GLOBAL e-commerce sales of packaged goods is expected to swell in value to US$53 billion by 2016 to take 5.2 per cent of total turnover, up from 3.7 per cent at present with a burgeoning number of online shoppers worldwide.

A report published by market research firm Kantar Worldpanel expects online sales of fast-moving consumer goods, excluding fresh produce, would grow 47 per cent by 2016 from $36 billion last year.

The study said South Korea would continue in its lead in online FMCG sales, raising its market share to 13.8 per cent by 2016 from 10.2 per cent now, while growth would be strong in Taiwan and China.

France is expected to surpass Europe's e-commerce trailblazer Britain with online sales of packaged goods rising to 6.1 per cent by 2016 from 3.9 per cent now, growing more slowly in Britain to 5.5 per cent from 4.9 per cent.

"The future belongs to retailers and brands that see the bigger picture and leverage the opportunities provided to broaden their target markets," Kantar Worldpanel retail director Stephane Roger said.

"Being a slow adopter has the potential to significantly damage sales and erode market share," he said.

In the United States, Bernstein Research estimates one quarter of spending on consumer goods - worth $222 billion a year - will be spent online.