Gitnux/Report 2026

Consumer Goods Retail Industry Statistics

304Statistics
104Sources
12Sections
1Visuals
51mRead
Consumer Goods Retail Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The consumer goods retail industry at a glance

Global retail sales were forecast at $24.9 trillion in 2025, with online channels accounting for almost one-fifth of spending as retailers balance value-seeking consumers, digital growth and cost pressures.

$24.9T[91]
Global retail sales, 2025
$5.6T[35]
U.S. retail sales forecast, 2026
16.1M[50]
U.S. retail jobs, 2025
$681.0B[73]
Walmart total revenue, FY2025
Market size
Global retail sales were forecast at $24.9 trillion in 2025. The broader global consumer and retail market was estimated at $35.2 trillion in 2025, although the latter measure includes consumer-market activities beyond retail sales.[91][92]
Forecast & CAGR
The global retail industry was projected to expand from $35.2 trillion in 2025 to approximately $50.8 trillion by 2030, representing a 7.65% CAGR. In grocery retail, online was forecast to be the fastest-growing channel, with a 7.6% CAGR through 2030.[91][93]
Market share & regions
Asia was forecast to account for 36% of global grocery sales by 2030, while India, the United States and China were expected to generate 42% of global grocery-market growth. In the United States, e-commerce increased 12.2% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 6.7% growth in total retail sales.[93][94]
Segmentation
Retail is segmented by merchandise and channel. Walmart U.S. reported fiscal 2025 sales of $276.0 billion from grocery, $113.9 billion from general merchandise, $62.1 billion from health and wellness, and $10.4 billion from other categories; its U.S. e-commerce sales were approximately $79.3 billion.[18]
Key players & concentration
Large-scale retailers remain highly influential: Walmart reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $681.0 billion and net sales of $674.5 billion. Its U.S. business generated $462.4 billion in merchandise sales, illustrating the scale of leading omnichannel operators relative to fragmented specialty and independent retail.[73][18]
Pricing
Pricing remains shaped by inflation and trade-down behavior. IGD identified inflation as the main driver of grocery-market value growth in most regions and reported that discount was the only major physical grocery channel forecast to gain share through 2030, increasing its share by 0.3 percentage points.[93]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Retailers are investing in convenience, value, personalization, automation and retail media while facing labor and operating-cost pressure. U.S. retail-trade labor productivity grew 2.9% in 2025, output grew 2.5%, hours worked fell 0.4%, and unit labor costs declined 0.7%.[69][50]
Consumer behavior & competition
Consumers are increasingly combining physical and digital shopping and remain sensitive to value. In the United States, e-commerce accounted for roughly 23.5% of retail sales in 2025 according to FTI Consulting, while Walmart reported $79.3 billion in U.S. e-commerce sales for fiscal 2025.[20][18]
M&A
M&A activity is concentrating on scale, geographic expansion and adjacent consumer platforms. Kroger announced a planned $1.65 billion acquisition of Giant Eagle in July 2026, while JBS announced a $542 million acquisition of Brazilian consumer-products company Flora in November 2026.[95][73]
Regulation
Competition regulation remains a material constraint on consolidation. The Federal Trade Commission required divestiture of Three Square Market in connection with 365 Retail’s $848 million acquisition of Cantaloupe, citing anticompetitive effects in micromarket kiosks.[96]
Latest news
The latest available reporting indicates subdued Chinese consumer demand despite record online promotional-event sales: Singles’ Day sales reached almost 1.7 trillion yuan in 2025, while retail sales of consumer goods rose only 1.1% during the same period. In the United States, the National Retail Federation forecast 4.4% retail-sales growth in 2026 to $5.6 trillion.[35]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Consumer Goods Retail Industry

The leading companies in the consumer goods retail industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Schwarz Group stands out because its discount grocery and consumer goods retail spans €175.4 billion revenue across retail, production and recycling businesses, while Walmart is defined by omnichannel scale with more than 10,750 stores and eCommerce sites in 19 countries.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in discount grocery & goods

    Schwarz Group

    DE

    Ranked #1 · 9.8 · Discount grocery & goods

    Why we picked it: Its discount grocery and consumer goods model links retail scale with production and recycling businesses.

    See in ranking ↓Visit gruppe.schwarz ↗

  2. Leader in omnichannel general merchandise

    Walmart

    US

    Ranked #2 · 9.1 · Omnichannel general merchandise

    Why we picked it: Its omnichannel footprint supports combined physical and eCommerce shopping at large store-network scale.

    See in ranking ↓Visit walmart.com ↗

  3. Leader in membership warehouse retail

    Costco Wholesale

    US

    Ranked #3 · 9.0 · Membership warehouse retail

    Why we picked it: Its membership warehouse retail format is measured by a single large revenue base in fiscal 2025.

