The Top 10 Largest E-Commerce Websites in the World

AliExpress is an online shopping platform within Alibaba's e-commerce ecosystem. It allows consumers from around the world to buy directly from manufacturers and distributors in China through this global retail platform. AliExpress focuses primarily on international merchants, enabling customers from countries such as Russia, the United States, Spain, Brazil, France, and the United Kingdom to shop directly from Chinese businesses. Due to its large volume of traffic, AliExpress consistently ranks among the top 10 e-commerce websites globally.

Like other Alibaba e-commerce platforms, AliExpress generates revenue by charging a commission on transaction values of sold products, with fees ranging from 5% to 8%. In contrast, AliExpress charges a one-time fee of $1500 plus store fees to launch or update a business on the platform.

Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Hangzhou, China
Website: https://vi.aliexpress.com/

Walmart is a global retail giant headquartered in the United States, operating a chain of supercenters, discount stores, and grocery stores. Its online platform sells a wide range of products, including books, music, household items, and fashion. Walmart.com also offers cloud computing and streaming services, among other things.

Starting as a small discount retailer in Rogers, Arkansas, Walmart has since expanded to operate thousands of stores in the U.S. and internationally. The company runs around 10,500 stores and clubs under 46 banners across 24 countries, along with e-commerce websites. Walmart employs 2.3 million associates worldwide, with nearly 1.6 million based in the U.S. Walmart provides a seamless shopping experience, allowing customers to shop anytime, anywhere, both online and in-store.

Founded: 1994
Headquarters: Bentonville, Arkansas

Website: https://www.walmart.com/

Etsy is a popular U.S.-based online marketplace with an international reach. It mainly features sellers of handmade, vintage, and craft items. The platform charges sellers a small listing fee, which is as low as $0.20 per item, along with a commission on each sale. Etsy also provides sellers with several unique services for a fee, such as promoting a product or marking it as a featured item. Sellers can also advertise their shops, leading to increased sales. In addition, merchants can set up stores to sell print-on-demand products or digital artwork and patterns on the platform. This is why Etsy has become a standout online marketplace in the top e-commerce websites globally.

Founded: 2005
Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Website: https://www.etsy.com

The services provided by Rakuten include e-book reading, online travel bookings, online auctions, internet marketing, golf course bookings, portal sites, search engines, integrated internet marketing, online recipe posting and browsing, student job recruitment communities, online coupon shopping, and on-demand video services. It also sells books, CDs, and DVDs online.

Founded: 1997
Headquarters: Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Website: https://www.rakuten.co.jp/

Mercado Livre is the largest online shopping and selling platform in Brazil, where buyers and sellers meet to exchange information and complete e-commerce transactions. It also allows sellers to list vehicles, properties, and services in a dedicated section for online classifieds. Mercado Libre has developed a Global Selling Program that enables U.S. suppliers to market their products throughout Latin America, working with international sellers. International vendors can sell items in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Chile from a single account. One major advantage of this program is that sellers can post and receive orders in USD without worrying about currency fluctuations in their home country.

Founded: 1999
Headquarters: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Website: https://www.mercadolivre.com.br/

JD.com is a Chinese online retail platform that offers a wide variety of products, including books, jewelry, electronics, clothing, food, and more. To maintain strict quality control, the company combines its direct sales model with a tightly managed supply chain, limiting the number of suppliers on its platform. This is paired with advanced monitoring techniques to identify suspicious items or vendors.

JD.com engages in the sale of electronics and general merchandise, such as audio-visual products and books. The company operates through two main segments: JD Mall, which represents its core e-commerce business, and New Businesses, which covers third-party logistics services, technology solutions, international operations, and insurance services.

Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Beijing, China
Website: https://www.jd.com/

Following Walmart, Target Corporation is the second-largest retailer in the U.S., operating 1,800 stores nationwide. Target's online store offers everything from groceries to personal care products, as well as clothing, electronics, furniture, and home décor. With its vast network of stores and online presence, Target provides customers with a wide selection of affordable items, ensuring convenience without compromising on quality.

Target Corporation is a major discount retailer in the American mass-market sector, operating large-scale discount stores for food and general merchandise. It is one of the largest discount retailers in the U.S., with its iconic red bullseye logo widely recognized across the country. The company is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By the end of the 20th century, Target had set itself apart from competitors by offering stylish, high-quality products at affordable prices, including limited-edition clothing lines created in partnership with well-known fashion designers.

Founded: 1999
Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Website: https://www.target.com/

Amazon is one of the top five corporations in the United States and one of the most valuable brands worldwide. Millions of customers have made Amazon one of the top 10 e-commerce websites globally, thanks to its convenience and variety. The company sells everything from books, music, and technology to clothing. Additionally, Amazon offers a range of other services, such as cloud computing and internet streaming.

Amazon operates six primary business models that sellers can use to sell their products on the platform: private label, wholesale, retail arbitrage, online arbitrage, dropshipping, and handmade goods. The company also generates revenue through its advertising services alongside its core operations. The platform hosts hundreds of product categories uploaded by retailers for customers. Furthermore, third-party vendors are allowed to sell their products on Amazon's websites.

Founded: 1994

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
Website: https://www.amazon.com/

eBay is a popular online shopping platform and one of the leading e-commerce websites globally. While buyers can use the site for free, sellers must pay to list their items, with a limited number of free auction listings available. eBay is a consumer-to-consumer (C2C) and business-to-consumer (B2C) online marketplace where users can buy and sell a wide variety of products and services. It is one of the largest online marketplaces worldwide, with over 900 million active members. There are six business models available for sellers on eBay, including resale, dropshipping, retail arbitrage, liquidation or surplus, wholesale, and deep niche markets.

Founded: 1995
Headquarters: Bay Area, San Francisco, USA

Website: https://www.ebay.com/

Alibaba is a global e-commerce organization and retail platform that operates in both the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets. Exporters from China and other countries can connect with customers from over 200 countries through this platform. Common buyers include trade agencies, wholesalers, sellers, manufacturers, and small to medium-sized businesses involved in import and export. Sellers can list a wide range of products, such as books, jewelry, gadgets, clothing, food, and more on the platform.

Additionally, Alibaba provides services like customs clearance, VAT refunds, trade financing, and logistics as part of its diverse supply chain services. Sellers can post their items for free on the website, with the option to pay for additional services such as increased visibility and unlimited product listings. Due to its convenience, competitive policies, and product variety, Alibaba is regarded as one of the top 10 e-commerce websites globally.

Founded: 1999
Headquarters: Hangzhou, China

Website: https://www.alibaba.com/