France’s 10 most popular e-commerce websites [2022]

Mobile commerce in France

French consumers are comfortable using mobile devices, yet compared to other market leaders, they seem to lag a bit behind. Currently, relatively few retailers offer multi-channel purchasing solutions.

It may seem surprising that although France is the third ecommerce market in Europe, it ranks in sixth place when it comes to shopping on mobile. This doesn’t mean, however, that online sellers can cut some slack when it comes to mobile optimization.

Quite the contrary, the overall trend indicates a significant increase in the use of mobiles for shopping purposes. Thus, retailers must make shopping smart on mobile devices if they don’t want to lose a big proportion of potential buyers.

Top stores

in million US$

Note: First party net sales generated after deduction of returns, allowances for damaged or missing goods and any discounts allowed

Source: Annual report, secondary sources, ecommerceDB analysis

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Benefits of selling your products online in France

First, the French language belongs to those languages which are spoken all over the world. This gives you an opportunity to access a big number of online buyers that are located in many countries beyond France and continents beyond Europe.

Second, France is Europe’s third market in value, just behind the UK and Germany. With a turnover of more than 65 billion euros, France has a strong online retail position. The growing popularity of ecommerce is opening the country up to more competition, increasing opportunities for international retailers.

Third, there are a large variety of marketplaces in France, e.g. Cdiscount, RueDuCommerce (Carrefour), fnac.fr, Spartoo (shoes), PriceMinister (Rakuten) and many more. These marketplaces are a good way to promote your products at a relatively low marketing cost. There’s also a wide range of products that can be offered to French shoppers, e.g. in fashion, furniture, travel, electronics or high-tech categories.

Fourth, France’s location is beneficial with regard to (international) trade. It’s located in the heart of Europe and is also a natural crossroads for European and global trade.

Further, the well-developed transport and technology infrastructure should make your online sales experience a smooth process. France has one of the best designed and most efficient transport networks in the world. For instance, you must have heard about the high speed train networks, such as the French TGV, offering super-fast journeys between France’s major cities and many European capitals.

In addition to the advanced train infrastructure, there are also roads, motorways and waterways, which facilitate domestic and international trade.

To add to this, French consumers are becoming increasingly connected. Mobile commerce sales have recently increased by 30%, so tap into this growing sales potential.

Finally, future shopping may offer some potential for all online sellers who want to make creativity one of their unique selling points. There’s a lot of research and experimentation. Some see the shop of the future as a combination of shopping spaces combined with cultural places or inspirational learning spots.

Logistics, delivery & shipping

New logistics approaches, e.g. free delivery and returns, unlimited delivery subscriptions or pick-up lockers, contribute to ecommerce growth in France. This is encouraging for cross-border retailers thinking of entering the French market.

However, the French are demanding when it comes to delivery and they expect it to be utmost convenient. Thus, retailers should prioritize consumer convenience when providing delivery options. Offering a choice is crucial here, along with reliability and speed.

The main postal service in France is called La Poste (historical postal operator), Collissimo is used for parcels and Chronopost for express deliveries. La Poste, Collissimo and Chronopost are recognized and trusted brands in France so it’s recommended to provide French consumers with these delivery options on your website. This way, they’re more likely to put trust in your business.

According to UK’s Royal Mail’s research, reassurance about delivery, tracking goods and receiving all the relevant information are very important in France, even more so than in the UK. 85% of French would be happy to track every order, rather than rather than just high-value items, compared with only 60% in the UK.

One of the biggest challenges for retailers may be differing customer expectations: some want one-hour delivery slots, others might want to have their product delivered to a secure locker and so on.

Advice from our shipping expert

Adrien would recommend shipping goods directly from the country of origin or using marketplace fulfillment & logistics solutions, e.g. FBA. The majority of standalone logistics companies are not able to offer competitive shipping rates.

A good alternative is fulfillment done by cDiscount, which enables you to fulfil orders from any sales channel at an extremely low price. This marketplace also drives very high traffic.

It’s worth noting that there’s a benefit to importing goods into France. That’s because in some cases de minimis value (the threshold from which the imported goods are subject to duties) can be higher than in other countries. This facilitates importing higher value goods into France.

E-commerce in France – basic facts

These figures clearly indicate that the e-commerce market in France is a truly appealing destination. After all, it is the seventh largest market in the world. Poland also marked its presence there – InPost recently announced that it wants to buy Mondial Relay, the largest logistics company in France. If the transaction turns out to be successful, it’ll significantly facilitate the process of deliveries from this country to Poland.