    See in ranking ↓Visit costco.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the consumer goods retail industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Schwarz Group

Discount grocery & goods · DE

9.8
2

Walmart

Omnichannel general merchandise · US

9.1
3

Costco Wholesale

Membership warehouse retail · US

9.0
4

Ahold Delhaize

Food retail & omnichannel grocery · NL

8.7
5

The Home Depot

Home improvement retail · US

8.5
6

Tesco

Grocery and convenience retail · GB

7.9
7

Kroger

Supermarket and grocery retail · US

7.8
8

Carrefour

Multinational grocery and hypermarket retail · FR

7.7
9

Dollar General

Discount variety and essential goods retail · US

7.6
10

Target

General merchandise and grocery retail · US

7.6

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 10 companies in the consumer goods retail industry. In Consumer Goods Retail Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/consumer-goods-retail-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest consumer goods retail companies

Walmart leads with $681.0B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Walmart$681.0B
Costco Wholesale$275.2B
Schwarz Group$189.4B
The Home Depot$164.7B
Kroger$147.6B
Target$104.8B
source-verifiedcorporate.walmart.com · investor.costco.com · gruppe.schwarz · ir.homedepot.com · ir.kroger.com · corporate.target.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

Technology & Innovation highlights AI and automation adoption across retail, including 58% of tasks expected to be automated among grocery and general-merchandise retailers by 2026.

AI in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 24% of U.S. retail consumers had used visual search while shopping during the previous 12 months, according to OC&C’s 2024 retail survey.[1]
  • 56% of retail and consumer-product executives planned to invest in AI for marketing, while 52% planned investment for financial forecasting, in a 2024 survey.[2]
  • 20% of U.S. retail consumers had used personalized recommendations while shopping during the previous 12 months, according to OC&C’s 2024 retail survey.[1]
  • 45% of surveyed retailers were scaling AI in 2026, while a similar share had barely begun deployment, according to a global CPG and retail executive survey.[3]
  • 34% of surveyed retailers had significantly scaled AI in offer-to-assortment activities in 2026, compared with 46% naming that area their top AI priority.[3]
  • 30% of U.S. retail consumers had used customer-service chatbots during shopping in the previous 12 months, according to the 2024 OC&C Retail Proposition Index.[1]

Automation in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 28% of tasks were automated among grocery and general-merchandise retailers in Verizon’s 2024 connected-retail study.[4]
  • 54% of grocery consumers said cashierless-store technology was unimportant or that they had never heard of it, according to an Ipsos survey.[5]
  • 58% of tasks were expected to be automated among grocery and general-merchandise retailers by 2026, according to Verizon’s retail technology study.[4]

Digital Transformation in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU large businesses, 96% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU businesses, 74% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2024.[6]
  • Among EU small and medium-sized enterprises, 71% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[6]
  • Across retail and consumer-goods companies, 70% of business functions had generative AI adopted or piloted in 2025.[7]

Technology Adoption in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across US and European retailers, 16% had fully scaled artificial intelligence in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 66% had moved beyond exploration and testing of store-intelligence technologies in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 23% had fully scaled wireless communication technologies such as RFID or Bluetooth in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 21% had fully scaled edge computing technologies in 2025.[8]
  • Across US and European retailers, 27% had fully scaled cameras and sensors in 2025.[8]

Cloud Computing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.53% used cloud-based file storage in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 45.52% hosted enterprise databases in the cloud in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises, 52.74% used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.69% used cloud-based office software in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 85.15% used cloud-based email in 2025.[6]

Big Data in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises, 26.20% performed data analytics on transaction records such as sales and payment records in 2025.[6]
  • Across retail companies, 23% were using artificial intelligence in production to resolve customer identities or prepare customer data for marketing or analytics in 2025.[9]
  • Across EU enterprises, 33.02% performed data analytics using their own employees in 2025.[6]
  • Across retail companies, 64% said their customer data was structured and accessible enough to support artificial-intelligence use cases in 2025.[9]

Blockchain in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 42% of U.S. crypto holders said they wanted to spend cryptocurrency at apparel retailers, according to the National Cryptocurrency Association.[10]
  • 54% of U.S. crypto holders said they wanted to spend cryptocurrency at large retailers and warehouse clubs, according to the National Cryptocurrency Association.[10]
  • 54% of grocery consumers said accepting blockchain payments was unimportant or that they had never heard of the technology, according to Ipsos.[5]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data & Analytics centers on actionability and data governance, with 98% of surveyed retailers viewing data for actionable insights as essential in 2024.

Business intelligence in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 60% of U.S. retailers investing in store-intelligence technology were investing in promotion and price planning or optimization in 2024.[11]
  • U.S. retailers planning store-intelligence investments expected to spend an average of $160,450 over the following 12 months in 2024.[11]
  • 98% of surveyed retailers considered using data for actionable insights essential to informed business decisions in 2024.[12]
  • 54% of retail respondents reported at least a 10% increase in profit attributable to data and analytics in KPMG’s 2024 technology survey.[13]
  • 62% of U.S. retailers investing in store-intelligence technology were investing in advanced data-analytics solutions in 2024.[11]
  • 58% of U.S. retailers planning store-intelligence investments expected to spend at least $100,000 over the following 12 months in 2024.[11]

Data analytics in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 70% of data-ready U.S. grocery merchants reported revenue growth during the year ending in 2024.[14]
  • 42% of U.S. grocery merchants had dedicated analytics teams able to analyze company-wide data in 2024.[14]
  • 75% of U.S. non-grocery retailers considered access to real-time data very or extremely important in 2024.[14]
  • Data-ready U.S. retailers achieved five times the revenue growth of less data-ready companies in 2024.[14]
  • 51% of U.S. non-grocery retailers lacked access to real-time data in 2024.[14]
  • 4% to 10% higher average weekly revenues followed adoption of a descriptive-analytics dashboard across more than 1,500 online retail websites.[15]

