Richest eCommerce Business: Who's Making the Most Money Online?

• by Ewan Thorne
• Jun 17, 2025
• 0 Comments

Richest eCommerce Business: Who's Making the Most Money Online?

Everyone tosses around the name Amazon any time online shopping comes up—there’s a reason for that. It’s not just big; it’s the richest eCommerce business out there, no contest. In 2024, they pulled in nearly $575 billion in revenue. That’s more money than some entire countries make in a year.

You might think Amazon just sells gadgets and books, but that’s only part of the story. A huge piece of their fortune comes from things you barely see, like AWS (Amazon Web Services), which powers tons of apps and websites behind the scenes. They’ve also got subscriptions like Prime, which lock people in for fast shipping and movies. These little extras add up to billions.

• Amazon: The Undisputed King
• How Amazon Outpaces the Competition
• What Drives the Big Profits
• Lessons for Your Own Online Store

Amazon: The Undisputed King

When people talk about eCommerce, Amazon is usually the first name that pops up, and honestly, for good reason. Jeff Bezos started Amazon in 1994 selling books out of his garage, but now it’s a global giant with its hands in pretty much everything you can buy online—or even things you can’t see, like cloud storage.

Amazon didn’t just get big by accident. Their secret sauce is making shopping as easy and fast as possible, while giving people tons of choices. You can order a phone charger or a fridge, toss a jar of peanut butter in the same basket, and it’ll probably all show up at your door within two days.

Here’s how massive Amazon’s reach really is:

The numbers just keep climbing, and what’s wild is that Amazon isn’t just about selling stuff. In fact, a huge part of their profits comes from Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is like the backbone for tons of apps and businesses. In 2024, AWS alone brought in over $90 billion. You probably use something powered by AWS every single day without realizing it.

Another thing that really locks people into Amazon’s world is Prime. Last year, over 240 million folks had Prime memberships, paying each year for perks like fast shipping, exclusive deals, and even streaming movies. That steady cash flow helps Amazon survive price wars and keep growing, even when other stores are struggling.

No other eCommerce business comes close, whether you look at sales, daily website visitors, or even the number of products listed (spoiler: it’s hundreds of millions). They even own a chunk of the grocery market with Whole Foods, and Alexa is in countless homes making it easier to shop by just talking.

Amazon’s mix of relentless expansion, low prices, and customer obsession is what lets it stand alone at the top of the eCommerce game.

How Amazon Outpaces the Competition

Amazon has a way of steamrolling over other online stores, and it’s not just because they’re big. Their trick? Making everything about shopping easier and faster—for both buyers and sellers.

Here’s what really puts Amazon ahead of everyone else:

• Prime Membership: Over 200 million people pay for Prime worldwide. Free one or two-day shipping? People love that. Most folks stick with Amazon just for the convenience.
• Massive Selection: Walk into any normal store and you might find a few brands of headphones. On Amazon, you can find hundreds. They carry millions of products—way more than any other store, online or offline.
• Crazy Fast Shipping: Amazon spent over $75 billion in 2023 alone improving their logistics network. Super-fast delivery is basically their calling card now. They’ll even deliver some stuff the same day.
• Marketplace for Third-Party Sellers: Over half of all items sold on Amazon come from other businesses. Amazon handles the hard stuff—like payments, shipping, and customer service—so small sellers can reach millions of shoppers.
• Tech That Just Works: Their website is simple to use, their checkout is lightning fast, and their returns process is no-hassle. Shoppers have pretty much zero reasons to go somewhere else.

Want to see how far ahead Amazon is? Check out this quick comparison with their top rivals from 2023:

That kind of dominance isn’t by accident. Amazon’s relentless focus on keeping things simple, fast, and reliable keeps both shoppers and sellers coming back. If you’re thinking about the eCommerce game, this is the gold standard everyone’s chasing.

What Drives the Big Profits

If you want to know why Amazon is the richest online business, you’ve got to look beyond just selling stuff. The real money comes from a mix of clever moves and big bets that paid off.

First off, Amazon doesn’t just ship you toothpaste and phone chargers. Their biggest cash cow is actually Amazon Web Services (AWS). This arm of the company sold over $90 billion in cloud services in 2024. Big brands, banks, and even streaming platforms rely on AWS to run their websites and apps. While other parts of Amazon have tight profit margins, AWS stacks on the profits fast—about 70% of Amazon’s total operating income comes from AWS alone.

Then realize how Amazon turns one-time shoppers into loyal subscribers. With Amazon Prime, over 200 million people worldwide pay a yearly fee for fast delivery, exclusive deals, and all-you-can-watch movies and shows. Prime members tend to spend twice as much as non-members, and that’s exactly what Amazon wants: returning customers who buy more, more often.

Amazon Marketplace is another beast. Third-party sellers now account for nearly 60% of stuff sold on Amazon. Here’s the trick—Amazon collects fees, shipping costs, and even advertises other people’s products, basically making money no matter who makes the sale.

Take a look at this quick breakdown to see how the money piles up:

What makes Amazon’s profits really soar is how they use tech, data, and logistics. Their warehouses are robot-powered and their delivery network is as fast as it gets. Meanwhile, their website tweaks offers and suggestions based on what you just looked at. Amazon is always learning from what people do, and then quietly updates their playbook to get more sales.

Amazon also squeezes costs with insane efficiency. While they invest billions in fast, nationwide shipping and storage, they’re always hunting for the next shortcut—like automated picking robots or drone delivery tests.

If you're ever thinking of running your own shop, watch how Amazon bundles services, uses subscriptions, and relies on outsider sellers to fill gaps. There’s a lot more to big profits than just a full cart and a fast checkout.

Lessons for Your Own Online Store

So, what can a regular seller take from Amazon’s wild success? You don’t need billions in the bank, but you can steal a few of their best moves and adapt them to your size. Here's how you can make your own spot in the online market:

• Make the shopping experience seamless. Amazon obsesses over the customer journey. Fast checkout, reliable shipping, and easy returns keep people coming back. Even as a small shop, you can skip the complicated stuff and make it insanely easy for people to pay, get updates, and reach you if something goes sideways.
• Diversify your income. Amazon isn’t just about selling products; they rake in profits from services and subscriptions too. You can add paid memberships, offer tech help, or throw in special services and digital downloads if it fits your niche.
• Never stop testing. Amazon runs thousands of experiments every year, from pricing tweaks to design changes. You can run basic A/B tests: change up your homepage or try a limited-time offer and see what happens. The point is, don’t just guess—watch the numbers.
• Use customer data but keep it simple. Amazon is a king at using data to recommend products, but if you’re a small shop, you can just start with product reviews and a “you might also like” section. Even a basic follow-up email after purchase can boost repeat buyers.

Remember to keep improving. Regularly update your product pages, photos, and policies. People love stores that feel fresh and trustworthy. Even a tiny change—a new picture, a clearer return policy, or a weekly deal—can make your store feel bigger and more reliable.