The latest Omnisend ecommerce study highlights a sharp rebound in U.S. online shopping in 2025, while also revealing how unevenly that growth was distributed across brands. The findings matter for the MarTech ecosystem because they show how data driven automation and timing are becoming decisive advantages as consumer attention grows more selective.
According to Omnisend’s eighth annual ecommerce marketing study, total ecommerce order volume across all channels in the United States increased 147 percent year over year in 2025. The analysis examined sales activity from tens of thousands of U.S. based small and mid sized ecommerce brands and found that the gains were heavily concentrated. The top five percent of brands accounted for 54 percent of total order growth, indicating that a relatively small group captured the majority of renewed demand.
The Omnisend ecommerce study connects this concentration to changes in how shoppers responded to marketing. Engagement with emails, SMS messages, and push notifications declined overall, yet the value of each interaction increased. Shoppers clicked less often, but when they did engage, they were more likely to complete a purchase and spend more per order. This dynamic rewarded brands that could react quickly to customer behavior instead of relying on broad, scheduled campaigns.
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“What we saw in 2025 reflects the broader U.S. economy – growth came back, but it didn’t reach everyone,” says Marty Bauer, Ecommerce Expert at Omnisend. “After years of inflation and uncertainty, people were still willing to spend, but they were much more intentional about where they spent their money. Brands that were able to react quickly to customer behavior had a clear advantage, while others found it harder to keep up.”
Data from the study shows that average order value rose from 149 dollars to 182 dollars, a 22 percent increase. Average revenue per email also climbed, even as email click rates declined significantly. At the same time, the likelihood that a click would turn into a purchase increased sharply, signaling stronger buying intent behind fewer interactions.
“Clicks became harder to get in 2025, but they also became more valuable,” says Marty Bauer. “Shoppers were more selective, but when they did engage, they were ready to spend more. That’s why fewer interactions still produced more revenue — each click carried more intent than it did before. That shift rewarded brands that focused on efficiency and relevance, rather than volume.”
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A major driver of this efficiency was behavior based automation. The study found that automated messages generated a disproportionate share of revenue compared to their volume. Although they represented a very small fraction of total sends, they delivered significantly higher revenue per message and stronger conversion performance across email, SMS, and push channels.
“Brands that relied on automation weren’t trying to convince people to buy – they were responding when customers had already shown intent,” says Marty Bauer. “In a year when attention was limited and shoppers had more options than ever, that approach worked better.”
Taken together, the Omnisend ecommerce study underscores a broader industry shift. Growth has returned to U.S. ecommerce, but success increasingly depends on precision, relevance, and speed. For marketers, the results highlight how behavior driven automation and real time engagement are becoming essential tools for capturing demand in a more competitive and selective market.
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