In 2023, global retail e-commerce sales reached an estimated 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars. Projections indicate a 39 percent growth in this figure over the coming years, with expectations to surpass eight trillion dollars by 2027.

World players Among the key players on the world stage, the Chinese retail giant Alibaba holds the title of the largest e-commerce retailer globally, accounting for a 23 percent market share. Nevertheless, forecasts suggest that by 2027, Seattle-based e-commerce powerhouse Amazon will surpass Alibaba in estimated sales, reaching a staggering 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in online sales.

Leading e-tailing countries The Chinese e-commerce market was the biggest worldwide in 2023, as internet sales constituted almost half of the country's retail transactions. Indonesia ranked second with the highest share of retail sales online (32 percent), closely trailed by the United Kingdom and South Korea, exceeding the 30 percent mark. That year, the up-and-coming e-commerce markets centered around Asia. The Philippines and India stood out as the swiftest-growing e-commerce markets based on online sales, anticipating a growth rate surpassing 20 percent.

During the second quarter of 2024, digital commerce revenue in the Nordic countries decreased by half compared to the previous quarter and it kept decreasing in the fourth quarter of 2024. Digital commerce in the Nordics The Nordic countries have seen a decline in e-commerce, and it is most prevalent among shopping on desktop devices. In the second quarter of 2023, there was a five percent YoY decrease in digital commerce on computers in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. Similarly, Nordic countries only recorded a conversion rate of 1.4 percent in the third quarter of the year, lower than the global average of 1.9 percent. Nordic e-shoppers The way consumers shop online varies from country to country, even in the Nordics. In 2022, Norway had the highest number of consumers who purchased goods via the internet out of all the Nordic countries, at more than 90 percent. Norway was closely followed by Denmark, with around 88 percent of Danes engaging in e-commerce. Finland had the lowest share of shoppers who bought items online, at roughly 79 percent. The devices used to make purchases also vary. In the second quarter of 2023, more than half of Swedes used their mobile phones to place orders online. This was the highest percentage in the Northern region.

In 2023, retail e-commerce sales in the United States reached an estimated 275 million U.S. dollars, up from 142 million dollars in 2019. E-commerce's growth trajectory Driven by the escalating integration of technology into daily life, e-commerce has witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity. Projections indicate a significant uptick in e-commerce users in the United States, rising from 254 million in 2023 to over 316 million by 2028. As of the outset of 2023, apparel and accessories ranked as the most sought-after e-commerce product category, comprising over 18 percent of all retail sales in the U.S. This trend persists despite inflationary pressures, positioning this category among the e-commerce segments experiencing the most significant year-on-year price changes. M-commerce users demographic While the demand for the convenience of purchasing from the palm of one's hand is also rapidly increasing, various demographic factors influence mobile commerce usage. There's a higher proportion of male online shoppers than females, with a split of 53 percent versus 47 percent. Age is another determinant. Younger consumers exhibit a greater inclination towards m-commerce, with 46 percent of mobile shoppers falling within the 18 to 24 age bracket. Furthermore, income levels also shape mobile shopping habits, with individuals earning less than 25,000 U.S. dollars annually showing the highest propensity for mobile-based purchases.

The revenue in the e-commerce market in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 657.8 billion U.S. dollars (+53.79 percent). After the tenth consecutive increasing year, the indicator is estimated to reach 1.9 trillion U.S. dollars and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the revenue of the e-commerce market was continuously increasing over the past years.Find other key market indicators concerning the average revenue per user (ARPU) and number of users. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

Forecasts indicate significant growth in the e-commerce sectors of Asia and America in 2023. Topping the list are Mexico and the Philippines, poised for a surge of approximately 25 percent and 24 percent in online sales, respectively. Following closely behind, Malaysia secures the third spot with an 18 percent growth rate. Meanwhile, Argentina and Brazil were expected to outpace other nations, with e-retail sales forecast to grow by over 15 percent.

