By 2020, online sales in the US and China are projected to reach $650 billion. China's e-commerce market has grown at a compound annual rate of over 120% since 2003, compared to 17% in the US. China's online market was worth $230 billion in 2012 with over 1 billion online shoppers, making it larger than the US market of $210 billion with over 322 million shoppers. Popular retail categories in China include electronics, apparel, and beauty products.

1. ecommerce
usa vs china
$
online
sales could reach
650
billion
by 2020
usa
china
China’s etail
industry posted
1.4b
317m
120
%
compound annual
growth since
2003
*US: 17%
230
5%
$
210
>6%
$
size of
ecommerce
market (2012)
billion
billion
ecommerce
share of
total retail
total number
of online
shoppers
1.4b
“Bricks-and-mortar
retailing is a mature
business in the US,
where consumers have
been shopping in malls
for decades and
continue to do so,
augmenting their
purchases with
occasional forays on the
web. Online shopping is
dessert in the US, but in
China, it is the main
course.”
Jack Ma, Group founder and
Chairman, Alibaba
1.25b
1.00b
most popular retail
categories in china
750m
1
electronics
& appliances
2
apparel,
fashion
3
beauty &
personal
500m
317m
322m
250m
200m
189m
annual
spending online
per buyer
1,028
1,439
$
$
70
online sales
channel mix
76%
independent
merchants
%
90%
of china’s
ecommerce
market is
c2c
marketplaces
(ie. taobao)
*US: <10%
b2c
brandtochina.com