Data Quality in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and e-commerce, 48% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods only somewhat effective in 2024.[16]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 62% of respondents rated their data-management practices only somewhat effective in 2024.[16]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents rated their identity-resolution ability only somewhat effective in 2024.[16]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents identified data-quality controls as a significant challenge in 2024.[16]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 29% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods not very effective in 2024.[16]

Data Governance in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and CPG companies, 35% of respondents cited inconsistent or incorrect answers to data questions as a governance-related blocker in 2025.[12]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 53.5% of respondents said regulatory compliance was not a significant data challenge in 2025.[17]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 31% of respondents cited the lack of a corporate data strategy and semantic layer as a key challenge in 2025.[12]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 57% of respondents identified data governance as a significant challenge in 2024.[16]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 96% of respondents said breaking down data silos was a significant challenge in 2025.[17]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 66% of respondents said their data-management capabilities were only somewhat unified in 2025.[17]

KPIs in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 5.5% of revenue was the average loss reported by U.S. retailers from in-store inefficiencies in 2025.[8]
  • $162.7 billion was the estimated U.S. retail revenue opportunity from reducing in-store inefficiencies in 2025.[8]
  • 64% of U.S. retailers investing in store-intelligence technology focused on out-of-stock solutions in 2025.[8]
  • 57% of U.S. retailers were investing in shelf-digitization technologies in 2025.[8]
  • 20% of surveyed retailers had fully scaled store-intelligence technology solutions in 2025.[8]
  • U.S. retailers planned to invest an average of $415,600 in store-intelligence technologies over the following 12 months in 2025.[8]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Strategy & Growth frames continued channel mix change, including e-commerce at 16.1% of U.S. retail sales in 2024 and Walmart International’s 9.1% net-sales growth in 2025.

Growth in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 9.1% was Walmart International’s net-sales growth rate in 2025.[18]
  • U.S. online retail sales reached approximately $1.2 trillion in 2024.[19]
  • 17% was Walmart International’s operating-income growth rate in 2025.[18]
  • 16.1% of U.S. retail sales were online in 2024, indicating continued channel-led retail growth.[19]
  • 22.7% was FTI Consulting’s forecast for U.S. e-commerce’s retail-market share in 2024.[20]
  • $1.2 trillion was FTI Consulting’s forecast for U.S. online retail sales in 2024.[20]

Differentiation in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 400,000 or more SKUs formed Walmart International’s assortment in 2025.[18]
  • Walmart operated more than 10,750 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 19 countries in fiscal 2025.[18]
  • Newer channels and delivery apps accounted for 12% of estimated purchase volume in 2024.[21]
  • Walmart’s 2025 strategy combined retail stores, eCommerce websites and services into an omnichannel customer proposition.[18]
  • Physical stores accounted for 45% of estimated purchase volume in 2024, retaining a differentiation advantage through immediate product access.[21]
  • Site-to-Store enabled Walmart customers to buy online and collect merchandise in stores from 2007 onward.[18]

Mergers and acquisitions in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Approximately $20 billion was the value of European CPG M&A transactions in 2024.[22]
  • Approximately $56 billion was the value of European CPG M&A transactions in 2025.[22]
  • 180 global CPG M&A transactions above $25 million were recorded in 2024.[22]
  • The average global Consumer and Retail M&A deal size increased to $142 million in 2024 from $90 million in 2023.[23]
  • Global Consumer and Retail M&A deal volume fell 11% year over year in 2024.[23]
  • Approximately $99 billion was the total value of qualifying global CPG M&A transactions in 2024.[22]

Strategic partnerships in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Arezzo&Co and Grupo Soma planned to combine more than 2,000 company-owned and franchised stores through their 2024 merger.[24]
  • Walmart International worked with more than 4,000 suppliers in 2025.[18]
  • Walmart operated through a joint venture in Mexico for its first international initiative beginning in 1991.[18]
  • Walmart used a combination of more than 3,500 fulfillment centers, sort centers and last-mile facilities in India in fiscal 2024.[25]
  • Walmart International’s supplier network spanned more than 70 countries of origin in 2025.[18]
  • Walmart’s global marketplace and fulfillment services were identified as expansion offerings in fiscal 2025.[18]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

People & Workforce points to staffing volatility and stress signals, with 85% of U.S. frontline retail workers reporting workplace stress in 2024.

Hiring in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Retailers tracked by Teamtailor recorded 38,311 hires from August 2025 to August 2026, down 2.1% from the prior period.[26]
  • Retailers tracked by Teamtailor posted 41,912 jobs from August 2025 to August 2026, up 1.8% from the prior period.[26]
  • 1.5% of retail candidates received offers in SmartRecruiters’ 2025 retail recruiting benchmark.[27]
  • Retailers tracked by Teamtailor received 4,447,062 applications from August 2025 to August 2026, up from 3,004,204 in the prior period.[26]
  • Retail talent teams received 48% more applications for 2% fewer recorded hires among 147 retailers tracked from August 2025 to August 2026.[26]

Employee retention in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 46% of retailers reported store-level, non-managerial employee turnover between 21% and 50% in a 2024 store-operations survey.[28]
  • 77% of U.S. frontline retail workers considering quitting said they believed they had many other job opportunities in 2024.[29]
  • 39% of retailers said their employee turnover rate had increased slightly or significantly over the previous 18 months in a 2024 store-operations survey.[28]
  • 29% of U.S. retail workers said they were actively looking for a new job in UKG’s 2025 frontline-workforce study.[30]
  • 85% of U.S. frontline retail workers reported workplace stress in 2024, according to Quinyx’s retail workforce survey.[29]

