Walmart said online sales accounted for more than 13% of total sales in fiscal 2024, growing both in the U.S. and internationally.

Walmart Inc. announced Feb. 20 that U.S. online sales grew 17% for its fiscal 2024 fourth quarter ended Jan. 31. Its global ecommerce sales grew 23% over the same period, while international ecommerce increased 44%. 

The retailer’s ecommerce sales surpassed $100 billion for the year, CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement.

“We crossed $100 billion in ecommerce sales and drove share gains as our customer experience metrics improved, even during our highest volume days leading up to the holidays,” he said.

Consolidated revenue grew 5.7% in the quarter to $173.4 billion, beating analyst expectations. For the full year, revenue grew 6.0% to $648.1 billion.

Walmart is No. 2 in the Top 1000, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of North America’s online retailers by web sales. It is also No. 9 in the Global Online Marketplaces Database, Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of top online marketplaces.

How much does Walmart make in online sales?

Ecommerce was a high-growth area for Walmart again in the fourth quarter. That made for a year of strong U.S. online sales, which increased 27% year over year in Q1, 24% in Q2, and 24% in Q3.

Online sales accounted for more than 13% of total sales in fiscal 2024. 

Pickup and delivery drove the online sales growth, chief financial officer John David Rainey told investors. That echoed comments from earlier this year citing the omnichannel service’s role in bolstering ecommerce.

“Ecommerce sales were led by continued strong growth in store-fulfilled pickup and delivery in Q4. Over the last two years, store-fulfilled delivery sales have nearly tripled, and we’re now doing over $1 billion a month, which gives you an indication of why we’re so excited about the progress here,” Rainey said.

Sam’s Club and other Walmart online sales results

Sam’s Club, Walmart’s membership-based warehouse chain, reported ecommerce sales grew 17% in the quarter. The growth was mostly driven by curbside and delivery orders, Walmart said. Omnichannel sales led to online sales growth in Q3, too, when Walmart reported a 16% increase.

Net sales for Sam’s Club grew 2.0% to $21.9 million. Growth was largely driven by food and other consumable products, Walmart said, in addition to an increase in the number of transactions and higher unit volumes. 

Sam’s Club reported “strong growth” in membership income, with total membership increasing 10%.

Walmart didn’t share specific information about Walmart+, its membership program. However, it did finish Q4 with record Walmart+ membership penetration, the retailer reported. 

Its online marketplace also grew, Walmart said. Rainey called Walmart’s marketplace the “linchpin” of the business for its ability to sell third-party products, as well as first-party products, and bring in customers who will see advertisements on the website. There are now more than 400 million SKUs on Walmart’s marketplace, he said, and a “significant portion” of sellers use Walmart Fulfillment Services.

Walmart Connect and Vizio

The retailer also agreed to acquire smart TV manufacturer Vizio for $2.3 billion. More than 70% of Vizio’s TVs are already sold at Walmart. The deal will give Walmart control over more than 20% of the U.S. TV market and further accelerate Walmart Connect’s U.S. growth, the retailer said.

Walmart Connect is the retailer’s U.S. advertising business, which grew 22% in Q4. Global advertising grew 33%. 

The Vizio acquisition gives Walmart registered users, data and in-store ad capabilities. Walmart will gain access to Vizio’s nearly 18 million active users, ad viewership data, and potentially the ability to track purchases to those ad views.

“The combination would be expected to further accelerate Walmart’s media business in the U.S., Walmart Connect, bringing together Vizio’s advertising solutions business with Walmart’s reach and capabilities. These benefits would be further strengthened by the growth of connected TV platforms and Walmart’s industry-leading TV panel sales,” Walmart said in a press release.

Walmart sales results by category

The retailer reported December 2023 was the largest sales month in Walmart U.S. history. It recorded some of its highest volume days ahead of the holidays, and Walmart Marketplace also recorded sales records during the Cyber 5.

Despite a successful holiday season, sales of toys, electronics, home goods and apparel were soft, Rainey said. General merchandise sales also saw a mid-single-digit decrease. At the same time, food sales increased in the high teens. The changes negatively impacted Walmart’s profit margins, he said.

Grocery and health and wellness sales together increased their portion of total sales by 3.3% in fiscal 2024, Rainey said. He noted that they have lower margins than general merchandise.

Nearly half of the growth in grocery sales came from higher-income households, he said. Walmart’s private label brands also grew penetration 1.6% in the quarter, indicating consumers continue to seek out deals. Customers who opt for delivery and prioritize convenience tend to be younger, more tech-savvy and have a higher income than the average Walmart customer, said John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S.

“When we think about our business today compared to what it was during prior economic downturns, we now have a more compelling offer, a true omnichannel experience that makes us optimistic that more higher-income families will continue shopping with us across categories because we have pickup, delivery, and membership,” Rainey said. 

Walmart earnings

For its fiscal fourth quarter ended Jan. 31, Walmart reported:

  • Consolidated revenue grew 5.7% to $173.4 billion.
  • Walmart online sales in the U.S. grew 17%.
  • Consolidated net income declined 2.3% to $5.7 billion.

For the 12 months ended Jan. 31, Walmart reported:

  • Consolidated revenue grew 6.0% to $648.1 billion.
  • Consolidated net income grew 44.1% to $16.3 billion.
  • Walmart online sales surpassed $100 billion for the year.

Check back for more earnings reports. See Walmart’s previous earnings release story here.

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