Why Global E-Commerce Is Growing: Buyers and Frequency
Global e-commerce revenues reached US$4.89 trillion in 2025 and are projected to surpass US$5 trillion by 2026. The ECDB Revenue Equation shows what is fueling this growth.
Monthly E-Commerce Wrap-Up
January e-commerce sees slowing revenues from holiday peaks, but some markets are still ahead of others. Find out all about the specifics.

Nadine Koutsou-Wehling
Data Journalist
February 03, 2026
Market Trends

One year has passed, and the monthly recap is back in a new format. January set a tone for what's ahead with global e-commerce revenues reaching US$384.2 billion. This marks a slowdown from the previous holiday peak, but is still up 11.5% from January in 2025.
Revenue growth was led by two major markets:
The United States, with a 10.1% increase, and
Greater China, close behind at 10.5% growth.
Other regions followed at a slower pace. South Korea, in particular, lagged behind the global average with a 7.0% year-on-year revenue increase.
In terms of product categories, Care Products stood out as the fastest-growing segment, with 12.4% growth, closely followed by Furniture & Homeware at 12.1%.
The DIY category also expanded, though at a more moderate pace of 9.2%.
When it comes to fulfillment, a few global players continue to dominate online retail logistics:
UPS leads with an online store penetration of 25.8%
FedEx follows at 24.1%
USPS ranks third with 21.8%
Alongside shipping, we’ve also included a snapshot of the leading providers in payment solutions and shop software, offering a broader view of the e-commerce infrastructure powering global online sales.
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