A growing global e-retail market Partly fueled by a rapid increase in internet users worldwide over recent years, along with mobility constraints and the shutdown of physical stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, the global e-commerce retail market expanded fourfold from 2014 to 2022. Central to this growth has been the widespread adoption of mobile commerce, which entails online shopping through smartphones, particularly prominent in various regions of the global South. Forecasts suggested that m-commerce sales in Argentina are poised to surge by around 2.4 times between 2022 and 2026.

Fast-growing markets fueled by local players While online retail giants Amazon and Alibaba Group wield global dominance in the e-commerce landscape, they do not hold the top positions in many of the fastest-growing e-commerce markets. Based on monthly website traffic, Singaporean e-retailer Shopee is the leading e-commerce site in Singapore by a significant margin. This trend is even more pronounced in Argentina, where Mercado Libre garners nearly 50 times the traffic witnessed on Amazon's Spanish page, amazon.es.

In 2023, Brazil was the top e-commerce market in Latin America, with a revenue of around 95 billion U.S. dollars. Forecasts indicate that this figure will soar to 150 billion by 2027. Mexico secured the second position with sales amounting to 58 billion dollars, projected to grow to 88 billion within the same timeframe.

In 2023, Germany recorded nearly 80 billion euros in gross revenue from e-commerce goods, according to the German E-commerce and Distance Selling Trade Association (bevh). This statistic highlights a comparison of market evaluations conducted by bevh and the German Retail Association (HDE) concerning the development of the German online retail sector. Online retail industries The growth of online markets and retail is primarily fueled by certain industries. While some categories, like groceries, are still predominantly purchased in physical stores, sectors such as electronics, fashion & accessories, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) have become most dominant in the online space. Electronics, in particular, held a significant share of online retail, outperforming other categories in terms of sales volume. Online marketplaces In 2021, e-commerce accounted for around 27 percent of total retail sales in Germany, with projections indicating this share could exceed one-third by 2026. The top online marketplace by net sales in Germany was amazon.de, followed by German online retail companies otto.de and zalando.de. While these platforms have seen consistent growth, online retailers have faced numerous challenges in recent years. Nearly three-quarters of online retailers viewed inflation in Europe and its impact on consumer spending as one of the most pressing issues.

The e-commerce market in India is experiencing substantial growth, with the overall market size reaching 116 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The segment with the highest market size was smartphones, valued at 35 billion U.S. dollars. This underscores the increasing significance of e-commerce in the Indian retail landscape, reflecting a shift in consumer behavior and preferences toward online shopping. E-commerce sector growth The e-commerce industry is experiencing fierce competition due to the presence of domestic and international companies. The e-commerce market size was estimated to be 123 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. This growth is fuelled by the increasing smartphone penetration, internet user base, and other favorable market conditions. Notably, the revenue growth of the e-commerce market has been consistently high, with over 15 percent as of 2024. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) market trends The e-commerce sector in India is witnessing a significant transformation. Especially, the D2C market is rapidly expanding and is expected to reach 100 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. One factor contributing to the D2C boom is the convenience of establishing online stores. Additionally, a great combination of major and mid-sized investors has supported India's D2C initiative. Over two billion U.S. dollars were invested in D2C brands.

As of June 2022, Amazon accounted for 37.8 percent of the U.S. e-commerce market, making it the country’s leading online retailer by a considerable margin. Second place was occupied by the e-commerce site of the retail chain Walmart, with a 6.3 percent market share, followed in third place by Apple, with 3.9 percent.

Amazon’s continued success

Amazon has long dominated the e-commerce market as the world’s favorite online marketplace. In 2022, company hit over half a trillion U.S. dollars in net sales. The United States is by far Amazon’s most profitable market, as the U.S. branch generated over 356 billion U.S. dollars in sales in 2022. Germany ranked second, with 33 billion dollars, followed closely by the United Kingdom with 30 billion dollars.