This is how French e-commerce improved over the last few years. Willing to enter this market?

Most popular devices in France

It’s worth mentioning that 26.2% of French residents state that they use voice search at least once a month. Therefore, it’s important to optimize your website also for this functionality.

28% of French people do social media research to obtain information about the brand they’re interested in. When entering the e-commerce market in France, remember to set up professional social media channels to communicate with local residents in their native language. So where to run your company account?

• Pinterest – 25%
• LinkedIn – 23.9%
• TikTok – 21.9% (the former Musically is quickly gaining popularity – TikTok was the most frequently downloaded app in France in the last year)

Most popular French websites

Wikipedia (that’s where French people look for information) and Amazon.fr (that’s where they most often search for their dream products) are next in the ranking. Then, we have:

• fr (with advertisements)
• fr (the most popular mobile operator in France)
• com
• programme-tv.net (the French watch TV 3.5 hours a day)
• com (e-mail software from Microsoft)
• com (the largest French marketplace – why not to place your products there?)
• ouest-france.fr and fr

Most popular payment methods in France

According to J.P. Morgan, the French usually pay for online purchases by credit card (53.9%). Digital wallets with 20.9% are second in the ranking. Traditional bank transfers are chosen by 13.2% of the French. Cash on delivery is preferred by 7% of respondents.

What do the French people buy online?

• USD 17.5 billion on travel, accommodation, and transport (this will probably change significantly in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic)
• USD 17.13 billion on fashion & beauty products – clothes, cosmetics – it might be a compelling direction for e-commerce companies willing to conquer the French market
• USD 10.86 billion on toys, DIY products, and hobbies
• USD 10.14 billion on electronics and gadgets
• USD 9 billion on furniture and home appliances
• USD 7.21 billion on food
• USD 2.36 billion on games

10 greatest French online stores

Experts indicate that there are over 120,000 online shops in France. So who will be your main market rival when fighting to win the hearts of French buyers? Below you can see a list of the 10 greatest French online stores, according to 2018 data:

• Amazon
• Cdiscount
• Vente-Privee
• Auchan
• Apple
• Fnac
• Showroomprive
• La Redoute
• Carrefour
• Zalando

Analyze these brands to search for inspiration and ready-made solutions that work perfectly on the French e-commerce market.

Challenges for French ecommerce

Further, the three buying criteria (delivery, price and product) that French consumers see as the most important can make it challenging for retailers to provide the impeccable buying experience many French customers expect.

Additionally, it’s crucial to meet the delivery expectations of those French online buyers who expect utmost convenience, speed, reliability and regular reassurance about the whereabouts of their parcels. Due to differing customer expectations, you’ll be probably required to offer multiple delivery options.

Market development

Note: Data shown is using current exchange rates and reflects market impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war

Source: Statista Market Insights, ecommerceDB

ECommerce revenue growth in France

AOV: Average Order Value

CVR: Conversion Rate

Growth in online shopping in France supported by discount events

France is the second-largest e-commerce market in Europe and sales have been buoyant in recent years. The country’s business to consumer e-commerce market is an €81.7 billion industry,16 accounting for 15.3 percent17 of overall European e-commerce.*

The introduction of one-off discount days and discount-driven retail appears to have underpinned recent growth, with French shoppers keen to check that they are getting the best price possible for their purchase.18

French shoppers are highly familiar with discount retail as the country is home to the world’s biggest flash sales site, Veepee, and 80 percent of shoppers compare prices before buying non-grocery items.19 A handful of French e-commerce merchants also introduced a discounting event called ‘French Days’ in 2018, a version of Black Friday, adding to an event and promotions-led online shopping culture.20

Political events are also shaping buyer habits. For example, protesting in the French capital in late 2018 drove shoppers who wanted to avoid the civil unrest in the streets to make their purchases online.21

In a nutshell

Doing business in France is worth considering for international online sellers. This is a country with a convenient geographical location and a marketplace where ecommerce continues to grow in strength.

Being one of the key ecommerce players in Europe, France is high on the list of prospects for sales success. Healthy competition, good infrastructure and a population that loves shopping all make it a promising destination for online merchants.

The online sales landscape in France has a lot of things in common with other European markets, so if you sell in Europe already, this should make things a whole lot easier.

