French 2018 online sales seen topping 90 bln euros: industry body

[PARIS] Online retail sales in France could exceed 90 billion euros (S$147.9 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.

This would compare with a 14.3 per cent year-on-year rise in 2017, when the French spent 81.7 billion euros buying online, the Fevad body said.

The 2017 numbers included Christmas sales of 16.5 billion euros, a 17.5 per cent year-on-year increase.

Sales generated on web-based marketplaces rose 15 per cent in 2017, while mobile sales increased by 38 per cent.

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 per cent to 65.5 euros, 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.

Three of the most visited e-commerce websites in France are Amazon, CDiscount - owned by French retailer Casino - and book and CD retail chain Fnac-Darty.

In 2017, E-commerce represented 8.7 per cent of overall French retail sales, up from against 7.7 per cent in 2016.

REUTERS