Online shopping on the rise

Online shopping has grown significantly over the past decade, with more people turning to the internet for their shopping needs. The proof is in the numbers: the U.S. e-commerce industry was worth almost a trillion dollars in 2023. By 2027, forecasts show that the online market will grow to more than 50 percent. U.S. online shoppers purchase fashion and food and beverages the most via the internet.

During the third quarter of 2024, the digital commerce revenue in the Netherlands increased. The previous recorded growth was measured at three percent, in the first quarter of 2024 and again in the third quarter. Key market figures The Dutch e-commerce market was valued at around 35 billion euros in 2023, marking a three percent growth compared to the previous year. This growth is indicative of the increasing significance of online retail in the country, with online shopping accounting for more than three percent of the GDP. Additionally, the significant increase in revenue generated by online supermarkets further emphasizes the growing influence of digital commerce in the retail sector. Desktop versus mobile E-commerce traffic on both computers and mobile devices in the Netherlands has witnessed notable changes, with mobile commerce enjoying steady growth. While e-commerce activity on computers declined in the third quarter of 2023, mobile commerce saw a two percent increase compared to the previous year. The surge in mobile commerce indicates a shift in consumer preferences towards convenient and accessible online shopping experiences, highlighting the need for businesses to optimize their platforms for mobile users.

In 2023, it is expected that the growth of e-commerce retail sales across Latin America will be 15.4 percent. While the three biggest Latin American economies (Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina) are expected to post double digit growth, only Brazil is predicted to grow at a rate faster than the regional average.

Apparel and accessories was the e-commerce category with the highest share in total retail sales in the United States as of February 2023. 18.3 percent of all retail sales in the fashion segment were generated online. The category with the second-highest percentage of retail sales in the U.S. was furniture, at 15.7 percent. At the other end of the spectrum, office equipment and supplies had the lowest share of retail sales, below two percent.

The continuous rise of e-commerce

Online shopping is on the rise in the United States. The share of all retail sales in the U.S. stemming from online shopping has increased from 4.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010 to a record-breaking 15.6 percent in the third quarter of 2023. Consequently, the sales of retail e-commerce have surged from 39 million U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2010 to more than 280 billion U.S. dollars in the third quarter of 2023. This boom is forecast to continue over the next few years, with the estimated revenue from online sales, including digital services, reaching 1.72 trillion U.S. dollars by 2027.

The king of e-commerce

In the United States, the number of online shoppers continues to grow. In 2023, there were more than a quarter of a million online shoppers, and the number is forecast to reach over 300 million by 2028. The most popular online shopping destination in the U.S., Amazon, sees a surge of shoppers during certain shopping occasions, which feature appealing bargains that encourage extravagant spending. In 2023, the biggest increase in sales occurred on Black Friday, with an increase of nearly 35 percent. Amazon's deal event for Prime members, Prime Day, saw 17 percent more sales. As for Cyber Monday, sales went up by 13 percent.

In 2023, the online channels' share of total retail sales reached 15.4 percent in the United States. This represented an increase compared to 2022, when it was 14.6 percent.

According to recent industry calculations, Turkey's compound annual growth rate until 2029 is the highest among the top 20 e-commerce markets worldwide. The Turkish e-commerce market is currently valued at 3.4 trillion Turkish lira. India and Brazil are also among the fastest-growing e-commerce markets globally, with CAGRs of over 11 percent. Will the United States be the global e-commerce leader? By 2026, the American online retail market value is forecast to surpass the 1.5 trillion U.S. dollar mark. Although the forecasted growth is strong, the American e-commerce market is not the world's biggest. In fact, the Chinese e-commerce market surpassed a value of one trillion U.S. dollars back in 2021, and is forecast to approach two trillion U.S. dollars in 2027. Different KPIs lead to different insights The Chinese and American online shopping markets are neck-and-neck, depending on the KPI selected. For instance, the average revenue per user is a useful KPI to determine the penetration rate of e-commerce in a country. For the U.S., the ARPU stands at roughly 4,650 U.S. dollars as of 2025. In China, this value is much lower, at just over 1,3000 U.S. dollars.

