For instance, the PowerShares NASDAQ Internet Portfolio (NasdaqGS: PNQI) and First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund (NYSEArca: FDN) target internet-related companies.
Along with large internet tech names like Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB) and Alphabet (NasdaqGS: GOOG), PNQI has a 35.3% tilt toward the internet & catalog retail sub-sector, including 8.6% Priceline Group (NasdaqGS: PCLN), 8.0% AMZN, 3.9% JD.com (NasdaqGS: JD), 4.7% EBAY and 3.6% Netflix (NasdaqGS: NFLX), among others.
FDN also allocates 20.0% to consumer discretionary, including top holdings like 10.0% position AMZN, 4.5% EBAY and 4.3% to NFLX.
ETF investors can also take the sector-specific approach through the Amplify Online Retail ETF (NasdaqGM: IBUY), which targets the performance of the EQM Online Retail Index. IBUY is comprised of global companies that generate at least 70% of revenue from online or virtual sales.
SEE MORE: IBUY – A Dedicated E-Commerce ETF
The online retail ETF includes a 59% tilt toward traditional retailers, 28% to marketplace segment and 13% to travel. Top holdings include GrubHub (NYSE: GRUB) 3.9%, 1800FLowers.com (NasdaqGS: FLWS) 3.7% and Etsy (NasdaqGS: ETSY) 3.6%, along with 3.1% AMZN, 3.1% EBAY, 1.3% BABA and 1.2% JD.
The e-commerce ETFs has been outperforming retailers. Over the past three months, IBUY increased 13.5%, whereas the SPDR S&P Retail ETF (NYSEArca: XRT), the largest dedicated retail ETF, rose 11.8%. Meanwhile, the broader Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLY), which includes an 18.4% tilt toward internet & catalog retail sub-sector, along with a 12.7% position in AMZN, only rose 5.3% over the past three months.