Amazon Surpasses Walmart as World's Top Company in Sales

E-commerce giant overtakes retail giant in annual revenue for the first time in 13 years

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the world's top company in terms of annual sales revenue, according to the latest financial results. Amazon reported $716.9 billion in revenue for 2025, while Walmart's revenue was $713.2 billion, marking the first time Amazon has topped its retail rival in over a decade.

Why it matters

This milestone underscores the continued shift in consumer spending toward online shopping and Amazon's growing dominance in the e-commerce space. It also highlights the challenges traditional brick-and-mortar retailers like Walmart face in adapting to the changing retail landscape.

The details

Amazon's revenue grew nearly 10 times faster than Walmart's over the past decade as consumers have increasingly turned to online shopping. While Walmart still generates 90% of its sales from physical stores, Amazon's online and physical store sales accounted for around $464 billion of its total revenue last year. Amazon has also expanded into other business lines like cloud computing, streaming, and entertainment through acquisitions like MGM Studios.

  • Amazon reported its Q4 2025 results earlier this month.
  • Walmart announced its annual revenue for fiscal 2026 on Thursday.

The players

Amazon

An American e-commerce and cloud computing company that has become one of the world's largest and most influential tech companies.

Walmart

An American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets, discount department stores, and grocery stores.

Andy Jassy

The CEO of Amazon, who has led the company's expansion into new business lines like cloud computing and entertainment.

John David Rainey

The Executive Vice President at Walmart, who announced the company's increased annual cash dividend for fiscal 2027.

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What they’re saying

“Dividends continue to be a part of our diversified capital returns approach. We're proud to be increasing our annual dividend for the 53rd consecutive year. This decision is a proof point of our continued confidence in our business performance and forward momentum.”

— John David Rainey, Executive Vice President, Walmart (wane.com)

“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs.”

— Andy Jassy, CEO, Amazon (wane.com)

What’s next

Amazon and Walmart will continue to compete for dominance in the retail and e-commerce sectors, with both companies likely to make strategic moves to adapt to changing consumer preferences and technological advancements.

The takeaway

Amazon's ascension to the top of the global sales rankings underscores the dramatic shift in consumer behavior and the growing power of e-commerce platforms. This milestone will likely intensify the rivalry between Amazon and traditional retailers like Walmart as they vie for market share and adapt to the evolving retail landscape.