The World’s Best E-commerce Retailers Set to Hit $6.56 Trillion in 2025

The Top E-commerce Powerhouses of the World

• Alibaba: Launched an AI-powered B2B search engine called Accio, reaching 500,000 SME users and boosting conversion rates by almost 30%.
• Amazon: Implementing “vision-assisted” package retrieval technology that cut drivers’ effort by 67% and saved over 30 minutes per delivery route. Achieved a 10.75% conversion rate in 2024.
• Boots: Strengthening its beauty market position, launching rapid delivery services, and leveraging customer data to evolve healthcare services. Saw digital sales up 23% year-on-year.
• Currys: Focused on digital transformation with electronic shelf labelling, digital queuing systems, and partnerships with Microsoft to leverage AI technology.
• Next: Reached the £1 billion profit milestone, expanding into India through a partnership with Myntra and launching the luxury platform Seasons.
• Ocado Retail: Leveraged robotics and automation for faster order processing, with robots enabling a 50-item order to be picked in just 10 minutes.
• Tesco: Piloting personalised Clubcard discounts based on shopping behaviour and launching an online marketplace with over 20,000 third-party products.
• The Very Group: Investing in AI and data solutions, using AI-driven modelling to improve stock predictions and launching a retail media platform called Very Media Group.
• Walmart: Introducing metaverse shopping experiences through Roblox and a social platform called “Shop with Friends” to attract younger shoppers.

With 81% of polled consumers favouring businesses that provide customised experiences, personalisation has become the holy grail. Another front being conquered is payment flexibility; John Lewis worked with Klarna to provide buy-now-pay-later choices to its online consumers, while Currys launched “flexpay” for flexible payment options.

Social commerce is still gaining forward as predicted to reach $6.2 trillion globally by 2030. Originating in China, livestream shopping has developed into a $512 billion industry. By 2026, it is projected to account for as much as 20% of all UK e-commerce sales.

Retail Week’s report emphasises five main tactics for merchants wishing to improve their e-commerce presence:

• investing in artificial intelligence throughout the value chain
• future-proofing with smart digital payment innovations
• using loyalty programs and data insights
• keeping emphasis on fast delivery
• delighting consumers with engaging online experiences