Online alcohol sales will top $36 billion by 2028 in 18 major markets.

Online sales of alcoholic drinks are on track to exceed $36 billion by 2028 across 18 major markets tracked by IWSR, a global drinks data and analytics company, according to the firm’s latest e-commerce outlook reviewed on Sept. 18, 2026. The forecast points to roughly 20% growth over five years, or about $6 billion in additional sales, in a channel that has moved beyond its pandemic-era surge and is becoming a more established part of the alcohol business.

That figure is one of the clearest available benchmarks for the size of the online alcohol market, but it is not a measure of every digital alcohol sale worldwide. IWSR’s study is based on a defined group of markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The company’s estimate is global in scope in the sense that it spans several regions, but it does not attempt to count all online alcohol transactions in every country.

The outlook matters at a time when the digital channel is growing even as the broader alcohol market faces slower long-term demand. IWSR projected in 2026 that global beverage alcohol consumption in 2035 would be about 1% lower than in 2025, even though the world’s legal-drinking-age population is expected to rise by around 9%. That gap reflects a shift already visible in several large mature markets, where consumption is expected to weaken, while some emerging markets gain importance.

IWSR has identified expected declines in major established markets including China, the United States, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. At the same time, India, Mexico, Vietnam and Colombia are projected to increase their weight in the global alcohol market. That means online alcohol sales can continue to gain share even if total worldwide alcohol volumes stay flat or fall. For producers, retailers and delivery platforms, the key issue is not only how much alcohol consumers drink, but where and how they choose to buy it.

The growth of e-commerce is not evenly spread. IWSR describes two major centers of online alcohol activity today: marketplace-led sales in China and omnichannel retail in the United States. Chinese marketplaces alone are expected to contribute about $1.9 billion in additional growth through 2028, making them one of the strongest single engines of expansion in the sector. In the United States, the digital business is more closely linked to established retailers, supermarket chains, delivery services and direct online storefronts that combine web ordering with store networks and local fulfillment.

Other markets remain smaller in absolute size, but some are becoming more important. IWSR has pointed to Japan, Australia and Mexico as relevant online channels outside the two largest poles. Japan, Australia and Brazil are also among the leading contributors to growth beyond China and the United States. Italy stands out for fast percentage growth from a smaller base. IWSR estimated that the country added close to half a million online alcohol buyers in 2024, a sign that the channel is still broadening in parts of Europe even where its total value remains below larger markets.

Consumer behavior differs sharply from country to country, which helps explain why a single global penetration rate can be misleading. In the United States, IWSR said its third-quarter 2024 tracking showed a four-percentage-point increase in the share of online alcohol buyers. It also reported a 13-point increase in the share of consumers who said they bought alcohol online every week. In the United Kingdom, by contrast, e-commerce fell back from the unusually high levels reached during the pandemic, although IWSR expected the market to return to growth from 2026.

Those differences have practical consequences for alcohol companies deciding where to invest. In some markets, online buying is still mainly about convenience and repeat purchasing. In others, it is tied more closely to promotions, special occasions or access to products that are harder to find in physical stores. The same company can face a mature online market in one country and an early-stage one in another, even within the same product category.

The role of the internet in alcohol retail is also changing. IWSR found that 63% of online alcohol buyers said they research purchases extensively before placing an order. Another 24% said discovering new brands was one of the reasons they bought alcohol online. That suggests the digital channel is not just a delivery mechanism. Search tools, ratings, product pages, comparisons and recommendations can shape demand before the order is placed, even when the platform does not directly own the inventory.

That shift is especially important for premium products and smaller brands. A physical shelf limits assortment and favors established labels with national distribution. Online storefronts can present a much wider range of products and reach consumers who are already looking for a specific region, distillery, grape, style or price point. For brands, that can lower one barrier to entry, though it also raises competition and can increase customer acquisition costs.

By category, IWSR expects spirits to be the main driver of online alcohol growth, while wine and beer are projected to show steadier, less dynamic trends. The data supports the idea that specialized online spirits retailers may be better positioned than sellers of lower-value categories in cross-border and high-service transactions. In practical terms, many bottles of spirits carry a price that can better absorb picking, packing, insurance, international shipping, duties and regulatory compliance than a case of lower-priced beer. IWSR attributes the stronger category outlook to spirits, while the link to shipping economics follows from the product structure and from the policies commonly seen at specialized international retailers.

The market structure itself is becoming more fragmented. Marketplace platforms, omnichannel grocers, fast-delivery services, specialist spirits merchants and social-commerce operators are not all competing for the same purchase. A consumer buying a premium bottle after reading reviews is behaving differently from one reordering beer for a weekend delivery or adding wine to a grocery basket. That is changing how retailers measure success. Scale still matters, but so do search visibility, data on consumer intent, delivery speed and the ability to present a deep catalog.

China illustrates one version of that model, where large marketplaces remain central and social-commerce tools continue to influence product discovery. The United States illustrates another, where established retailers and grocery chains are tying digital ordering to existing logistics and store footprints. Elsewhere, especially in smaller or more fragmented markets, growth may depend more on niche merchants, imported products and the willingness of consumers to buy alcohol as part of a broader online shopping routine.

For alcohol producers, the result is a channel that can no longer be treated as a temporary extension of the store shelf. The strongest online opportunities now vary by country, product type and shopping occasion. In some places the main battleground is marketplace visibility. In others it is delivery integration, customer data or the ability to turn browsing into trial. As online alcohol sales continue to expand across the markets tracked by IWSR, the business is becoming less about replicating a liquor store on a website and more about building distinct models for convenience, discovery and specialized demand.