In 2024, global retail e-commerce sales reached an estimated ************ U.S. dollars. Projections indicate a ** percent growth in this figure over the coming years, with expectations to come close to ************** dollars by 2028. World players Among the key players on the world stage, the American marketplace giant Amazon holds the title of the largest e-commerce player globally, with a gross merchandise value of nearly *********** U.S. dollars in 2024. Amazon was also the most valuable retail brand globally, followed by mostly American competitors such as Walmart and the Home Depot. Leading e-tailing regions E-commerce is a dormant channel globally, but nowhere has it been as successful as in Asia. In 2024, the e-commerce revenue in that continent alone was measured at nearly ************ U.S. dollars, outperforming the Americas and Europe. That year, the up-and-coming e-commerce markets also 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 ** percent.

Grocery store sales have grown dramatically since the 90’s. Since 1992, sales have more than doubled. The total sales generated by grocery stores in the United States in 2024 amounted to ***** billion U.S. dollars. Top Supermarket Chains The U.S. grocery retail market is dominated by chain supermarkets. In 2018 there were around ****** chain supermarket locations in the United States, compared to only ***** independent supermarkets. The leading American supermarket in terms of sales is the Kroger Company, which owns and operates several smaller supermarket chains across the United States. In 2023, Kroger’s total retail sales reached close to *** billion U.S. dollars. The runner-up, Albertsons, generated some **** billion U.S. dollars in sales that year. Americans at the Grocery Store Going to the grocery store is a familiar and comforting ritual for many Americans. In 2017, a survey of American households found that ** percent of Americans make a weekly trip to the grocery store, while some *** percent went to the grocery store four to seven times in a week. Although many products on the shelves of U.S. supermarkets claim to have various health benefits or that they were produced or sourced ethically, American consumers are most drawn to food products that claim to be fresh or farm-fresh.

Online shopping sales across India amounted to around ** billion U.S. dollars in 2021. The e-commerce market is likely to grow to over *** billion U.S. dollars by 2025. The e-commerce market in India is the fastest-growing market in the world. Online retail segments In fiscal year 2017, the retail market was led by electronics with a penetration rate of about ** percent. However, in terms of groceries, local offline vendors or kiranas continued to be the preferred choice for daily groceries due the ease of bargaining and benefitting from the ‘old-customer’ designation with extra rations as a gesture from the vendor. Nevertheless, the number of online shoppers in the country was estimated to increase to over *** million in 2025, up from around ** million in 2017. Impact of COVID-19 on the marketThe coronavirus outbreak in March 2020 caused a surge in prices across e-commerce platforms. Panic purchasing resulted in the shortage of sanitary and food items online as well as in physical stores across the country. As the online consumption continued to increase, unscrupulous sellers jacked up the prices on certain items. Amazon and Flipkart, the two e-commerce market leaders in India urged sellers and even blocked certain products to exercise responsible pricing. Manufacturers increased production in order to keep up with the supply of fast-moving items. With the uncertainty surrounding the impact of COVID-19, manufacturers and retailers will presumably have to work in unison to keep track of an unprecedented demand and supply scenario.

In the fiscal year ended January 31, 2024, Walmart's global net sales amounted to 642.6 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of approximately six percent in comparison to a year earlier.

Walmart Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton when he and his brother James “Bud” Walton opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City in Rogers, Arkansas. Since then, Walmart has grown to become the largest publicly-owned retail company in the world. In the United States, the company includes Walmart discount stores, supercenters, neighborhood markets, and Sam’s Club warehouse membership clubs. The company also has many international operations. Walmart is considered a variety store which focuses on low prices featuring apparel as well as hard goods, and has been committed to upholding their basic value of customer service. Beginning in the early 1990s, Walmart went to great lengths to increase their market share. They introduced a full line of groceries into their stores, diversified their market by appealing to certain ethnic groups through bilingual advertisements, and took steps to promote the awareness of environmental issues.As of 2024, Walmart operated 10,616 stores worldwide; with 4,615 of those stores located in the United States alone.