In 2023, the total trade volume of the retail e-commerce market of China reached 15.43 trillion yuan. This indicated a year-over-year increase of around 12 percent.

In 2023, e-commerce sales in France amounted to approximately 160 billion euros. This represents an increase of nearly 10.5 percent compared to the previous year when online sales were approximately 144.7 billion euros.

Key players In the fourth quarter of 2023, Amazon emerged as the leading e-commerce platform in France, attracting an average of 39 million unique monthly visitors. Leboncoin followed in second place, with an average traffic of 26.7 million monthly visitors. Notably, E.Leclerc experienced a notable increase in average monthly traffic, signaling its growing prominence in the French online grocery landscape.

Fashion leads the way As of 2023, fashion was the most purchased product category online in France, and one player stood out in this segment. The Chinese fast-fashion company Shein ranked second after Amazon in the top online stores in the French e-commerce market in 2023, garnering an estimated 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in e-commerce net sales that year, racking up more online sales than the likes of Boulanger, Apple and Cdiscount.

In 2023, retail dominated the e-commerce landscape in Latin America, estimated to encompass over half of the market share. Concurrently, the travel sector represented 13 percent of online sales, trailing behind ride-hailing and delivery apps, streaming services, and gaming.

In 2023, the Dutch e-commerce market was valued at around 35 billion euros. The Netherlands’ e-commerce market grew roughly three percent in 2023 when compared to 2022. That year, Dutch consumers spent roughly 33 billion euros on online purchases and orders. This makes the country the seventh-largest e-commerce market in Europe in absolute terms and online shopping made up more than three percent of their GDP. Consequently, around 365 million online purchases were made by 14 million buyers.

COVID-19 to increase online purchases further

Unsurprisingly, the use of e-commerce in the Netherlands increased since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. Survey information from May 2020 revealed that all product categories saw an increase in online sales during lockdown. Interestingly, this increase is believed to persist in the future once COVID-19 has passed. Dutch consumers especially show an intention to keep buying hardware and tools online, whereas fashion is predicted to stay at the same level as it was before the pandemic. Online medication and online grocery shopping are also to see an increase but are believed to still play a relatively marginal role in Dutch e-commerce.

Online performance of supermarkets

Before the coronavirus hit the Netherlands, its market size for online grocery shopping was believed to have stabilized at roughly one billion euros at the end of 2019. This according to survey results. The same source behind this survey revealed that the revenue generated by supermarkets online increased significantly to 2.2 billion euros as of June 2021.

Online retail sales in Colombia are forecast to generate more than 15.29 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. That represents an increase of over 360 percent in comparison to the 3.33 billion dollars in e-commerce sales recorded in 2018. Multimedia products correspond to one of the categories predicted to expand in terms of online sales in Colombia.

In 2023, e-commerce revenue went up by 27.14 percent in Italy. This represented a significant growth but still a slowdown compared to the growth registered in 2021 (33 percent). As the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, the year-over-year change registered a negative trend for the first time in more than a decade. Why do Italians shop online? E-commerce growth in popularity is due to different reasons. Mainly, it appears that online shopping is generally convenient and fast compared to offline shopping, which attracts many users. In fact, a survey conducted among Italians in 2022 revealed that convenient prices and home delivery were the main reasons to shop online. Also, the latest ranked as first purchase driver in online grocery shopping, according to a 2023 survey. Mobile is key In the last quarter of 2022, nearly 40 percent of the online purchases of Italian customers were finalized via desktop. In the same period, purchases carried out via smartphone accounted for 61 percent of the total, whereas purchases made via tablet represented only two percent of the total. Smartphones were even more relevant in online traffic, as they accounted for about 80 percent of online visits to e-commerce sites.