Global e-Commerce Sales Continue Upward Momentum
If you thought that e-commerce sales would plateau after a busy holiday season, think again.
According to eMarketer, annual global e-commerce sales are set to double over the next four years, to about $4.1 trillion. In 2016, all e-commerce sales worldwide hit $1.9 trillion, up from $1.5 trillion in 2015.
And the world’s top two online retailers are barely tapping into a fast-growing trend, even though their sales keep increasing at a rapid clip.
For example, Amazon’s revenue climbed 22 percent year-over-year. Additionally, the company’s total 2016 sales increase 27 percent, reaching a whopping $136 billion.
Walmart showed healthy growth in its e-commerce business last year, increasing more than 15 percent year-over-year, and its U.S. e-commerce sales gained 35 percent on the prior year’s quarter.
It highlighted several recent e-commerce and omnichannel investments that helped drive its online sales growth such as:
To keep Amazon in its sights, Walmart continues to enhance its online presence. At the same time, it is exploring ways to bridge its online and in-store sales and operations. Recently, they began offering free two-day shipping on online orders of more than $35. This esulted in an uptick in online sales.
According to Business Insider, this shipping policy is clearly aimed at undercutting Amazon, which offers free two-day shipping for its Prime members who pay an annual $99 membership fee. Walmart also acquired online shoe retailer ShoeBuy and outdoor apparel and gear e-tailer Moosejaw, in efforts to gain more online sales, while expanding its product offerings for a higher-end customer segment.
Even with its impressive growth and investments, Walmart’s total global e-commerce sales still make up a small fraction of its business. For example, online sales make up only 3 percent of total sales. This means that the retailer lags behind Amazon with a long way to go in the global e-commerce space.
Want to give your business a competitive edge in the digital space? Explore our smart locker solutions to enhance your customers’ experience, from online order to in-store pickup.
Have a question or need technical support? Our operational support team is available 24/7/365 in the U.S. and Canada.