In 2011, nearly three quarters of the entire French population used the Internet and more than half of all people also made online purchases, clearly surpassing the European average of approximately 40%. In line with this trend, French B2C E-Commerce revenue continues to grow, albeit at a slightly slower rate compared to previous years.
Growing B2C E-Commerce Revenue despite decreasing Transaction Value
Although B2C E-Commerce revenue in France increased by nearly a quarter in the first half of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, the average value of the online sales basket decreased by roughly 5%. This might be the result of there being a larger number of online retailers, prompting online shoppers in France to distribute their spending budget among a higher number of shops than in previous years. In 2012, more than half of all Internet users in France intended to book travel arrangements online, followed by the purchase of services and cultural products such as books and music. Approximately one eighth of all French online shoppers have previously made purchases with their mobile devices and another two thirds intend to do so in the near future. While mobile shopping is becoming increasingly popular in France, online shopping via Facebook is less successful. Not even 5% of all Facebook users in France intend to make purchases using this social media portal.
Amazon and La Redoute especially favored by Internet Users
According to the "France B2C E-Commerce Report 2012" by yStats.com, Amazon is the most popular online retailer in France. In the first half of 2012, almost half of all online shoppers made online purchases from this generalist, followed by travel website Voyagessncf and consumer electronics outlet Fnac. In terms of unique visitor numbers, mass merchant La Redoute ranks ahead of the competition. Generalist Cdiscount is also very successful in France. Revenue generated by this online retailer, which also operates two brick-and-mortar shops in France, grew to more than 1 billion EUR in 2011, almost equaling the online revenue of private shopping site Vente-Privée. 3Suisses, an OTTO Group affiliate, has also been successful in French E-Commerce. Aside from apps for mobile devices, the company offers free 24-hour shipping for all of its products.
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