However, don’t overlook the many unique characteristics of the French marketplace, especially in terms of consumer demands, price competition and multi-channel retailing.

Plan your business expansion in advance and start selling online in France!

French Merchants are Ready for App Sales, Despite Slow Uptake

In general, the French marketplace can be characterized by high Internet penetration, growing mobile services and a modern delivery structure. The market is relatively mature, but still full of opportunities for online sellers.

Among other things, it can boast a large and diverse consumer base, high purchasing power, reliable payment methods, great location and the widespread use of the French language.

At the moment French ecommerce mostly consists of either large retailers or small merchants, which contrasts with with the UK or Germany where mid-sized sellers are more common.

Online sales are rising quickly in France, but physical stores still play an important role in retail. Thus, many online retailers have physical shops, which is helping them develop multi-channel strategies.

French ecommerce in numbers

• Population: 64.53 million
• Digital commerce growth: 25%

Online buyer behaviour

Online spending typically rises at the end of the year, with around 20% of the country’s total digital retail sales attributed to holiday shopping.

French online buyers are usually tech savvy and confident in online shopping. As customers, they appreciate respect, politeness, clear information and a prompt delivery of service.

However, social customer service still seems to be in its infancy.

Price is a key factor for many French buyers, especially since the global economic downturn. According to Euromonitor, 80% of French consumers compare prices before buying non-grocery products. This has helped to fuel the growth of flash sales. In fact, France’s vente-privee.com is the world’s biggest flash sale site.

If you’re an international online merchant who wants to sell in France, it’s important that you translate and localize your online store. It’s also important to interact with French-speaking consumers in their native language.

Among other things, overcoming the language barrier will definitely make the purchasing process more straightforward for French-speaking consumers.

There are further benefits. The French language, the sixth most widely spoken language in the world, is used not only in France, but on five continents. This can provide international online sellers with extra opportunities, e.g. the possibility to reach millions of consumers in Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and in Francophone Africa.

Popular product categories

Among the top products purchased by French online buyers are clothing/footwear, books, home electronics, cosmetics, haircare and skincare and children’s items.

Cross-border shopping

According to Postnord, 52% of French online shoppers order products from abroad. Favourite online shopping destinations of French online buyers include the UK, China and Germany.

A European e-commerce click-and-collect forerunner

Click-and-collect delivery is a major feature of the French e-commerce experience. France has become an enthusiastic adopter of the service, where goods are delivered to local shops and public spaces rather than to homes. E-commerce click-and-collect options are growing rapidly. Amazon has announced plans to install 1,000 Amazon Lockers across train stations in France over the next five years.28

French retailer E.Leclerc has taken the concept one step further by offering click-and-collect for food. E-shoppers can now buy food and drink online before picking their items up from a refrigerated locker near a transport hub,29 or via their car from a drive-through location.

Click-and-collect’s popularity is positive for the e-commerce sector as a whole. Merchants benefit as it cuts down on the costs that arise from delivery journeys to multiple domestic addresses. It also prevents failed deliveries to buyers’ homes, which bring irritation and inconvenience to the shopper and significant costs to the e-commerce merchant.30 Meanwhile, consumers benefit from a reliable, low-cost delivery method.

Key takeaways

• France is the second-largest e-commerce market in Europe with sales of €81.7 billion52
• The mobile commerce market is projected to grow at a far higher rate than e-commerce in general, at 25 percent between 2017 and 2021, to reach €41.9 billion in value53
• Cards are the dominant payment method for French e-commerce, accounting for 53.9 percent of transactions54

E-commerce Payments Trends

International e-commerce success can hinge upon understanding the needs, nuances and growth patterns of individual nations. J.P. Morgan’s E-commerce Payments Trends aims to offer merchants the knowledge they need for global success through in-depth, country-by-country analysis.

1 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

2 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

3 Western Europe Economic Research, JPMorgan Chase Bank, September 2018.

4 Western Europe Economic Research, JPMorgan Chase Bank, September 2018.

5 Western Europe Economic Research, JPMorgan Chase Bank via World Bank, September 2018.

6 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via World Bank, 2017.

7 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via CIA, 2017.

8 World Bank Open Data. ‘France.’ Accessed December 2018.

9 FEVAD, E-Commerce in France Key Figures, 2018

10 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services Data provided by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

11 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services Data provided by Edgar, Dunn and Company via FEVAD 2018.

