What opportunities does the French market offer? A short guide for sellers on amazon.fr

France is one of the three European countries with the highest percentage of online buyers. In 2022, it ranked third behind the United Kingdom and Germany. For sellers, this means a very large potential in this market. If you are not yet selling on amazon.fr, it is worth considering entering this marketplace. Don't know the language or local legislation? That’s not a problem for a specialized Amazon agency that can support you at every stage of registration, sales, and customer service. Check what opportunities you can take advantage of by starting to sell on Amazon in France. We have prepared a brief overview of this foreign market in the form of a guide for manufacturers and distributors interested in conquering it.

How is the French e-commerce market developing?

France reached a maximum internet penetration rate of 89% back in 2020, and by mid-2022 it had already risen to 92.2%. According to data from January 2022, the French spent an average of 5.5 hours online daily, including 2 hours and 20 minutes on mobile devices. 50.7% of the country’s inhabitants shop online every week, and on average, every fifth person orders products via the Internet on their phone. By mid-last year, France ranked fifth in Europe in terms of the number of Internet users.

Fig. 1 List of the 10 European countries with the largest number of Internet users (as of 31.07.2022)

Source: https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats4.htm

In 2021, the total amount of e-commerce orders reached €129 billion. Compared to 2020, there was an increase of 15.1%, and compared to 2019, an increase of 24.9%.

Fig. 2 Growth in e-commerce sales value in France from 2019 to 2021

Source: https://www.fevad.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FEVAD_CHIFFRES-CLES_2022_engVFF.pdf

What position does Amazon.fr hold in French e-commerce?

The American sales platform ranks first among all e-commerce sites in France. 58.3% of the French shop on Amazon, while its main competitor, Leboncoin, counts on 42.6%. The following positions in the ranking are held by:

Cdiscount - 36.3%,

Fnac - 30.3%,

Vinted - 27.3%.

Fig. 3 Amazon's share of online sales in the French market

Source: https://www.fevad.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FEVAD_CHIFFRES-CLES_2022_engVFF.pdf

The report indicates that it is becoming increasingly common in this country to buy second-hand items. Two of these platforms operate in the "second hand" sector, and 80% of French people shopping online admit to having sold or bought second-hand items. Amazon is following this trend. For some time now, it has been offering Refurbished & Used items in the United States, which can be bought at bargain prices. These items are thoroughly tested, and buyers receive a 90-day warranty. The offers mainly concern attractive electronic equipment: smartphones, household appliances, computers, or smartwatches.

Top 5 most popular categories in French e-commerce

As in other European markets, the leading product categories sold online in France include:

Fashion/Clothing,

Artistic items,

Games/Toys,

Footwear,

Hygiene/Beauty.

Fig. 4 Most popular product categories in online sales in France

The specificity of the French consumer

For French consumers, local production is of great importance. As many as 77% choose products made in France or Europe. A similar number of respondents consider CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) a significant factor influencing their purchasing decisions, meaning the impact of a company's activities on its social, economic, and political environment. New consumer habits are a result of, among other things, the pandemic, which caused a large part of the society to transition to remote work. This has allowed customers more time to familiarize themselves with competitive offers and the characteristics of the companies whose products they order online. The most important features that influence their purchasing decisions include:

Adherence to social standards by the company - 58%

No negative impact on the environment - 52%

Local production in Europe - 50%

French production - 47%.

What does this mean for Amazon sellers? If you have manufacturing facilities within the EU, make sure to emphasize this fact in your product descriptions. Remember that half of the customers will be looking for information about the origin, so doing this can give you a competitive advantage.

Opportunities and risks in French e-commerce in 2023

Amazon's French market is the third largest marketplace, which is why many sellers decide to enter it immediately or once they have developed sales on amazon.de and amazon.co.uk. They leverage its significant sales potential. However, when preparing offers for France, it is necessary to consider several important details that will allow you to fully exploit the opportunities provided by the French e-commerce market. Remember to:

Emphasize the European origin of the product

Highlight that production does not have a harmful impact on the natural environment

Adapt product pages for mobile devices

Account for voice search when creating content (almost 14% of French people use this option).

If you have physical retail outlets or partner trading establishments in France, activate the "Click & collect" option, which is being used by more and more residents of the country on the Seine. This is also a nod to those who, before the pandemic, did not shop online and are now eagerly returning to more traditional forms of purchasing clothes, household appliances, or home furnishings. Want to learn about the growth opportunities for your company on Amazon? Contact us! We will help you start selling in every market served by this platform.

Happy Selling!

Amata Borys-Chudek

Go2Market Crew