E-commerce: Which categories are worth watching for growth?

Traditional e-commerce related products remain the fastest growing segment of online sales worldwide, but other product categories are also moving online at a rapid pace. According to Statista Market Insights, online sales of consumer electronics and apparel are still growing rapidly as a share of total sales, while hardware and furniture - including their convenient delivery as a selling point, have also become commodities sold online.

Data shows that approximately one in four household appliances is purchased online, and this proportion is expected to grow to 34% by 2027.

Luxury goods currently have a low double-digit share of online sales, but are expected to show the fastest growth through 2027. Beauty and personal care is also an emerging market for e-commerce, with online sales expected to grow by a quarter.

Food – perhaps the last frontier of e-commerce – still has a long way to go to go global. While some countries spend one in every five dollars of their food budget online, e-commerce food sales are expected to account for only 6% of global food sales by 2027.

This chart shows the online sales share of each product category in 2023 and 2027. Data source: Statista.com