Remote Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.02% of full paid working days in 2025.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 13.46% of full paid working days in 2024.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.03% of full paid working days in 2023.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.09% of full paid working days in 2026.[31]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 15.14% of full paid working days in 2022.[31]

Hybrid Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.K. employers, 74% had hybrid working in place in 2025.[32]
  • Across U.K. employers, 65% required hybrid employees to attend the workplace a minimum number of days in 2025.[32]
  • Across U.K. employers, 23% used informal manager-employee arrangements for hybrid work in 2025.[32]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 55% of employees worked from the office five days per week in 2025.[33]
  • Across U.K. employers, 42% had a formal hybrid-working policy in 2025.[32]

Upskilling in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 73% of U.S. frontline retail workers said they were unhappy with the technology provided by their employer in 2024.[29]
  • 24% of frontline retail, food-service, hospitality and manufacturing workers said they were confident they had the right training in 2024.[34]
  • 23% of U.S. frontline workers aged 18 to 34 selected perks such as free food or sponsored social gatherings as a reason to stay another year in 2026.[34]
  • 40% of U.S. frontline workers aged 18 to 34 said purposeful learning and development would make them stay in their current job another year in 2026.[34]
  • 4,000 Walmart workers are targeted for tuition-free skilled-trades training by 2030 under a program launched in the Dallas–Fort Worth area.[35]

Employee Engagement in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% were promoters of their organizations in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[36]
  • Across retail employees, 71% agreed their company contributed to their learning and development in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[36]
  • Across retail employees, 84% would recommend their company as a great place to work in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[36]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% reported one or more symptoms of burnout in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[36]
  • Across retail employees in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset, 70% were engaged in 2025 reporting.[36]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer & Sales shows value sensitivity and cross-channel behavior, with 68% of U.S. consumers using mobile devices to research products while shopping in physical stores.

Customer experience in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 73% of consumers aged 18–34 purchased through social media during the year covered by a 2024 retail-consumer study.[37]
  • 85% of U.S. online adults belonged to at least one retail loyalty program in 2024, with grocery, credit-card and pharmacy programs the most popular.[38]
  • 50% of shoppers purchased through social media during the year covered by a 2024 retail-consumer study.[37]
  • 76% of global retail sales were expected to remain in physical stores by 2026.[39]
  • 68% of U.S. consumers use mobile devices to research products while shopping in physical stores.[39]

Customer retention in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 22% was the average three-year customer-retention rate for retailers using channel-led growth strategies in Bluecore’s 2024 analysis.[40]
  • 20% of grocery loyalty members who shopped in a given month did not return during the following year, based on transaction data through February 2025.[41]
  • 64% of new grocery customers who shopped in their first month did not return during the following year, based on transaction data through February 2025.[41]
  • -3.0% was the reported change in customer-retention performance for consumer packaged goods companies in Spring 2024.[42]
  • 59% was the average three-year customer-retention rate for retail leaders using customer-movement strategies in Bluecore’s 2024 analysis.[40]

Customer acquisition in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 74% of consumers reported switching brands within the previous year in Salesforce’s 2024 consumer-goods research.[21]
  • -2.3% was the reported customer-acquisition performance change for communications and media companies in Spring 2024.[42]
  • 20.6% was the customer-acquisition performance reported for professional-services companies, the highest sector result in Spring 2024.[42]
  • 5.9% was the reported customer-acquisition performance change for B2C product companies in Spring 2024.[42]

Customer loyalty in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 20% of consumers shopped with brands offering points or loyalty rewards in 2024, up four percentage points year over year.[43]
  • 63% of millennials were more likely to shop with advertisers offering personalized loyalty rewards in 2024.[43]
  • 70% of millennial parents were more likely to shop with advertisers offering personalized loyalty rewards in 2024.[43]
  • 57% of consumers were more likely to shop with advertisers offering personalized loyalty rewards, coupons or discounts in 2024.[43]
  • 52% of consumer-goods leaders said maintaining consumer loyalty was harder than ever in 2024.[21]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Marketing & Brand emphasizes trade and shopper marketing spend, where 48% of consumer packaged goods marketing spending went to trade promotion in 2024.

Marketing in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 48% of consumer packaged goods marketing spending went to trade promotion in 2024.[44]
  • 56% of surveyed CPG marketers planned to increase search spending in 2024.[45]
  • 13% of consumer packaged goods marketing spending went to shopper marketing in 2024.[44]
  • 12% of consumer packaged goods marketing spending went to retail media in 2024.[44]
  • 15% of consumer packaged goods marketing spending went to direct digital marketing in 2024.[44]

Digital marketing in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 57.9% of U.S. CPG digital-ad budgets were projected to go to display advertising in 2024.[46]
  • 19.2% was the projected 2024 growth rate for U.S. toiletries-and-cosmetics digital-ad spending.[46]
  • 27.4% was the projected 2024 growth rate for U.S. nonalcoholic-beverage digital-ad spending.[46]
  • 16.5% was the projected CPG share of the $302.77 billion U.S. digital-advertising market in 2024.[46]
  • 69.3% of U.S. CPG digital-ad budgets were projected to go to mobile advertising in 2024.[46]

