French Online Sales Booming

 E-commerce sales in France rose 30% in Q3 2009, relative to the third quarter of 2008, according to the Fédération de l’e-commerce et de la vente à distance (Fevad).

The number of online transactions by French buyers between January and September 2009 was up 34% on the equivalent period in 2008,  said Fevad. Average order value fell 1%, however.

Most of the growth seems due to the more than 15,000 e-tailers that opened their virtual doors for the first time in the previous 12 months—as well as the expanded product and service offerings of older online merchants. François Momboisse, president of Fevad, noted that the number of online buyers had risen only modestly in a year.

The holiday season looks set to bring further cheer to France’s e-commerce sector, especially now that the country has officially emerged from recession. A full 83% of Internet users polled by Médiamétrie said they planned to consult the Web when shopping for gifts, and 70% said they would buy at least some of their holiday items online.

Fevad predicted that online sales in the fourth quarter of 2009 would be 25% higher than in 4Q 2008, and reach €5.4 billion ($7.94 billion). That would take total 2009 online spending by consumers in France to €25.2 billion ($37.0 billion). Fevad anticipates that annual online sales will pass €30 billion ($44.1 billion) in 2010.

A French-language summary of these and other research results is here.