Key stat: 53.3% of US digital buyers purchased clothing online in the past 30 days, more than 20 percentage points ahead of the next-closest category, pet products (32.5%), according to a February survey from Bizrate Insights and EMARKETER.

Beyond the chart:

• That volume comes with a bill. Apparel will account for roughly 30% of all US ecommerce returns this year, and size-related issues drive about 44% of returns overall, according to Shorr.
• Meanwhile, a growing share of those clothing dollars is landing on used inventory. Consumers plan to spend 34% of their apparel budget on secondhand over the next 12 months, and Gen Z and millennial shoppers put that number at 46%, according to ThredUp and GlobalData.

Use this chart: Drop this in your category planning deck to show where online demand actually concentrates. Clothing is the only category clearing 50% in any age group, so use it to defend apparel budget share, and pair it with the returns math before anyone treats that volume as pure upside.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• US Apparel, Footwear, and Accessories Ecommerce Benchmarks: Q2 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• US Ecommerce Returns 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the March 2026 "The EMARKETER Ecommerce Survey" conducted by Bizrate Insights. 1,004 US adults ages 18 to 65 were surveyed online during February 2-March 1, 2026. Respondents identified as female (50.9%) and male (49.1%) and were ages 18-34 (33.5%), 35-54 (33.4%), and 55-65 (33.2%). Data has a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval. Respondents were members of Bizrate Rewards, the Bizrate Consumer Panel operated by Bizrate Insights, which is comprised of over 2 million panelists who provide feedback based on their experiences and opinions. The Bizrate Rewards panel is comprised of a broad demographic profile which represents a sampling of all ages, education levels, genders, and incomes. At the time of joining the panel, each panelist stated they had shopped online. In exchange for providing feedback, panelists have the opportunity to earn points, which can be exchanged for electronic gift cards. This survey, provided by Bizrate Insights on behalf of EMARKETER, provides a monthly consumer pulse of digital shopping behavior and intent.