Branding in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 6.2% was the reported brand-value performance change for B2C product companies in Spring 2024.[42]
  • 74% of consumer-goods consumers reported switching brands within the previous year in 2024.[21]
  • 20% of consumers shopped with brands offering points or loyalty rewards in 2024.[43]
  • 24.3% was the reported brand-value performance change for professional-services companies in Spring 2024.[42]
  • 45% of CPG and grocery consumers sought premium goods in 2024, up four percentage points from 2023.[47]

Social media in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 42% of consumers said social media influences their purchasing decisions in a 2024 retail-consumer study.[37]
  • 44% of consumers preferred TikTok for purchases across generations in Capgemini’s 2024 consumer survey.[48]
  • 30% of U.S. consumers had bought a product through a social-media platform in Capgemini’s 2024 consumer survey.[48]
  • 62% of consumers preferred Instagram for purchases across generations in Capgemini’s 2024 consumer survey.[48]
  • 58% of consumers said they often discover products through social media in a 2024 retail-consumer study.[37]

Influencer Marketing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of brands investing in creator marketing reported sales as an impact of creator activity in 2026, compared with 60% citing brand sentiment and 58% citing awareness.[49]
  • 91% of brands investing in creator marketing ran an always-on component in 2026, including 62% with hybrid programs and 29% with fully continuous programs.[49]
  • 78% of surveyed brands reported growing creator-marketing budgets in 2025, up from 36% reporting budget growth in 2024.[49]
  • 58% of brands integrated retail media networks and creator marketing platforms by amplifying creator-generated content on retail media channels in 2025.[49]
  • 80% of brands investing in creator marketing increased creator budgets in 2026, while 25% raised creator spending by more than 10%.[49]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operations & Execution quantifies margin pressure and order-processing expansion, including Walmart’s pickup at approximately 4,600 stores in fiscal 2025.

Process optimization in the consumer goods retail industry

  • More than 4,500 Walmart stores offered delivery from store in fiscal 2025, extending store-level fulfillment processes across the United States.[18]
  • Approximately 650 Walmart stores were remodeled during fiscal 2025 as part of the company’s retail-process and customer-experience improvement program in the United States.[18]
  • 80% of surveyed U.S. retailers reported losing at least 5% of operating margin to in-store inefficiencies in 2025, highlighting process-improvement pressure across retail operations.[8]
  • More than 4,600 Walmart stores offered pickup in fiscal 2025, expanding standardized omnichannel order-processing capability in the United States.[18]

Operational efficiency in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Retail labor productivity increased by an average 3.2% per year from 1987 to 2025 in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[50]
  • Walmart’s U.S. operating expenses were $27.3 billion in fiscal 2025, equal to 22.1% of sales, as technology and variable-pay costs increased.[18]
  • Walmart’s U.S. operating income reached $6.5 billion in fiscal 2025, up 7.4%, with operating margin improving to 5.3%.[18]
  • 14% of surveyed U.S. retailers reported losing 0–5% of operating margin to out-of-stocks in 2025, while 37% reported losses of 6–10%.[8]
  • 19% of surveyed U.S. retailers reported losing 0–5% of operating margin to price-and-promotion execution inefficiencies in 2025.[8]

Quality management in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Approximately 1,000 establishment inspections and recall-effectiveness activities were conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in fiscal 2024.[51]
  • More than 58,000 recalled or banned products were removed from e-commerce platforms through U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission actions in fiscal 2024.[51]
  • 2,969 regulatory-violation notices were sent to firms by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in fiscal 2024 to require recalls or other corrective action.[51]
  • 46.2% of U.S. food-recall records from fiscal 2013–2025 involved microbiological hazards, according to an analysis of 24,761 recall records.[52]
  • Approximately 59,000 eSAFE team assignments were completed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in fiscal 2024 in support of compliance and casework.[51]

Supply chain in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Walmart operated delivery from store at approximately 4,500 stores in fiscal 2025, extending last-mile fulfillment capacity in the United States.[18]
  • Inventory turnover days at a Hong Kong consumer-goods company declined from 220 days in 2024 to 195 days in 2025, indicating faster stock movement.[53]
  • Walmart inventory increased 3.0% in fiscal 2025 while the company reported sustaining strong in-stock levels through disciplined inventory management.[18]
  • Walmart operated pickup at approximately 4,600 stores in fiscal 2025, integrating stores into its U.S. supply-chain network.[18]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 74% of retailers surveyed sourced internationally, including 71% of small companies and 84% of larger companies, in 2024.[54]
  • 57% of retail organizations with $50 million–$100 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[55]
  • 76% of retail organizations with $150 million–$200 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[55]
  • 72% of retail organizations with $100 million–$150 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[55]
  • Among U.S. apparel imports, China’s share fell from 30% in 2019 to 21% in 2023, while other Asian suppliers’ share rose from 30% to 35%.[22]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Finance & Pricing ties pricing actions to margins, including an 1% price improvement associated with an 11% margin improvement in NielsenIQ’s 2024 analysis.

