In 2026 global e-commerce is worth around $6.9 trillion, roughly 21% of all retail worldwide. With more than 3 billion online shoppers, selling beyond your home market is increasingly a real opportunity. Let us look at where the market grows and what you should know before expanding.

How big it is and where it grows

The market is far from evenly spread: a few areas hold most of the value.

• Asia-Pacific is the largest region, driven by China.
• China, the US and Western Europe together account for over 80% of the market.
• Latin America is among the fastest-growing areas, expanding more than 12% year over year.

How shopping is changing

The way people buy online is shifting fast:

• Mobile has become the primary purchasing channel (not just discovery) in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
• Product discovery increasingly happens on marketplaces rather than on search engines or retailer sites.
• Fashion alone makes up about 27% of global e-commerce revenue.

What drives people to buy

The factors that make the difference at purchase are concrete and recurring:

• A transparent total price, with no surprises at checkout.
• Choice and flexibility in delivery and easy returns.
• Familiar payment methods and clear product information.

How to expand across borders

Selling abroad is not just about translating your site. Cross-border success needs local payments, accurate delivery dates, clear return policies, transparency on taxes and customs, and support in the customer's language. A few practical tips:

• Do not assume that fast-growing markets are also profitable: assess your margins.
• Check how much marketplaces dominate your target market.
• Model delivery, returns and tax costs early.
• Keep clean product data, now essential for AI-driven discovery too.
• Test channels selectively, without spreading resources too thin.

The Shine Software vision

At Shine Software we look with interest at e-commerce innovation and the ecosystem of international partners. Our vision is to help merchants on Magento and Adobe Commerce seize these trends — mobile, marketplaces, local payments and clean data — with concrete solutions built to grow across borders too. If you are considering an international expansion, our team is here to help.