E-commerce grew seven times faster than total FMCG

Kantar, the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company, today announced the latest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) e-commerce sales data. In the year ending 30 June 2019, global FMCG online sales grew seven times faster than total FMCG sales on average.

Chinese mainland remains top of the list for growth in e-commerce sales by value with a 36.1% increase and continues to accelerate. In the last six months e-commerce grew by 10 penetration points to 73% of the population (three in every four Chinese households) buying groceries online. This increase marks Chinese mainland jointly with South Korea as the most advanced countries in the world for FMCG e-commerce.

Source: Worldpanel FMCG panel, Kantar, 12 months ending June 2019

Asian economies continue leading the way in terms of online share of total sales. South Korea tops this table with an online value market share of 20.3% followed by Chinese mainland (15.2%) and Taiwan (8.7%).

In Western Europe, the UK gets the biggest share of online FMCG sales (7.6%) followed by France (6.2%).

Source: Worldpanel FMCG panel, Kantar, 12 months ending June 2019

Amazon’s FMCG sales growth is slowing down in France

In Europe, the most developed grocery sales country for Amazon is the UK with 10% of the online grocery market. The UK is followed by France, where Amazon has captured a market share of 5% of total online FMCG sales.

Amazon is still not top of mind when it comes to grocery shopping in the UK, especially for big shopping missions. Eric Batty, global e-commerce business development director, Worldpanel Division, Kantar, comments: “The main challenge for Amazon is to achieve bigger grocery baskets – this pure player is not yet appealing for stock up missions and online shoppers currently tend to have a specific shopping mission when they buy groceries in Amazon.”

Online will be the leading channel in Asia by 2025

Online sales will represent almost one third of FMCG sales in the Chinese mainland by 2025 and one quarter in South Korea. In France and the UK, e-commerce will represent slightly less than 10% of FMCG sales.

Stéphane Roger, global shopper and retail director at Worldpanel Division, Kantar, comments: “We predict that by 2025, online grocery sales will double, meaning that 10% of global FMCG sales will happen online. The continued demand for convenience in urban areas, the integration between online and offline, the creation of new direct-to-consumer options and more technology will all help reach new targets beyond the current profile of affluent families with children.”

Source: Worldpanel FMCG panel, Kantar

Notes to editors

These findings are based on Kantar’s Worldpanel FMCG panel data for the 12 months ending June 2019. This research tracks more than 150,000 households across 21 countries that provide extensive and continuous information about their shopper behaviour.
Fresh produce is excluded from the definition of online FMCG.