Pricing strategy in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Target planned to reduce prices on 5,000 food, beverage and household essentials in the United States during 2024, following reductions on 1,500 items.[35]
  • 30.7% of respondents in IDC’s 2024 Global Retail Survey had committed budget or engagement for promotions optimization, campaign development and distribution.[56]
  • Walmart’s U.S. operating-income rate was 5.3% in fiscal 2025, up 12 basis points amid gross-margin expansion and improved e-commerce economics.[18]
  • 1% improvement in price was associated with an 11% improvement in margins in NielsenIQ’s retail pricing analysis published in 2024.[57]
  • Walmart’s U.S. gross profit rate was 26.8% in fiscal 2025, up 51 basis points as lower markdowns supported competitive pricing.[18]

Cost reduction in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Walmart’s U.S. operating-expense rate was 22.1% in fiscal 2025, while operating expenses rose 7.5% to $27.3 billion.[18]
  • Target’s 2024 year-end shrink-reserve sensitivity was approximately $150 million for a 10% increase or decrease in the reserve.[58]
  • Walmart’s U.S. net delivery cost per order declined by more than 20% in fiscal 2025, reducing the cost of e-commerce fulfillment.[18]
  • 80% of surveyed U.S. retailers reported losing at least 5% of operating margin to in-store inefficiencies in 2025, quantifying the potential savings opportunity from cost reduction.[8]

Profitability in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Walmart’s U.S. gross profit was $33.1 billion in fiscal 2025, up 7.0% year over year.[18]
  • Walmart’s U.S. operating income was $6.5 billion in fiscal 2025, up 7.4% year over year.[18]
  • A Hong Kong consumer-goods company reported a 43.6% gross-profit margin in 2025, compared with 47.2% in 2024.[53]
  • 38% of retailers reported profitability gains in 2024 in BDO’s 2025 Retail CFO Outlook Survey, down from 70% in 2023.[59]
  • Walmart’s U.S. operating-income rate was 5.3% in fiscal 2025, an increase of 12 basis points.[18]

Financial planning in the consumer goods retail industry

  • A Hong Kong consumer-goods company reported a 4.5 current ratio in 2025, compared with 5.0 in 2024, indicating its short-term liquidity position.[53]
  • Target’s after-tax return on invested capital increased from 12.6% in 2022 to 16.1% in 2023, improving capital-allocation performance.[60]
  • Walmart’s fiscal 2025 operating expenses were $27.3 billion, representing 22.1% of U.S. sales and a major annual planning cost category.[18]
  • A Hong Kong consumer-goods company reported 249 cash-conversion days in 2025, compared with 278 days in 2024, indicating improved working-capital planning.[53]
  • Target’s cash from operations increased from approximately $4 billion in 2022 to $8.6 billion in 2023, strengthening funding capacity for retail investment.[60]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Product & Service tracks both AI-enabled innovation and high return impacts, including $890 billion of merchandise projected to be returned by U.S. retailers in 2024.

Product development in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 71% of consumer-packaged-goods leaders had adopted AI in at least one business function in 2024.[61]
  • 65% of retail leaders say they depend on consumer-products manufacturers to deliver new and interesting products that drive store footfall and engagement globally in 2025.[62]
  • 24% of consumer-products leaders report actively partnering with retailers on joint product innovation globally in 2025.[62]
  • 45% of consumer-products companies are investing directly to enhance AI and analytics capabilities for innovation globally in 2025.[62]
  • 91% of retail and consumer-packaged-goods organizations were actively using or assessing artificial intelligence in Nvidia’s 2025 industry survey.[63]

Product lifecycle in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Approximately one-third of returned holiday items in the United States did not reach another consumer in 2025.[35]
  • $890 billion of merchandise was projected to be returned by U.S. retailers in 2024.[64]
  • 17.3% of U.S. online retail purchases were returned in 2023, compared with 10% of purchases made in stores.[64]
  • 14% of U.S. retail returns were estimated to be fraudulent in 2023, creating approximately $101 billion in losses.[35]
  • 16.9% of U.S. retail sales were estimated to be returned in 2024, compared with 8.1% in 2019.[64]

After-sales in the consumer goods retail industry

  • $103 billion in U.S. retail losses was attributed to fraudulent returns and claims in 2024.[65]
  • Online purchases represented 52.9% of U.S. retail return dollars in 2024.[66]
  • 16% of annual U.S. retail sales were returned in 2023, according to the National Retail Federation’s later comparison of retail returns.[67]
  • 34% of U.S. e-commerce returns were sent back through carriers for mailing in 2024.[66]
  • 84% of U.S. consumers were more likely to shop with retailers offering box-free, label-free returns and immediate refunds in 2024.[68]

Value proposition in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 41% of U.S. grocery and consumer-packaged-goods shoppers valued special offers in 2024.[47]
  • 85% of U.S. online adults belonged to at least one retail loyalty program in 2024.[38]
  • 60% of consumers were satisfied with the customized and targeted experiences offered by loyalty programs in 2024.[69]
  • 86% of consumers rated financial rewards and simplicity or ease of use as important or very important loyalty-program attributes in 2024.[69]
  • 39.5% of surveyed U.S. consumers reported spending more with a brand or retailer after joining its loyalty program in 2024.[70]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability & Ethics combines emissions disclosures with packaging use, including 225,000 tons of single-use packaging used every day in U.S. grocery retail.

