What is Global Ecommerce? Trends and How to Expand Your Operation (2026)

Global ecommerce continues to grow steadily. But that’s not the whole story— the most useful detail for enterprise leaders is found in the regional breakdowns and operational benchmarks. From the rapid acceleration in Latin America to the normalization of freight costs, the data points to a year of opportunity. Here is where the market stands in 2025.

Global share: Ecommerce now accounts for approximately 20.5% of global retail sales, up from 19.9% in 2024.

Market context: China significantly lifts the global average, according to a forecast from EMARKETER. When excluding China, global ecommerce penetration sits closer to 12.8%, setting a realistic benchmark for other markets.

Regional growth: Latin America leads regional growth with a rate above 12.2% year-over-year, reaching $191.25 billion. Notably, Mexico’s growth trajectory puts it on track to surpass US ecommerce penetration levels by 2026.

Performance benchmark: As of October 2025, the average global storewide conversion rate hovers at around 1.58%, though category and device mixes vary.

Logistics update: Ocean freight costs have normalized. Container rates retreated through late 2025, decreasing 2% to $1,806 per 40-foot equivalent unit (FEU), easing the cross-border cost pressures seen in early 2024.

Together, these data points offer a snapshot of how global ecommerce is evolving and what enterprise brands should consider as they plan their next stage of international growth.

Global ecommerce is selling products or services across national borders from a company’s country of origin, normally defined as its founding or incorporating location. Products or services are sold into non-native markets via online sales and marketing channels.

The advantages of international ecommerce are:

• Easier expansion into foreign markets through localized storefronts and marketing
• Finding product-market fit facilitated by testing demand in new regions online
• Shorter B2B sales cycles as buyers research and purchase through self-serve digital experiences
• Quicker building of international presence without heavy up-front investment in physical locations
• Lower barriers to entry for cross-border selling across payments, currencies, and shipping

These advantages become even clearer once you understand how large the global ecommerce market is and where it’s growing fastest.

The global ecommerce market is expected to total $6.88 trillion by the end of 2026. That figure is estimated to grow over the next few years, showing that borderless ecommerce is becoming a profitable option for online retailers. By 2028, about 22.5% of total retail sales will happen online.

While 2025 represents a year of deceleration due to macroeconomic pressures in China and trade-war stress in North America, the medium-term outlook for global ecommerce sales remains resilient, with ecommerce’s share of total retail sales expected to climb steadily through 2028.

Regional outlooks

APAC: Asia-Pacific is still the world’s largest retail and ecommerce region. Even though China maintains a dominant 83% market share, India and Southeast Asia are increasingly driving the region’s growth as sentiment stabilizes. For global brands, this means APAC remains a core region for ecommerce demand, but growth is becoming more distributed across markets.

LATAM: Latin America is the fastest-growing retail ecommerce region in 2025. Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico account for 84.5% of retail ecommerce sales. Brands that can localize payments, pricing, and logistics in these markets are well positioned to benefit from that momentum.

North America: Growth in North America is decelerating in 2025 amid tariff headwinds and softer consumer confidence, though forecasts point to improvement in 2026 as market conditions stabilize. As conditions will evolve through 2026, brands should remain flexible and cautiously optimistic.

Europe: Western Europe is settling into a steady rhythm, with ecommerce growth stabilizing around 4% annually.