The overall retail market is growing steadily, contrary to reports of retail’s death: Forrester Data shows that total US retail sales grew 2.4% in 2016 and 3.8% in the first half of 2017. Key indicators of this growth include healthy consumer confidence, an uptick in retail imports, and growth in retail jobs, including expanding digital teams. Forrester’s latest forecast also covers:

  • Growth in the retail market. Forrester forecasts that the US retail market in 2017 will total $3.56 trillion, up 3.8% from last year. Of the overall retail sales, US online sales will reach more than $459 billion this year, accounting for 12.9% of total retail sales and up 13% from 2016.

  • Online sales. Online sales will account for 17% of the total retail sales market by 2022. Clothing, consumer electronics, and computers account for almost one-third of total online sales.

  • Amazon’s dominance in the market. Amazon’s global net retail product sales grew 19% year-over-year in 2016. Forrester estimates that one-third of retail spending is made through the online pure player.

  • Streaming drives sales. Online music streaming sales accounted for $2.5 billion in 2016, which is approximately one-third of all music sales in the US. Digital video sales were $10 billion in 2016, and subscription streaming accounted for roughly $6 billion, with another $4 billion through video on demand.

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