11 Largest Online Retailers in the World

In this article, well reveal the 11 largest online retailers in the world based on net income. The retail industry is radically moving into the digital landscape. Many traditional retailers and brick-and-mortar stores are now establishing an online presence and building or improving their e-commerce sites. People now spend billions of dollars online and these giants take home the biggest share of that growing pie.

It’s not easy to name the e-commerce leaders in the retail industry since there are a lot of factors to be considered. In eMarketer’s list of the top 10 retailers worldwide based on their increase in retail sales in 2016, Amazon lead the pack with a $31.7 billion increase in retail sales. The online retail giant also dominates WWD’s list of the top 50 U.S retailers based on 2016 e-commerce sales.

The ranking is different on Forbes’ list of the world’s largest retailers for 2017. Some of the top names from other lists took a backseat, while Wal-Mart was named the largest retailer on the planet. Amazon isn’t far behind at third, while Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba made it to sixth place.

To come up with our list of the 11 largest online retailers in the world, we did a little digging to come up with a broad list of retailers as presented by eMarketer, WWD, and Forbes and then checked each one’s Annual Income Statement through MarketWatch. We tallied their net income for 2017 and then ranked them based on that data. Note, however, that since the list is based on company-wide net income, it’s unclear what percentage amounts to online sales. For consistency’s sake, we excluded companies that didn’t have annual financial reports available on MarketWatch.

Considering their 2017 net income in US dollars, the biggest players in the digital retail industry are: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA), Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY), Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST), Home Depot Inc. (NYSE:HD), Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR), Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE), Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD), Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT), and Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT). Read on to see where each company ranks on the list of the 11 largest online retailers in the world.

If you love this list, don’t forget to check out our list of the 11 biggest e-commerce websites in the world.

11. Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY)

Founded by Richard Schulze in 1966, Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY) soon became the leading provider of technology products, solutions and services through its more than 1,500 stores in North America, including its Best Buy e-commerce and mobile stores. Aside from the U.S, Best Buy also has physical and online stores in Canada and Mexico.

10. Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR)

Guided by its stated purpose of Feeding the Human Spirit, Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR) is now one of the largest retailers in the world with around 2,800 grocery retail stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia. It also runs 783 convenience stores under six banners in 19 states. In 2016, Kroger added an additional 420 locations to its online ordering system, increasing the number of stores that process online orders to more than 640.

9. Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD)

While it is known as the leading home appliance retailer, Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ:SHLD) also provides fitness equipment and tools, as well solutions and services for lawn and garden upkeep and automotive repair and maintenance. It is also the country’s biggest provider of home services.

8. Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Operating through three segments—North America, International and Amazon Web Services (AWS)—this online retail giant provides the world with a wide range of products and services. Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s name is synonymous with online shopping and the company is even increasingly stealing some of Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s thunder when it comes to product searches. A Gartner report from last year stated that 55% of product searches in 2016 took place on Amazon’s online turf.

7. Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT)

Since its establishment way back in 1902, Target has been recognized for its dependable merchandise, fair business practices, and generous spirit. These traits, plus its passion for innovation, have molded Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) into the second-largest discount store retailer in the U.S. It runs more than 1,830 stores across the country.

6. Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST)

Making it to the top six on the list of the 11 largest online retailers in the world list is Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST), a membership warehouse club providing members with the best possible prices on high-quality, brand-name merchandise. It has hundreds of locations across the globe, offering a wide variety of merchandise along with exclusive member services.

5. Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE)

An American multinational corporation, Nike Inc. (NYSE:NKE) designs, develops, and markets products and services for today’s athletes while continuing its mission to drive product innovation for athletes around the world. Headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, Nike is recognized not only as the world’s largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel but also as a major producer of sports equipment.

4. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA)

Driven by its mission to make it easy to do business anywhere, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) has always been committed to helping businesses improve the way they operate, market and sell. The company’s leading platform for global wholesale trade—Alibaba.com—was launched in 1999 and now caters to millions of suppliers and online buyers across the globe.

3. Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD)

Despite its humble beginnings, Home Depot Inc (NYSE:HD) has managed to become one of the biggest home improvement retailers in the world. With over 2,200 stores across North America, it brings the Home Depot difference by making sure it excels in service not only to its customers and associates, but to local communities as well.

2. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT)

Much like your neighborhood Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) store, the company’s e-commerce site features a huge selection of top-quality merchandise offered at “Every Day Low Prices”. Besides making the customer No. 1 by serving their needs first, it is the company’s secondary mission to provide people with easy access to more of what Walmart offers, and that is evident in the company’s online availability of more than a million products.

1. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Topping our list of the 11 largest online retailers in the world is Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), a multinational technology company that designs, develops, and markets mobile communication and media devices, portable digital music players, and personal computers. It also provides an array of related software, services, accessories, networking solutions, and third-party digital content and applications through the iTunes Store, App Store, Mac App Store, television APP Store, iBooks Store, and Apple Music.

Disclosure: None