E-commerce in France
Amazon strong in the otherwise domestic e-commerce market.
In 1982, the French service Minitel was launched in France and is considered to be one of the precursors of the internet. On Minitel, users could book train tickets, make payments and write emails, as well as doing what we now call online shopping. As an internet pioneer, France today has an established online retail market and is one of the top six online retailing countries in the world.
Impact of the corona- virus pandemic
As a result of several lockdowns, France is one of the countries in Europe whose physical retail market has been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This led to a major boom in e-commerce. For example, one billion parcels were delivered in 2020, which is two hundred million more than the previous year. Overall, France’s GDP fell by around 4.3 per cent in 2020, compared with the previous year.
Marketplaces
France has a wide range of national e-retailers and marketplaces. In terms of net sales, only Amazon is bigger than the French market participants Cdiscount, Vente-Privee and Auchan. At the beginning of the year, French President Emanuel Macron presented a new climate change bill. One thing that has given rise to debate is that the proposal makes it more difficult to asphalt empty fields. However, e-commerce giants such as Amazon are still allowed to build their warehouses on this type of land, which has upset many. Another win for Amazon, which has previously fought the French government regarding its free delivery services.
Klarna launched
Swedish fintech company Klarna launched its services in France in June 2021. The French can take advantage of Klarna’s new “Pay in 3” instalment service, which allows consumers to divide their payments into three parts – free of charge and interest-free. The service is already available in the US and the UK and has been highly appreciated. The establishment of Klarna is another sign of the fintech company’s worldwide success.
Source: E-commerce in Europe 2021
