Online Marketplace Statistics 2026: Explosive Growth

The online marketplace sector has become a core pillar of global e-commerce, reshaping how consumers buy and sell goods and services. Today, global online sales projections continue this upward trajectory as digital commerce expands across regions.

Marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Temu, and TikTok Shop are capturing growing shares of both general retail and niche segments such as secondhand and social commerce. From small businesses scaling internationally to consumers embracing digital-first buying habits, the online marketplace economy drives growth for industries and innovators alike. Read on to explore the latest marketplace statistics in detail.

Editor’s Choice

Online marketplaces account for a significant portion of global e-commerce, with platforms like Amazon and Temu serving hundreds of millions of users.
Amazon holds the largest share of e-commerce sales at approximately 37–38%.
eBay’s acquisition of Depop is set to close in Q2 2026, signaling consolidation in the marketplace sector.
Depop reported approximately 7 million active buyers at the end of 2025, nearly 90% under age 34.
TikTok Shop’s sales soared, with roughly $500 million in U.S. Black Friday to Cyber Monday buy volume in 2025.
Social commerce spending is projected to surpass $100 billion globally by 2026.

Recent Developments

eBay announced the acquisition of Depop from Etsy for $1.2 billion, expanding its fashion and Gen Z presence.
The Depop deal sparked stock gains, eBay shares rose over 7%, and Etsy jumped nearly 15% on the announcement.
Depop’s U.S. sales grew nearly 60% in 2025 year-over-year, signaling faster growth domestically.
TikTok Shop reportedly reached sales parity with eBay in key metrics, using innovative short-video commerce.
TikTok Shop’s rapid expansion contributed to a 125% quarter-over-quarter increase in U.S. sales mid, 2025.
Social commerce platforms are attracting major brands like Samsung and Disney Store into direct sales.
Resale and secondhand marketplaces saw strong gains, contributing to a $56 billion U.S. secondhand market in 2025.
Regulatory frameworks like the Digital Services Act are influencing marketplace operations by requiring reporting on active users.
B2B e-commerce is expanding rapidly, expected to reach $36 trillion globally by 2026 at a ~14.5% CAGR.

Most Common Payment Methods for Online Purchases

Credit and debit cards dominate, used by 62% of shoppers for online payments.
PayPal ranks second, chosen by 24% of buyers for its convenience and security.
Digital wallets account for 10%, showing steady adoption for fast checkout.
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services reach 2%, used by shoppers who want to split payments.
Gift cards and store credit make up 2%, often used for prepaid spending.
Cryptocurrency shows 0% usage, indicating almost no use for everyday online shopping.
Other payment methods also record 0%, showing little to no impact on purchases.

Amazon controls ~37–38% of worldwide e-commerce sales, maintaining dominance.
Walmart holds 9.6% of total U.S. e-commerce sales in Q3 2025.
eBay’s marketplace accounts for ~3% share of U.S. online sales.
Temu captures 24% of global cross-border e-commerce sales.
Shopee commands 52% market share in Southeast Asia e-commerce GMV.
China, the U.S., and Western Europe represent over $5.5 trillion in global e-commerce sales.
Social commerce platforms are projected to reach $1.66 trillion in global spending.
Depop reports $1 billion in gross merchandise sales for the resale market.
Secondary resale platforms drive growth in the circular e-commerce segment.

Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)

Global e-commerce GMV reaches $6.88 trillion.
Amazon reports $630 billion in net sales with a marketplace of over 60% units.
Alibaba’s China retail GMV exceeds RMB 8.5 trillion ($1.2 trillion).
Mercado Libre generates $67 billion in annual revenue with strong GMV growth.
Shopee records $23.3 billion GMV in the e-commerce segment.
Etsy’s GMS totals $12.72 billion.
eBay reports $80 billion+ annual GMV guidance.
Pinduoduo Temu GMV hits RMB 530 billion ($75 billion).
U.S. e-commerce market generates over $1.2 trillion in sales.

