Amazon now captures more spending than Walmart in five of seven retail categories, extending its reach from electronics and apparel into health and personal care. That breadth gives Amazon several ways to grow as consumers shift more purchases toward goods they can research, order and have delivered without visiting a store.

The September 2026 PYMNTS Intelligence report, “Amazon Takes Five Categories as Walmart Tightens Its Grocery Grip,” finds that Amazon gained spending share in every category tracked during the second quarter. Its share of total U.S. retail spending reached a record 9.6%, compared with Walmart’s 7.5%.

The report, part of the “Share of Wallet: Amazon vs. Walmart” series, draws on company earnings reports and federal spending data. Amazon’s overall lead widened to 2.09 percentage points, roughly twice the gap a year earlier. Think of the seven categories as lanes on a track: Amazon is ahead in five, while Walmart maintains a substantial cushion in groceries.

Three findings show where Amazon’s advantage is strongest and where it’s gaining ground:

The broader spending picture offers room for both retailers. Retail’s share of total consumer spending stabilized at 31.3%, while categories typically suited to ordering reached 24% of retail spending, up from 21.1% in 2019. Walmart still captured 21% of food and beverage spending, compared with Amazon’s 3%, and led in auto parts.

For retailers, the findings offer a useful guide to serving shoppers: make planned purchases easy to order and give regular store visitors reasons to return.

At PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes.

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