The State of E-Commerce I...

The State of E-Commerce In France

Jul 01, 2020
The State of E-Commerce In France

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France is the 3rd largest e-commerce market in the EU and 6th in the world. Their e-commerce market is also expected to reach a turnover of 115.2 billion euros by the end of this year. 

We explored e-commerce in France this week and these were some findings we found insightful:

  • During the Christmas season, online parcel volumes increased by 70%. A study by the Centre for Retail Research found that Christmas sales by online retailers grew by 12.5% in 2019 as compared to 2018,  as more shoppers are turning to e-commerce websites. In contrast, offline sales in 2019 did not experience any growth.

  • 20.8% of parcels go to collection points in France. In 2016, French postal service La Poste installed 120 collection points and lockers in the Parisian region. As online shopping continues to grow in Europe, we find this growth in collection point usage part of a shift towards preference in contactless delivery options. Customers enjoy greater flexibility when shopping, and retailers too can enjoy better logistics route planning and cost-effectiveness.

  • It takes an average of 1.8 days for the first delivery attempt for domestic parcels. On a related note, we found in our previous study on deliveries in China that international parcels from China to France take an average of 8.4 days to reach the recipient. 

With people in France making more online purchases, e-commerce in France is steadily on the rise. Data from Statista shows that the e-commerce market in France experiences an annual revenue growth of 6.4% from 2020 to 2024, topping off at a market volume of 57 million euros by 2024. 

As we approach the third quarter of 2020, businesses are still battling uncertain economic conditions and shifts in consumer behavior from the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers are purchasing more online while being more cautious in their spending whereas businesses are now adjusting to a new normal of online-first behavior while battling shifts in both demand and supply. We stand to see how these projections hold up against current market realities.

Research methodology: Parcel Monitor’s team analyzed representative parcel shipment data in France for 2019.

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