THE FRENCH PEOPLE ARE LESS ATTRACT BY E-COMMERCE THAN THE OTHER EUROPEANS

Dear Sir,

Please find below my third contribution to your blog

Mathilde Noizet (FNR-303)

THE FRENCH PEOPLE ARE LESS ATTRACT BY E-COMMERCE THAN THE OTHER EUROPEANS

The growth of e-commerce in France knows a phase of deceleration: the number of newcomers in this sector tumbled this year, whereas the monthly purchase rate is also declining. In comparison, it has to be noticed that the European countries of the same importance show more commitment in this domain.

Just a  few weeks before Christmas, the sites of e-commerce are getting organize to deal at best with this  very critical period of the year. Indeed, this is the time when many e-traders generate their biggest turnover, even if the current economic situation will not incite the French people to make important spending.

Besides an unfavorable situation, a recent study driven by the audit firm PwC risks to stress the restlessness of the sector. Indeed, the market of the e-commerce does not attract  new Internet users: this year, France recruited only 5 % of new buyers, against 21 % in 2012. For PwC, it is the sign that the growth of the e-commerce reached a "landing" in France.

However, countries similar as Canada (11 %), Germany (12 %), Italy (21 %), the Netherlands (16 %) and Switzerland (11 %) converted many more Internet users to the use of e-commerce during the past year. On the other hand, the development in the USA (8 %) and in the United Kingdom (6 %) is lower, because of a more mature sector.

The French customers also distinguish themselves in the purchase rate, because only 17 % of them are purchasing every week to when the British are 40 % to do so, the Germans 36 % and the Italians 27 %. On the other hand, the French purchase rate reaches 36 % per month (against 44 % in 2012).

PwC cannot understand this French particularity. The problem of the purchasing power does not explain everything, even if it represents an element of answer. Indeed, France is not the only European curntry to face the economical crisis. The maladjustment or the low accessibility of the sites of e-commerce to the mobile Internet, while the use of smartphones increases, constitutes another brake.

According to PwC, the purchase via a nomadic device is in any case a strong trend. In the world, 43 % of the customers buy via a smartphone against 28 % last year. In France, possibility of using a mobile phone or a tablet to place an order also meets a lot of success, although it is a more measured one: they were 15 % to do it in 2012, and now they represents 25 % of the buyers.