(1) The total sales arising from purchasing products online rather than walking into retail stores. The online economy began with the Internet in the mid-1990s. See
digital economy.
(2) The impact of COVID-19 on a country's economy. Also called the "pandemic economy," the online economy refers to the dramatic increase in online learning, online meetings and online sales when tens of millions of people stayed at home from 2020 to 2022. It also reflects the huge decrease in jobs, tourism, bar and restaurant business, inhabited office space, as well as public and private transportation. See
economies.