12 Ecommerce Foundation, B2C Ecommerce Report France 2018, 2018

13 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services Data provided by Edgar, Dunn and Company via Newzoo, 2018.

14 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via World Bank, 2017.

15 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via ECB Statistical Data Warehouse, 2018.

16 FEVAD, E-Commerce in France Key Figures, 2018.

17 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

18 FEVAD, Bilan 2017 du e-commerce en France: les ventes sur internet en hausse de 14% sur un an, 2018.

19 Euromonitor.com, October 2013. ‘Top Five Retailing Industry Trends: France.’ Accessed October 2018.

20 LesNumeriques.com, September 2018. ‘French Days: nouvelle offensive avant le Black Friday.’ Accessed October 2018.

21 Bloomberg.com, December 2018. ‘When France’s Workers Rise Up to Protest, Amazon Gets Busy.’ Accessed January 2019.

22 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via FEVAD, 2018.

23 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

24 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

25 FEVAD, Bilan 2017 du e-commerce en France: les ventes sur internet en hausse de 14% sur un an, 2018.

26 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

27 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

28 GlobalRailwayReview.com, June 2018. ‘Over 980 French train stations to have Amazon Lockers installed.’ Accessed October 2018.

29 Epta-France.com, July 2018. ‘Epta et E.Leclerc renouvellent l’expérience d’achat dans le centre-ville d’Anglet, avec les #EPTABricks.’ Accessed October 2018.

30 Raconteur.net, September 2018. ‘Decarbonising deliveries: making logistics sustainable.’ Accessed October 2018.

31 FEVAD, Bilan 2017 du e-commerce en France : les ventes sur internet en hausse de 14% sur un an, 2018.

32 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

33 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via Newzoo, 2018.

34 FEVAD, Bilan 2017 du e-commerce en France : les ventes sur internet en hausse de 14% sur un an, 2018.

35 CNN.com, July 2018. ‘France bans smartphones from schools.’ Accessed October 2018.

36 LeFigaro.com, February 2018. ‘Le téléphone en voiture est interdit, même à l’arrêt.’ Accessed October 2018.

37 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

38 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

39 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

40 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

41 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

42 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via Eurostat, 2017.

43 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

44 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

45 Tamebay.com, October 2017. ‘eBay France enables sellers to offer Bank Transfer payments.’ Accessed October 2018.

46 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via European Payments Council, 2018.

47 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via European Payments Council, 2018.

48 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company via Eurostat, 2017.

49 Fico, 2018. ‘European Fraud Map 2017.’ Accessed December 2018.

50 Aite Group, 2016. ‘Global Consumer Card Fraud: Where Card Fraud is Coming From.’ Accessed December 2018.

51 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Kount, 2018.

52 FEVAD, E-Commerce in France Key Figures, 2018.

53 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

54 J.P. Morgan 2019 Payments Trends – Global Insights Report: Data has been provided to J.P. Morgan Merchant Services by Edgar, Dunn and Company, 2018.

About J.P. Morgan

J.P. Morgan offers a full suite of payments services to enable a seamless connection across the payments continuum for clients. We bring our consultative expertise, data-driven insights, and local service around the globe to provide a more unified view of payables, receivables and cash management. Merchant Services is the payment acceptance and merchant acquiring business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) – a global financial services firm with assets of $2.6 trillion and operations worldwide.i According to The Nilson Report, it is also the top merchant acquirer of e-commerce transactions in Europe.ii

i JPMorgan Chase & Co. Q4 2018 Earnings Report 2018.

ii The Nilson Report, #1132 May 2018.

This document is based on projected figures and is subject to change at any time. Data may vary from historical figures, due to certain categories being re-stated as new information sources have become available.

Chase Paymentech Europe Limited, trading as J.P. Morgan, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered Office: J.P. Morgan, 200 Capital Dock, 79 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2 D02 RK57, Ireland. Registered in Ireland with the CRO under the Registration No. 474128.

Directors: Brian Gaynor, Carin Bryans, Dara Quinn, Steven Beasty (US), Eilish Finan

Europe’s third ecommerce market

What comes to your mind when you think of France? Is it the French snacking on frog legs and snails and drinking loads of wine? Is it the Eiffel Tower and the city of love and romance? Or maybe you imagine well-dressed men and women who know what sophisticated fashion means?

France is the third largest ecommerce market in the EU and 6th in the world.

