Today the concept of e-commerce has become commonly used, and e-commerce has become an integral part of commercial transactions. An increase in the number of global Internet users is the driver of increase in the number of e-commerce transactions. The introduction and role of e-commerce is not well-understood by any manager of a small and medium enterprise. It takes time and money to introduce e-commerce in business, especially in retailing. Enterprise managers need a clear e-commerce introduction strategy to see the potential benefits. The introduction of e-commerce requires a supportive environment affected by various factors. The pace of factor development depends on each country’s ability to take appropriate measures to shape the environment. Latvia and the European Union (EU) have developed policy documents and a relevant legal framework as well as introduced support programs to contribute to an environment conducive to e-commerce in retailing. In Latvia, businesspersons have access to various e-commerce platforms for retail. Research methods. The present research employed general research methods, logical construction as well as analysis and synthesis. The research period: data were analyzed for the period from 2010 to 2020. The sources of information used: specific economic literature, research documents and scientific conference papers, WorldData, EU legal documents, Eurostat data, World Trade Organization data, laws of the Republic of Latvia, data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia as well as eBay, Amazon, Etsy and website ss.com data.