Sustainability in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 69 tonnes of CO₂e per $100,000 of revenue was the 2024 average emissions intensity for consumer goods, retail and hospitality companies disclosing to CDP.[24]
  • 3.86 out of 10 was retail’s score for knowledge and resources in KPMG’s circularity-readiness assessment.[23]
  • 42.9% was the decrease in broader EU retail greenhouse-gas emissions between 2008 and 2023, from approximately 42 million tonnes to roughly 24 million tonnes.[71]
  • 225,000 tons of single-use packaging are used every day in U.S. grocery retail, according to the Center for the Circular Economy.[72]
  • 90% or more of purchased packaged goods sold in U.S. grocery stores are represented by the 10 consumer-product categories analyzed for reuse potential.[72]

ESG in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 51% of Walmart’s approximately 1.6 million U.S. associates identified as people of color in fiscal 2024.[73]
  • 2.1 million associates were employed worldwide by Walmart in fiscal 2024, including approximately 1.6 million in the United States.[73]
  • 1 billion metric tons is Walmart’s target for emissions reduced, avoided or sequestered in its value chain by 2030 through Project Gigaton.[73]
  • 92% of retail firms surveyed by WTW said they had a formal process for assessing and managing reputational risks.[74]
  • 2040 is Walmart’s target year for achieving zero emissions in its operations without offsets.[73]

Ethics in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 55% of retailers used modified refund methods after a designated timeframe to reduce return fraud in 2024.[75]
  • 99% of U.S. retailers employed at least one tactic to reduce return fraud in 2024.[75]
  • 59% of retailers reported increased employee return fraud or collusion with external sources in 2024.[75]
  • 93% of U.S. merchants reported that retail fraud and other exploitive behavior was a significant issue for their business in 2024.[75]
  • 55% of retailers reported increased returns of merchandise purchased with fraudulent or stolen tender in 2024.[75]

CSR in the consumer goods retail industry

  • More than 50% of TJX board nominees were women and/or members of an underrepresented group in each of the 10 years through 2024.[76]
  • 2 of 7 total Sally Beauty Holdings board members identified as female at fiscal 2024 year-end.[73]
  • 92% of Walmart’s U.S. associates were hourly employees in fiscal 2024.[73]
  • 4 of 7 Sally Beauty Holdings non-employee and total board positions were held by directors identifying as female or by the reported board composition categories at fiscal 2024 year-end.[73]
  • 63% of Sally Beauty Holdings’ workforce identified as female at fiscal 2024 year-end.[73]

Circular economy in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 5.50 out of 10 was retail’s score for circularity enablers in KPMG’s circularity-readiness assessment.[23]
  • 5.00 out of 10 was retail’s score for resource outflows in KPMG’s circularity-readiness assessment.[23]
  • 5 retail categories were identified as best suited for near-term adoption of reuse in the U.S. grocery sector.[72]
  • 10 consumer-product categories accounting for over 90% of purchased packaged goods sold in U.S. grocery retail were assessed for near-term reuse potential.[72]
  • 4.25 out of 10 was retail’s score for resource inflows in KPMG’s circularity-readiness assessment.[23]

Carbon footprint in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 25,597,000 metric tonnes of CO₂e were Target’s 2024 retail purchased-goods-and-services emissions.[60]
  • 64% of consumer goods, retail and hospitality companies’ disclosed emissions were Scope 3 upstream emissions in PwC’s 2024 sector analysis.[24]
  • 24 million tonnes was approximately EU retail’s 2023 broader greenhouse-gas emissions total, down from around 42 million tonnes in 2008.[71]
  • 14% of consumer goods, retail and hospitality companies’ disclosed emissions were Scope 1 and 2 emissions in PwC’s 2024 sector analysis.[24]
  • 22% of consumer goods, retail and hospitality companies’ disclosed emissions were Scope 3 downstream emissions in PwC’s 2024 sector analysis.[24]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Globalization & Expansion quantifies operating scale across borders, including Walmart operating more than 10,750 stores and eCommerce sites across 19 countries in fiscal 2025.

Globalization in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 18 countries were served by Walmart International as of January 31, 2025.[18]
  • More than 10,750 stores operated across 19 countries in Walmart’s global retail network in fiscal 2025.[18]
  • Approximately 84.7 billion euros in revenue was generated across 81 countries by LVMH in 2024.[89]
  • 18% of Walmart’s consolidated net sales came from international operations in fiscal 2024.[18]
  • 6,307 stores operated worldwide across LVMH’s businesses at December 31, 2024.[89]

Cultural adaptation in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Walmart used more than 3,500 eCommerce fulfillment centers, sort centers and last-mile facilities in India in fiscal 2024.[25]
  • 553 LVMH stores operated in France at December 31, 2024.[89]
  • Walmart International operated in Africa, Canada, Central America, Chile, China, India and Mexico in fiscal 2024, reflecting market-specific expansion.[18]
  • 1,254 LVMH stores operated in Europe excluding France at December 31, 2024.[89]
  • 778 LVMH stores operated in other markets at December 31, 2024.[89]

Supplier management in the consumer goods retail industry

  • Approximately 2.1 million associates worked for Walmart worldwide at January 31, 2025, supporting its supplier-to-store retail network.[18]
  • Walmart’s international operations sourced goods and services from other countries in fiscal 2024.[18]
  • Walmart sourced products through suppliers located across more than 70 countries of origin in 2025.[18]
  • Walmart International reported a 17% increase in operating income in 2025.[18]
  • Walmart International reported a 9.1% net-sales increase in 2025, supported by its international supplier and merchandising network.[18]

