U.S. e-commerce growth slowed down in May, and sales of many popular categories declined!

It is learned that according to the "E-Commerce Pulse May 2023" released by Signifyd, US e-commerce sales in May increased by 2% year-on-year, which is basically the same as the performance of the previous month.

By category, sales of apparel, accessories and footwear increased 8% year-on-year in May, ranking first for the fifth consecutive month, with sales in fashion (12%) and shoes (19%) both increasing.

Sales in other categories were flat or down in May compared with the same period last year. Signifyd pointed out in the report that this may be because consumers continue to cut back on spending on non-essential items.

US e-commerce sales trends in May

Overall, U.S. e-commerce product sales increased 6% year-on-year in May 2023, and transaction volume increased 10% year-on-year. It is worth noting that the average order volume increased by 3%. Signifyd emphasized that this trend shows that "in difficult economic times, consumers spend less money to buy more goods. Consumers began to buy more low-priced goods and switched from branded goods to ordinary goods."

In May, sales of electronics were roughly flat compared to the same period last year. However, some categories within this vertical performed very well - sales of computer hardware increased by 47% and sales of musical instruments increased by 59%.

As in April, the other three key categories Signifyd tracks also underperformed in May. Home goods (4%), health and beauty (4%), and sporting goods (2%) all saw sales decline.

In the health and beauty sector, sales of cosmetics grew strongly by 12%, while sales of fitness equipment fell by 20%, according to Signifyd.

In the sporting goods sector, gift card sales soared 309%, but sales in other subcategories mostly declined. Among them, outdoor camping supplies fell 8% and leisure goods fell 4%. It is worth mentioning that the overall sales volume and order quantity of sporting goods increased by 34% and 10% respectively in May. The average order value fell by 4%.

In the home furnishings sector, online sales of home furnishings (-2%) and furniture and decoration (-7%) both declined year-on-year.

Editor ✎ Nicole/

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