$326.7B
U.S. retail e-commerce sales in Q1 2026
The Census Bureau’s seasonally adjusted estimate for the first quarter of 2026.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales Report, May 18, 2026 ↗RETAIL REFERENCE
U.S. boutique retail statistics.
Current, citable figures on e-commerce, apparel retail, returns and the independent businesses shaping the retail landscape.
Last updated July 21, 2026
THE SNAPSHOT
The numbers behind a changing retail market.
Independent boutiques operate where product curation, online selling and customer confidence meet. This reference gathers the latest available U.S. figures from government and industry sources in one place.
16.9%
Share of U.S. retail sales made online in Q1 2026
E-commerce accounted for nearly one in six retail dollars in the Census Bureau’s seasonally adjusted estimate.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales Report, May 18, 2026 ↗+9.8%
Year-over-year growth in U.S. retail e-commerce sales
The first-quarter 2026 e-commerce estimate grew faster than total retail sales, which rose 3.9% over the same period.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-Commerce Sales Report, May 18, 2026 ↗+4.8%
Year-over-year growth for clothing and accessories stores
June 2026 sales in this retail category rose from June 2025, based on seasonally adjusted Census estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey, July 16, 2026 ↗+5.6%
Year-over-year growth for clothing and accessories stores across April-June 2026
The three-month period rose from the same three months a year earlier.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey, July 16, 2026 ↗+14.2%
Year-over-year growth for nonstore retailers
June 2026 sales for the Census nonstore-retailer category rose from June 2025.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey, July 16, 2026 ↗$849.9B
Projected retail returns in 2025
The National Retail Federation estimates this total across the U.S. retail industry.
Source: National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, 2025 Retail Returns Landscape, October 15, 2025 ↗19.3%
Estimated share of online sales returned in 2025
The National Retail Federation’s estimate highlights why product information and return policies matter for online retail.
Source: National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, 2025 Retail Returns Landscape, October 15, 2025 ↗82%
Online shoppers who say free returns matter
This is the share of surveyed consumers who called free returns an important consideration when shopping online.
Source: National Retail Federation and Happy Returns, 2025 Retail Returns Landscape, October 15, 2025 ↗2.8M
Small businesses in U.S. retail trade
The U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 profile counts 2,813,437 small retail businesses.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 2025 Small Business Profile: United States ↗99.9%
Share of U.S. businesses that are small businesses
The 2025 national profile reports 36.2 million small businesses in the United States.
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 2025 Small Business Profile: United States ↗METHOD & SOURCES
How to read these figures.
These statistics describe the U.S. retail market and may use different reporting periods, survey methods and category definitions. Dollar figures are reported as published and are not adjusted for inflation unless the source says otherwise.
Each figure links directly to its original release. The page is reviewed monthly, or sooner when a key source publishes a newer figure.
Cite this page: Jones & Ivy Collections, Inc. (2026). U.S. Boutique Retail Statistics. Retrieved July 21, 2026, from https://jonesivycollectionsinc.com/boutique-retail-statistics.