On February 4, 2021, a major press conference was held by the FEVAD (Federation of e-commerce and distance selling). The aim of this annual event is to take stock of e-commerce in France over the previous year, i.e. up to 2020.
It's also an opportunity to look back at the key events for this sector, take stock of the market and decipher the trends that will emerge in 2021. In this article, we summarize the key figures presented at the conference.
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French e-commerce: a market worth 112 billion euros
The e-commerce sector (products and services), with sales of 112 billion euros over 2020, is up 8.5% on 2019. This growth is due to the current health context and the confinement of the French, which have drastically accelerated the digitization of retailers and changed the way the French shop and behave. Faced with the closure of so-called "non-essential" shops, Internet sales have emerged as the only alternative for generating revenue. The French e-commerce market has grown by 17,400 sites over the past year.
17,400 more online sales sites in 2020 than in 2019. #ecommerceFrance pic.twitter.com/QVh2WQQqDt
- FEVAD (@FevadActu) February 4, 2021
The rise of e-commerce is also affecting the online sales of marketplaces, which have been able to offer their services to many VSEs/SMEs and limit the decline in their sales. On average in 2020, marketplaces grew by 27%, twice as fast as in 2019.
Strong growth in product sales
The most dynamic sectors are :
These sectors were all propelled by the health crisis and, in particular, by the two restrictions which, on the one hand, led the French to equip themselves for teleworking (furniture, decoration, technical products) and, on the other, to postpone holiday shopping (Black Friday, Christmas, vacations, etc.) online. The acceleration in sales was particularly pronounced in the last quarter of 2020. The closure of stores and so-called non-essential departments during the second wave led to a sharp rise in sales in November, which continued despite the reopening of stores in December.
As a sign of this evolution, the average shopping basket has risen slightly after several years of decline. It rose from €59 in 2019 to an average of €61.
However, these results must be contrasted, for while sales of products rose by an average of 32%, sales of services fell by 10%. This is due in particular to the sharp drop (47%) in leisure and tourism activities.
New buying behaviors
The year 2020 has changed the habits of the French. The two aforementioned restrictions and fears linked to COVID-19 have led them to order more of their products online. The food sector has of course seen strong growth, particularly during the first days of confinement, thanks to the boom in drive-throughs and home deliveries. This trend looks set to continue in 2021.
But it's not the only sector to benefit from this takeaway craze; point-of-sale Click and Collect, often promoted by retailers during containment, attracted more than 4 in 10 online shoppers this year (41% more than in 2019), although home delivery is preferred by 85% of internet users.
Local businesses have been able to digitize quickly, and have benefited from the support of the French. In fact, almost a quarter of online shoppers (25.7%) placed orders with their local businesses, supporting them in the process.
Conclusion
We conclude this article with the words of FEVAD General Delegate Marc LOLIVIER, who sums up the new trends in e-commerce:
"The year 2020, marked by the health crisis, has profoundly changed the shopping habits of millions of French people. The unprecedented conditions have led them to organize themselves in the face of traffic restrictions and the closure of many physical stores. The Internet has enabled them to continue to buy food, equipment, training and entertainment, while complying with current health protection measures. Some of these habits are becoming established over time, creating new expectations among consumers, such as online access to their local shops.
Marc Lolivier
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