What is B2C e-commerce? Business-to-consumer selling explained
B2C (business-to-consumer) is a business selling goods or services directly to individual people who buy for personal use. Most online stores are B2C: a shopper finds a product, pays at checkout by card or wallet, and receives it at home.
How big B2C e-commerce is
In its August 2026 release, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2026 at $340.2 billion, seasonally adjusted, or 17.1 percent of total retail sales. That estimate was up 12.2 percent from the second quarter of 2025, while total retail sales rose 6.7 percent over the same period.
How a B2C store makes money
B2C revenue is usually broken down as visitors × conversion rate × average order value. In a hypothetical month, 20,000 visitors converting at 2 percent produce 400 orders; at a $50 average order value, that is $20,000 in revenue. Raising any one of the three factors lifts the total, which is why B2C teams work on traffic, checkout friction and basket size in parallel.
Why the consumer label matters
Selling to consumers brings consumer protection rules that do not apply in the same way to business buyers. In the EU, the Consumer Rights Directive covers contracts between a trader and a consumer, defined as a natural person acting for purposes outside their trade, business, craft or profession. For most online purchases, the consumer has 14 days to withdraw without giving a reason, and goods must be delivered without undue delay and no later than 30 days after the contract unless agreed otherwise. In the United States, the FTC's Mail, Internet or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires a reasonable basis for any shipping time you advertise, or for shipping within 30 days if you state none.
Common confusions
- B2C vs DTC. B2C includes retailers selling other companies' brands. DTC is the narrower case of a brand selling its own products directly.
- B2C vs B2B. The same product can be sold both ways. What changes is the buyer: a business buying for its operations gets different prices, payment terms, tax treatment and legal protections.
- Small business buyers. A sole trader buying for their business is generally not a consumer under the EU definition, even if the order looks like a consumer one.