Walmart has reached a new milestone, as the company’s ecommerce sales have gone over $150 billion for the first time. The company’s ecommerce sales are increasing across the globe, and this growth is primarily being driven by technology and changing customer shopping behaviors and preferences.
Walmart also prioritized fast deliveries and automation, both of which are very important for ecommerce brands to embrace to find success.
Walmart Ecommerce Sales Reach Beyond $150 Billion
Walmart’s ecommerce sales topped $150 billion for the very first time, showing that it’s up to the task of competing with the likes of Amazon as one of the largest online retailers in the world. In addition to that, US ecommerce as a share of Walmart’s total sales reached a record 23% in the fourth quarter, after growing 27% year-over-year.
Management at the company also said ecommerce was profitable each quarter last year. These online sales were made up of delivery, the third-party marketplace, and store-fulfilled pickups. In the USA, store-fulfilled delivery channels were especially popular, as they grew by more than 50%.
The company’s ecommerce sales grew globally by 24%, though the international side of the business lagged compared to the USA, at only 17%. Walmart ecommerce sales in China grew especially rapidly by 28%, and now make up more than 50% of the sales mix in the area.
Technology and Automation Are Key Drivers of Growth
Technology, specifically automation, was one of the primary drivers of this growth. In the USA, around 60% of stores are receiving freight from automated distribution centers, and 50% of the volume at ecommerce fulfillment centers is automated. The number of facilities getting some form of automation will also continue to grow.
Also, Walmart’s AI-powered agentic shopping assistant, Sparky, also makes it easier for customers to fill online shopping carts, discover products, and more, which may lead to more people shopping online. In addition to simplifying online shopping, the company has said that Sparky customers have a 35% higher average order value than non-Sparky customers, too.
Changes to customer behaviors and preferences may have also pushed Walmart’s ecommerce business forward. For example, around 2.77 billion people shop online as of 2025, up from approximately 2.37 billion in 2020. This is expected to rise to just shy of 3 billion by 2030.
As people get more comfortable shopping online, both in terms of how much they buy and how frequently they order online as opposed to going in-store, the higher ecommerce sales are likely to reach.
Another driver is how much Walmart prioritizes fast deliveries, which are one of the most important elements and factors of online shopping for customers. For instance, in the USA, 35% of Walmart store-fulfilled orders were delivered in under three hours throughout the fourth quarter.
Customers seem to be flocking to these fast delivery services more often, too, as the rate of orders delivered in under three hours increased by more than 60% for the year.
Takeaways for Ecommerce Brands
Ecommerce brands can learn from Walmart and other large online retailers that are prioritizing things like automation and fast deliveries. Automation, and AI in general, can help companies work more efficiently, streamline inventory management and warehousing, improve the customer experience, save money, and drive more sales.
Many companies are currently taking advantage of these benefits, as 76% of ecommerce brands are already investing in AI. While AI doesn’t always make sense for every task and organization, it’s something every business should at least consider in an effort to stay competitive.
As for rapid deliveries, customers want to get the items they order quickly. The quicker an item is delivered, the less time a consumer has to stress about the delivery or have anxiety about waiting for it.
Faster shipping may also help boost trust and improve the customer experience that companies are able to offer. As a result, if you want someone to choose your product over that of a competitor, promising to get it into their hands quicker than your competition may be a good way to do that.