This is all great news for all international sellers interested in international growth opportunities.

Here’s our comprehensive guide to the French marketplace: check our facts, figures and forecasts for the future.

If you’re interested in comprehensive, quality data about ecommerce topics of your interest, we have more free guidebooks for you!

How to reach French customers?

As indicated by the statistics, SEO is the most important factor that helps to improve brand recognition in the French market. It was chosen by 42.5% of respondents.

Subsequent positions in the report prepared by Hootsuite are occupied by recommendations,  product samples, marketplaces, price comparison sites, TV ads, product landing pages, and online reviews. However, without a shadow of a doubt, international SEO is the finest way to begin your journey of conquering the French e-commerce sector. Your online business in France can be developed without leaving the cozy armchair in your country.

Cards take Eight out of Every Ten Online Payments in France

Regulation/trends The introduction of Secure Customer Authentication (SCA) is being phased in by Banque de France in 2020 in a two-step migration plan. The first major stage will be carried out this year, with a second, three-month phase in 2021 to iron out any residual issues.31

France also has strong consumer protection rules in place. Returns are highly protected and regulated.

Factors driving the cost of payment acceptance The European Commission’s 2015 Interchange Fee Regulation caps the interchange on consumer debit and credit cards to 0.2 percent and 0.3 percent respectively. This was intended to reduce the cost of card acceptance for merchants. This has had an impact on the cost of accepting Cartes Bancaires, which used to have blended pricing for debit and credit.35

France is a well-established e-commerce market marked by a willingness to shop from abroad, as well as a historical aversion to shopping on the go. This is changing as working patterns evolve, and smartphone penetration has risen quickly in recent years to a high level today.

Overseas merchants should be aware of France’s strict returns, sales period and discounting regulations, which have changed as a result of the pandemic, and ensure they comply with local laws.

Cards dominate French e-commerce payments, led by the ongoing popularity of the domestic Cartes Bancaires brand, which is typically co-branded with Visa® and Mastercard®. Offering seamless card payments is key. Digital wallets are also gaining in prominence as mobile commerce sales grow.

France’s e-commerce industry may not be as large as the UK’s across the Channel, but it is nevertheless a key European market and one that has consistently delivered double-digit sales growth in recent years.1 This growth is set to flatten at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.4 percent to 2023.2

France imposed some of the strictest restrictions on citizens’ movements in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. This will have a major impact on the country’s economic strength this year. France entered a recession in the first half of 2020, and the government issued a growth forecast of -11 percent for 2020, adding that it expects a rebound in 2021.3

France has strict regulations governing retail discounting periods and sales, which are typically allowed twice a year, and known as les soldes. The rules apply to both domestic e-commerce and physical retail. In 2020, the summer sale dates were delayed by several weeks to attempt to allow merchants to recover income after the pandemic. This may have a knock-on effect on winter sales in 2020, including the Black Friday weekend.4

A key feature of the French online shopping culture is the popularity of click and collect as well as home delivery. Pickups take place via drive-through locations, physical stores, or at dedicated lockers in public spaces.5 French online shoppers, therefore, have high expectations when it comes to delivery speeds and choice.

Amazon is the nation’s most popular e-commerce site,6 and it has made France a launch market for its Amazon Counter service. This allows customers to pick up their purchases over the counter from local businesses.

Dedicated sites boost mobile commerce

French e-commerce shoppers still largely prefer to shop online from the home or office, with 79 percent using laptops or desktops, rather than smartphones.31 This preference, however, has been changing. The mobile commerce market is projected to grow at a far higher rate than e-commerce in general, at 25 percent between 2017 and 2021, to reach €41.9 billion in value.32

This growth is set to be boosted by rising smartphone penetration, which now stands at 67.8 percent, up from 63.1 percent in 2015.33 This still leaves a large proportion of the population yet to migrate to a smartphone device, allowing plenty of room for the mobile commerce sector to expand further. French online retailers are becoming aware of the growing importance of mobile commerce: 80 percent have created mobile versions of their e-commerce websites.34

There are counterforces at play, however. In 2018, a new regulation banning the use of smartphones in French schools was passed, which may reduce teenagers’ mobile shopping efforts.35 Lawmakers are also regulating against smartphone use in vehicles,36 as part of an effort to cut down on the nation’s time spent on their phones and improve safety and quality of life. A continued cultural backlash against smartphone usage could impact the sector in the long term.