Retail and Wholesale Market Report 2026

The retail and wholesale market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $90.7 trillion in 2025 to $96.61 trillion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growth of urban population, rise of shopping malls, increasing consumer disposable income, expansion of retail chains, adoption of point-of-sale systems.

The retail and wholesale market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $127.24 trillion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growth of e-commerce platforms, adoption of AI-powered retail solutions, rise in demand for contactless shopping, expansion of smart warehouses, increasing consumer preference for sustainable products. Major trends in the forecast period include omnichannel retail expansion, inventory optimization & demand forecasting, personalized customer experiences, local sourcing & supply chain resilience, flexible payment & loyalty programs.

The rising prevalence of e-commerce is expected to drive the growth of the retail and wholesale market in the coming years. E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet, involving the electronic exchange of products, services, or information between businesses, consumers, or both. The e-commerce sector provides greater convenience, cost efficiency, improved operational effectiveness, and broader market reach for both retail and wholesale industries. It enables retailers to connect with customers across the globe and offers valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences, helping businesses make data-driven decisions. For example, in August 2023, the United States Census Bureau, a U.S.-based government agency, reported that e-commerce sales in the second quarter of 2023 increased by 7.5% (±1.4%) compared with the second quarter of 2022, while total retail sales rose by 0.6% (±0.4%). Therefore, the growing prevalence of e-commerce is supporting the expansion of the retail and wholesale market.

Major companies in the retail and wholesale sector are concentrating on creating innovative solutions, such as AI-powered conversational shopping platforms, to address the growing need for personalized customer experiences, faster product discovery, and smooth omni-channel engagement fueled by evolving consumer expectations and rising digital adoption. An AI-powered conversational shopping platform leverages generative artificial intelligence to facilitate natural-language search and personalized product recommendations across both text and image inputs, allowing shoppers to find products more intuitively than traditional keyword-based search tools by understanding intent and context to deliver relevant results and suggestions. For example, in June 2025, Daydream, a US-based e-commerce and AI fashion technology company, introduced its AI-powered conversational fashion shopping agent, an advanced platform enabling users to interact through chat to discover, explore, and purchase fashion items from millions of products across thousands of brands, utilizing generative AI to interpret queries and visual prompts, thereby simplifying product discovery and enhancing the online shopping experience for both consumers and retailers. The platform integrates directly with retail inventories without holding stock, providing personalized recommendations, boosting shopper engagement, and driving higher conversion rates by bridging the gap between conventional browsing and intelligent, context-aware shopping dialogue.

In January 2023, Reliance Retail, an India-based retail company, acquired V Retail for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Reliance Retail sought to enhance its footwear product portfolio while broadening its retail operations and presence in South India by improving store formats and distribution networks. V Retail is an India-based retail company focusing on footwear and fashion retail, operating large-format stores and overseeing end-to-end merchandising, sourcing, and franchise management across regional markets.

Major companies operating in the retail and wholesale market are Walmart Inc., Amazon.com, Inc., Costco Wholesale Corporation, CVS Health Corporation, Schwarz Group, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., The Kroger Company, The Home Depot, Inc., Target Corporation, Easyhome New Retail Group Co. Ltd., Bianlifeng, Suning.com, Seven-Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, Ministop, V-Mart Retail, Infiniti Retail Ltd, Uniqlo, Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., Muji, JB Hi-Fi, Flipkart Wholesale, MaxWholesale, Jumbotail, ShopKirana, Alibaba, Shein, Rakuten, Woolworths Wholesale, Auchan Holding SA, SPAR, Carrefour SA, Tesco, Metro AG, Musgrave, Sainsbury's, Aldi GmbH & Co. KG, Co-operative Group Limited, McColl's, Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc, Waitrose & Partners, Groupe Casino, Marks and Spencer Group plc, Mercadona, Rewe Group, Asda Stores Ltd., Hancocks Cash & Carry, Surya Foods Online, Phoenix Pharmahandel GmbH & Co., X5 Retail Group, Magnit, Profi, Lenta, Dixy Group, Stokrotka Sp. z o.o., Perekrestok Express, O’Key Group, Globus, Zabka, Spolem, Groszek, Eurocash, Ozon, 36.6 Group, Qoovee, Frisco.pl, Makro Cash & Carry ČR, Staples, Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings Inc., Empire Company Ltd., Yesway, Alimentation Couche-Tard, Casey's General Stores, Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, Needs Convenience, OXXO, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Supervalu, Spartan, McKesson Corporation, Sysco Corporation, United Natural Foods, Africa Imports, Distribuidora de Medicamentos SantaCruz, Audifar Comercial Ltd., Allpa, Majid Al Futtaim, AlHokair Fashion Retail, Azadea Group, Savola, Almeera Group, Al Madina Group, Lulu, Al Tayer Group, Circle K, Chalhoub Group, Silver Line Gate Foodstuff Trading L.L.C., Choppies, Shoprite Holdings.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the retail and wholesale market in 2025. North America was the second-largest region in the retail and wholesale market. The regions covered in the retail and wholesale market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the retail and wholesale market report are China; India; Japan; Australia; Indonesia; South Korea; Bangladesh; Thailand; Vietnam; Malaysia; Singapore; Philippines; Hong Kong; Taiwan; New Zealand; UK; Germany; France; Italy; Spain; Austria; Belgium; Denmark; Finland; Ireland; Netherlands; Norway; Portugal; Sweden; Switzerland; Russia; Czech Republic; Poland; Romania; Ukraine; USA; Canada; Mexico; Brazil; Chile; Argentina; Colombia; Peru; Saudi Arabia; Israel; Iran; Turkey; UAE; Egypt; Nigeria; South Africa.

The retail and wholesale markets consist of revenue earned by entities by retailing and wholesaling merchandise. Retailers sell merchandise to the general public for personal or household consumption, but some also serve business and institutional clients. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. This includes merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. Retailers and wholesalers take ownership of the goods and bear the risk of carrying inventory. They also reduce the total number of transactions required for the process of transferring goods from producers to consumers. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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