French Online Sales Could Surpass $112b

Online retail sales in France could exceed €90 billion ($112 billion) this year and top the 100 billion mark next year as the number of online vendors increases and people turn to the Internet and mobile phones to shop more often, the country’s E-Commerce Federation, Fevad, said on Tuesday, Reuters reported. This would compare with a 14.3% year-on-year rise in 2017, when the French spent €81.7 billion buying online, the Fevad body said. The 2017 numbers included Christmas sales of €16.5 billion, a 17.5% year-on-year increase. Sales generated on web-based marketplaces rose 15% in 2017, while mobile sales increased by 38%. For the seventh straight year, the average value of the basket of purchased goods declined, due to reduced or free shipping costs and the development of unlimited delivery subscriptions. The average value of the basket fell 5% to €65.5, although there was an increase in the frequency of purchases, Fevad said. There were, on average, 33 online transactions per year per buyer in 2017, up from 28 in 2016.