Stakeholder management in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 95 million or more customers visited Walmart International businesses each week in 2025.[18]
  • 44,870 LVMH employees worked in the United States at December 31, 2024.[89]
  • 500,000 or more Walmart International associates served customers across 18 countries in 2025.[18]
  • 215,637 employees worked across LVMH’s global operations at December 31, 2024.[89]
  • Approximately 270 million customers visited Walmart stores and eCommerce websites worldwide each week in fiscal 2025.[18]

Distribution channels in the consumer goods retail industry

  • 13% of estimated purchases occurred through brand websites or apps in 2024.[21]
  • U.S. grocery e-commerce sales reached US$206.8 billion in 2023.[90]
  • 16.1% of U.S. retail sales occurred online in 2024, equal to approximately $1.2 trillion.[19]
  • 11.8% of U.S. grocery retail sales were generated through e-commerce in 2023.[90]
  • 45% of estimated purchases occurred in physical stores in 2024, according to Salesforce’s Connected Shoppers survey.[21]

Key questions about the consumer goods retail industry

What size is the global consumer goods retail market in 2025?
Global retail sales were forecast at $24.9 trillion in 2025, while the broader consumer and retail market was estimated at $35.2 trillion in 2025.
How fast is global retail expected to grow after 2025?
The global retail industry was projected to expand from $35.2 trillion in 2025 to approximately $50.8 trillion by 2030, a 7.65% CAGR.
Which companies lead the consumer goods retail industry?
Schwarz Group stands out because its discount grocery and consumer goods retail spans €175.4 billion revenue across retail, production and recycling businesses, while Walmart is defined by omnichannel scale with more than 10,750 stores and eCommerce sites in 19 countries.
Which technology shifts are changing how retailers operate in 2026?
Retailers are scaling automation and AI-driven shopping and store-intelligence activities, with 20% of surveyed retailers having fully scaled store-intelligence technology solutions in 2025.
How concentrated is the retail market structure among large operators?
Large-scale retailers remain highly influential, illustrated by Walmart’s $681.0 billion FY2025 revenue and $674.5 billion net sales and its U.S. business generating $462.4 billion in merchandise sales.
What does online retail contribute to U.S. retail spending in 2026?
In the United States, e-commerce accounted for roughly 23.5% of retail sales in 2025, while U.S. retail sales were forecast at $5.6T for 2026.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Consumer Goods Retail Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/consumer-goods-retail-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Consumer Goods Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/consumer-goods-retail-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Consumer Goods Retail Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/consumer-goods-retail-industry-statistics.

Sources & references

104 sources cited across this report

  1. occstrategy.com
  2. retaildive.com
  3. bcg.com
  4. verizon.com
  5. ipsos.com
  6. ec.europa.eu
  7. databricks.com
  8. 44417324.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net
  9. downloads.ctfassets.net
  10. nca.org
  11. massmarketretailers.com
  12. assets.contentstack.io
  13. kpmg.com
  14. fiserv.com
  15. ideas.repec.org
  16. eco-cdn.iqpc.com
  17. informatica.com
  18. corporate.walmart.com
  19. usafacts.org
  20. fticonsulting.com
  21. salesforce.com
  22. mckinsey.com
  23. assets.kpmg.com
  24. pwc.com
  25. stock.walmart.com
  26. teamtailor.com
  27. smartrecruiters.com
  28. d5544430a84c15063ea9-24a29c251add4cb0f3d45e39c18c202f.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com
  29. quinyx.com
  30. ukg.com
  31. fred.stlouisfed.org
  32. cipd.org
  33. newsroom.cisco.com
  34. schoox.com
  35. apnews.com
  36. seramount.com
  37. cart.com
  38. forrester.com
  39. scag.ca.gov
  40. s3.amazonaws.com
  41. upside.com
  42. cmosurvey.org
  43. rrd.com
  44. frbuyer.com
  45. info.mediaocean.com
  46. liveramp.com
  47. investors.valassis.com
  48. prod.ucwe.capgemini.com
  49. spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu
  50. bls.gov
  51. cpsc.gov
  52. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  53. www1.hkexnews.hk
  54. cdn.asp.events
  55. radial.com
  56. idc.com
  57. nielseniq.com
  58. publicnow.com
  59. bdo.com
  60. corporate.target.com
  61. axiobench.com
  62. info.ey.com
  63. itpro.com
  64. nrf.com
  65. en.wikipedia.org
  66. capitaloneshopping.com
  67. axios.com
  68. happyreturns.com
  69. deloitte.com
  70. coresight.com
  71. oecd.org
  72. closedloopcenter.com
  73. sec.gov
  74. wtwco.com
  75. cdn.nrf.com
  76. tjx.com
  77. aon.com
  78. apprissretail.com
  79. fluentcommerce.com
  80. cpl.thalesgroup.com
  81. gov.uk
  82. sophos.com
  83. levelblue.com
  84. lp.kaspersky.com
  85. hypr.com
  86. iab.com
  87. corpgov.law.harvard.edu
  88. sullcrom.com
  89. db.srnav.com
  90. agriculture.canada.ca
  91. infosys.com
  92. dynamix-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com
  93. igd.com
  94. census.gov
  95. investing.com
  96. ftc.gov
  97. gruppe.schwarz
  98. investor.costco.com
  99. aholddelhaize.com
  100. ir.homedepot.com
  101. tescoplc.com
  102. ir.kroger.com
  103. carrefour.com
  104. investor.dollargeneral.com