Online Sales Are Growing Almost Twice as Fast as Retail. Is Your Shop Part of It?

Your shop might be busy on Saturdays. But on a Tuesday night, when a customer remembers they need a gift, a refill or another bag of your coffee, where do they buy it?

If the answer is "they don't, or they buy something else somewhere else," this article is for you.

The numbers from the US government

Every quarter, the US Census Bureau measures how much Americans spend in stores and online. The latest report, for the second quarter of 2026, shows two things clearly.

First, online sales grew 12.2% compared with a year earlier, while total retail grew 6.7%. Online is growing almost twice as fast.

Second, online is no longer a side channel. More than one in every six retail dollars is now spent online. And that's across all of retail, including groceries and gas, which most people still buy in person.

"But my customers like coming in"

They probably do, and that's your advantage. People who love your shop would often happily buy from you online too, if you gave them the option. The online store doesn't replace the visit. It catches the sales you're missing between visits:

• The regular who's out of town, or just can't get in this week
• The friend who heard about you but lives two towns over
• The customer who wants to order a gift and have it shipped
• The night owl who decides at 11 p.m. that they want it now
• The busy parent who'd rather order ahead and pick up at the counter

Phones are the new front door

When someone shops your store online, they're very likely on a phone. In the US, nearly half of all web visits now come from phones and tablets.

So whatever store you set up, judge it on your phone first. Can you see the products clearly? Is the price obvious? Can you add to cart and check out with your thumb, without zooming in? If it's awkward for you, it's awkward for your customers.

Which shops are a natural fit

Almost any small business that sells physical things can sell some of them online. A few that tend to do especially well:

• Bakeries and treat shops: pre-orders for cakes, cookie boxes and holiday trays, with pickup times
• Coffee roasters and tea shops: bags of beans and refills, a natural repeat purchase
• Boutiques: new arrivals, with sizes and colors to choose from
• Makers and crafters: candles, soap, jewelry, ceramics and prints
• Gift and plant shops: ready-made gift sets and local delivery

Your job for this week

1. Write down your ten best-selling products and their prices.
2. Take a clean, well-lit photo of each one. Your phone and a window are enough.
3. Decide how you'll get them to customers: shipping, local pickup, or both.
4. Pick the ways you'll accept payment.
5. Put those ten products online, and tell your regulars the next time they come in.

The shift to online shopping isn't coming. It's here, and it's still growing. The good news is that a small shop can join it in an afternoon.