Social Media Platforms Used for Product Purchases by Gen Z and Millennials

TikTok Shop leads among Gen Z, with 40% buying through the platform in the last six months.
Facebook dominates for Millennials, used by 53%, making it their top shopping platform.
Instagram attracts 34% of Millennials but only 20% of Gen Z, showing a stronger appeal to older users.
Facebook also performs strongly with Gen Z, used by 35% for purchases.
Pinterest is more popular with Gen Z (25%) than Millennials (19%) for shopping ideas and products.
Snapchat shows no Gen Z purchasing activity (0%), while 10% of Millennials still buy through it.
Other platforms account for 26% of Millennials, compared to just 10% of Gen Z.
Overall, Gen Z favors TikTok-driven commerce, while Millennials rely more on Facebook and Instagram for purchases.

Regional Market Breakdown

China generates $3.2 trillion in e-commerce sales, dominating globally.
United States records $1.19 trillion in e-commerce sales, 16.5% of total retail.
Europe surpasses €950 billion ($1.03 trillion), led bythe UK, Germany, and France.
Southeast Asia GMV exceeds $218 billion with 28% YoY growth.
Latin America reaches $265 billion in digital commerce, 24% growth.
India hits $125 billion e-commerce market, targeting $350 billion by 2027.
MENA online retail exceeds $62 billion, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE lead.
Africa is projected at $85 billion, fueled by mobile commerce growth.
Cross-border e-commerce represents 24% of global online sales.

Mobile Commerce Trends

Mobile commerce accounts for 65% of global e-commerce sales.
U.S. mobile retail sales exceed $575 billion, 42% of total e-commerce.
75% of global e-commerce traffic originates from smartphones.
Amazon’s mobile app serves 160 million monthly active U.S. users.
Temu ranks top 2 most downloaded shopping apps globally.
Mobile wallets handle 55% of global online payments.
China sees 85% of online purchases via mobile devices.
Mobile livestream shopping generates $600 billion in China.
U.S. consumers average 5.1 hours daily mobile usage for commerce.

Active Users and Buyers

Amazon serves 320 million active customer accounts globally.
Alibaba’s Taobao and Tmall report 920 million annual active consumers.
Mercado Libre reaches 155 million unique active buyers, up 18% YoY.
Etsy maintains 92 million active buyers worldwide.
eBay has 135 million active buyers globally.
Shopee app attracts 350 million monthly visits, and SEA is dominant.
Temu exceeds 150 million U.S. app downloads.
Walmart Marketplace draws 130 million monthly unique U.S. visitors.
TikTok Shop reports 20 million U.S. buyers.

Payment Methods Adoption

Digital wallets account for 54% of global e-commerce transaction value.
Credit cards hold 19% of the global e-commerce payment share.
BNPL services comprise 12% of global e-commerce transaction value.
PayPal boasts 429 million active accounts worldwide.
Apple Pay is accepted by 90%+ of U.S. retailers.
Alipay and WeChat Pay control 96% of China’s mobile payments.
Real-time A2A payments projected at $3.5 trillion e-commerce value.
Cross-border transactions use digital wallets for 58% of payments.

Online Marketplace Market Forecasts

Global e-commerce sales will reach $6.88 trillion.
Online sales will account for 21.1% of total retail revenue.
The U.S. e-commerce market will reach $1.38 trillion in value.
Marketplaces like Amazon will capture 37.8% of the total online sales share.
Cross-border e-commerce sales will exceed $2.5 trillion by mid-decade.
U.S. social commerce sales will hit $100.99 billion.
Global B2B e-commerce will grow to a $36 trillion market size.
Mobile commerce will represent about 59% of total online retail sales.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much are global online marketplace sales projected to reach in 2026?

Global e-commerce marketplace sales are expected to hit approximately $7 trillion in 2026.

How many people are expected to shop online worldwide by 2026?

The number of online shoppers globally is projected to reach 2.86 billion by 2026.

How large is the e-commerce app market projected to be in 2026?

The e-commerce app market is expected to reach $3.48 trillion in 2026.

What portion of global B2B e-commerce sales is expected by 2026?

The global B2B e-commerce market is projected to top $36 trillion in value by 2026.

Conclusion

Online marketplaces now dominate global digital commerce, shaping how consumers discover products, compare prices, and complete purchases. Today, platforms command the majority share of e-commerce sales, driven by mobile-first behavior, digital wallet adoption, and the expansion of cross-border trade.

Meanwhile, emerging models such as social commerce, livestream shopping, and resale marketplaces continue to reshape competitive dynamics. For U.S. businesses, marketplaces offer scalable access to both domestic and international buyers. For global brands, they provide infrastructure, logistics, and built-in demand.