The world’s most developed market for online shopping by far, the US is the global standard for e-commerce. Many of its greatest e-commerce companies are in a leading position in other countries, setting the pace and creating the trends that shape the rest of the world.
The domination of the US on internet and e-commerce comes from its massive 312 million internet users, affluent population and well-spread habit of relying upon online shopping. Using both computers and mobile devices to access digital services, American online consumers are used to engaging in commercial transactions to purchase a wide array of goods and services.
Since the American market is so developed and solvable, it is no surprise that the competition between e-commerce players is fierce. Large platforms that operate through many segments, like Amazon and eBay, are dominating, but traditional brick-and-mortar distributors are still managing to take a share of the market.
However, some space may still be available for new entrants, as some new competitors have been able to take a share of the market by owning specific categories, such as Etsy with home-made products, or riding new usage of mobile devices, like Wish.com.
Note that this post is part of series:
- Top e-commerce sites in Canada
- Top e-commerce sites in Mexico
- Top e-commerce sites in Brazil
- Top e-commerce sites in the UK
- Top e-commerce sites in Germany
- Top e-commerce sites in Japan
- Top e-commerce sites in India
- Top e-commerce sites in Australia
List of top American e-commerce platforms with estimated traffic
To give you more perspective of the large volumes and the competition in the American e-commerce landscape, here are the current top 10 leaders of e-commerce platforms in the US in 2019 and their estimated monthly traffic from SimilarWeb, as of March 2019.
10. Macy’s
With products ranging from women and men fashion, accessories and children clothes, as well as home and decoration products, Macy’s is a leading department store chain in the United States that also launched its online shop to sell products to digital customers.
Website: macys.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 59 Million visits
9. Wish
Founded in 2010, Wish is primarily a mobile marketplace where small businesses and manufacturers can sell goods directly to consumers on the Wish platform. It operates mainly in four categories: electronics, family, beauty and home decoration.
Website: wish.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 84 Million visits
8. Lowe’s
The second-largest hardware chain in the United States, Lowe’s also sells a wide range of construction materials, home and garden equipment, furniture and tools online through its own e-commerce platform.
Website: lowes.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 86 Million visits
7. Best Buy
Best Buy is a leading retailer specialized in consumer electronics in the United States, also operating in Canada and Mexico, and China through a subsidiary. Having developed its e-commerce shop, Best Buy sells its electronics and home appliances online to American digital customers.
Website: bestbuy.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 109 Million visits
6. Target
The second largest department store retailer behind Walmart, Target operates more than 1,800 stores throughout the United States. Also proposing a diversified online store, Target sells products ranging from fashion to home decoration and furniture, from groceries to electronics and hygiene products.
Website: target.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 114 Million visits
5. Home Depot
Home Depot is the largest hardware and home improvement supplies retailing company in the United States, also operating in Canada and Mexico. In its brick-and-mortar shops and online store, Home Depot sells tools, construction products, home and garden equipment furniture and associated services.
Website: homedepot.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 142 Million visits
4. Etsy
Etsy is a marketplace focusing on handmade or vintage products and unique factory-manufactured items. It enables people and companies to sell a wide range of art and photography products, clothing and accessories, food, bath and beauty products, toys and diverse other items.
Website: etsy.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 198 Million visits
3. Walmart
Walmart is the world’s largest retail corporation, operating hypermarkets, department stores, and grocery stores. A leader in the United States, it is also engaged in Canada, Mexico and a number of other countries through subsidiaries. Its online shop sells a diversified range of products, from food to electronics, from fashion to pharmacy, from home equipment to auto-parts.
Website: walmart.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 321 Million visits
2. eBay
A pioneer of e-commerce, eBay is an online marketplace that allows people and businesses to sell directly through its online auction platform. Founded in 1995, eBay has expanded to more than 20 countries, organizing the sale of products ranging from cars and vehicles to electronics and fashion, home and garden to sports and toys, and even business and industrial products.
Website: ebay.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 1.115 Billion visits
1. Amazon
Founded in 1994, Amazon started as an online bookstore that later diversified to products including media, electronics, apparel, furniture, food, toys, and jewelry. Having expanded to many countries, Amazon has become the uncontested global leader of e-commerce and developed further into brick-and-mortar retail with the acquisition of Whole Foods Market, as well as publishing, electronics, cloud computing, video streaming, and production.
Website: amazon.com – Estimated monthly traffic: 2.476 Billion visits
Top e-commerce websites in the United States compared by estimated traffic
The estimated monthly traffic from the top 10 e-commerce platforms previously listed demonstrate the clear lead of Amazon and the firm second place of eBay, respectively above 2.4 billion and 1.1 billion visits per month. Their followers are well established in volumes of fifty to a few hundred million visits per month.
Top brands conducting business through e-commerce in the United States
Besides these platforms that are engaged in a wide array of products, some brands can also be highlighted for their heavy impact. Even though they are not open platforms for multiple products, brands, and categories, these companies are still online powerhouses that manage to sell their products exclusively and reach massive audiences.
Apple, of course, is a leader among these brands. Even though its website and mobile platform has a global reach, with half a billion monthly visitors globally, Apple still has hundreds of millions of visitors in the US. Thanks to its website, iTunes and app store, Apple sells enormous amounts of both hardware and software products, making it one of the largest company by market capitalization in the US and the world.
Various other brands can also be remarked, including Steam, the online gaming store and service provider, AT&T, the number one American telecommunication company online selling a range of mobile, media and services through its website, or Ikea, the home decoration and furniture company succeeding globally and in the US.
Here are the top e-commerce platforms in the US. Have you ever bought goods or services from them? How was the experience, is the price cheaper and the delivery convenient? Let us know in the comments below!
