Retail market in the U.S. - statistics & facts
The United States has one of the largest retail markets in the world, and many of the biggest retail companies are located there. Over the last couple of decades, total retail sales in the United States have grown considerably, from just under three trillion U.S. dollars in 2000 to more than 7.2 trillion dollars in 2024. Quarterly consumer spending has also been climbing, surpassing 16.7 trillion dollars by the end of 2025, supporting expectations of continued growth.
Where Americans spend: from department stores to digital carts
One of the largest sectors within the United States retail market is general merchandise. This sector comprises stores that do not specialize in a single product type but offer a wide range of consumer goods, from apparel and home furnishings to electronics. These include department stores, dollar stores, and big-box retailers. In 2024,聽general merchandise stores made sales of approximately 940 billion U.S. dollars, continuing the pattern of constant year-on-year growth since 2009. In comparison, clothing and clothing accessories store sales amounted to roughly 304 billion dollars in the same year. Meanwhile, e-commerce's share of total U.S. retail sales surpassed 16 percent by the third quarter of 2025, underscoring the ongoing migration from physical stores to online channels.
Amazon vs. Walmart
Two of the largest retailers in the United States are Amazon and Walmart. Amazon is undoubtedly the leading company in the e-commerce market and one of the most trusted companies by consumers in the retail market. The company's total revenue surpassed 716 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, overtaking Walmart's fiscal year revenue for the first time. Still, Walmart remained the leading U.S. retailer based on retail sales in 2024, with roughly 569 billion U.S. dollars. Founded by Sam Walton in Arkansas in the 1960s, Walmart is one of the largest retail corporations in the United States and the world. With AI-powered shopping tools gaining traction among younger generations, the competition between these retail giants is moving further into the digital realm, suggesting the next chapter of American retail will be shaped as much by technology as by store footprint.
