small and mid-sized sellers on Amazon’s online marketplace also sell on at least one other online marketplace.

85% of shoppers feel that shopping is more convenient than ever.

Consumers are enjoying and benefiting from omnichannel shopping and fulfillment options like curbside pick-up, same-day delivery, and buy online/pick-up in store.

What is retail?

Retail is everywhere. It happens both online, offline and retailers can reach shoppers in-store, online, over social media, and across an endless combination of modes and platforms. This expansive marketplace has led to an explosion of innovation, choice, and competition. Consumers of all types benefit from the ever changing nature of retail.

Defining Retail

Can small and mid-sized businesses succeed?

Yes. There has never been an easier time to launch a new small business. With omnichannel tools, entrepreneurs can start their new business from the comfort of their living room. Those businesses can immediately connect with a worldwide audience by utilizing websites, apps, social media, and marketplaces. The current state of retail enables smaller retailers to compete alongside bigger ones

Small Succeeds

Don’t incumbent retailers push out smaller retailers?

Retail is intensely competitive and 75% of the industry is untouched by the biggest retailers.

Americans spend the vast majority of their dollars supporting retailers other than those largest businesses.

Competition

Would regulation make retail better?

Many of the proposals in Congress would simply enable the government, instead of consumers, to pick winners and losers. Fundamentally, Congress’ proposals are solutions in search of a problem. There is no evidence to suggest that government intervention would make retail any better, but they would make retail worse. American consumers agree resoundingly that the retail marketplace offers them choice and convenience.

Regulation

The voices of sellers matter

This project within NetChoice’s Retail is Everywhere campaign seeks to amplify the voices of sellers, featuring small business owners or entrepreneurs operating on their own, on e-commerce marketplaces by telling their stories and explaining how regulatory action impacts them—in their own words.

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The inspiring journey of Curio Press

Curio Press is a thriving stationery and personalized goods business based in St. Louis, Missouri, but its origins are humble – stemming from a time of personal hardship for Alexis. Behind the polished products we purchase online are human stories of perseverance, imagination, and the arduous pursuit of sustainability.

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How a family engineered success in the cookware market with Avacraft

Avacraft’s story exemplifies the incredible power of e-commerce for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Asha and Vivek Kangralkar’s journey from frustrated customers to successful business owners highlights how online marketplaces have democratized retail, allowing passionate individuals to bring innovative products directly to consumers worldwide.

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