Online marketplaces: Expanding your brand’s reach in France

Los mercados online son una poderosa herramienta para hacer crecer tu negocio online. Los mayores mercados online del mundo atraen a más de 1.000 millones de compradores al mes. Esa es una de las principales razones por las que cada vez más vendedores online eligen vender sus productos en estos populares sitios de compras.

Elegir los mercados online adecuados para tu Marca depende de múltiples factores, entre ellos: 

• Qué tipos de productos vendes
• A qué regiones y mercados quieres dirigirte
• Los pros y los contras de trabajar con cada marketplace
• Cómo gestionar tu logística cuando vendes a través de un marketplace

To maximise your profits when selling through marketplaces, it’s important to understand how each platform operates. 

In this guide, we break down:

• ¿Qué son los mercados online?
• ¿Por qué vender en un marketplace online?
• Advantages of selling on an online marketplace
• Disadvantages of selling on an online marketplace
• Top 5 e-commerce marketplaces in France

¿Qué son los mercados online?

Online marketplaces are shopping websites that allow multiple retailers to sell their products side by side. As a retailer, you pay a fee for selling your products and you must follow the rules set by the marketplace.

Hoy en día, el 44% de las búsquedas de productos online en Europa comienzan en mercados online (la cifra es del 52% entre los compradores de la Generación Z). Esto significa que los consumidores ya ni siquiera buscan un producto en Google, sino que van directamente a Amazon, eBay o el marketplace su elección.

¿Por qué vender en un marketplace online?

The European e-commerce market expanded by 13% from 2020 to 2021, from €633 billion to €718 billion. In 2022, analysts forecast further growth of 11%, topping out at €797 billion. 

Con esta tendencia hacia tasas de crecimiento de dos dígitos, el sector del comercio electrónico desarrolla continuamente nuevas estrategias para llegar a más clientes. Destacar entre tus competidores con una excelente experiencia Cliente y un servicio de primera es crucial. Por eso muchos minoristas están recurriendo a los mercados online. Ofrecen muchas ventajas importantes, como

Advantages of selling on an online marketplace

• Fast setup: The best marketplaces offer an easy online environment where retailers can easily put their products on the market, without a huge IT workload.
• Large customer bases: Even if a customer has never heard of your brand, they are very likely to search for products like yours on marketplaces like Amazon and eBay. In fact, marketplaces are 5 times more likely than your own website to be the starting place for a consumer’s product search.
• Excellent customer experiences: Leading marketplaces have set the new standard for excellent customer service. Amazon alone has probably done more than any other company to transform the way people shop online.
• Scalability: When selling on a global platform like Amazon or Etsy, you can expand your business to new markets around the world.

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Disadvantages of selling on an online marketplace

• Costs: Most marketplaces, including Amazon and eBay, charge commissions or other fees.
• Terms and conditions: Marketplaces may impose strict terms and conditions that you must obey.
• Less brand recognition: When selling on a marketplace, it is harder to express your company’s brand, because your products will appear in a standardised environment alongside other brands.
• Less control over your data: When selling via marketplaces, you do not own your customer data, which limits your ability to fine-tune your marketing strategy.

Séptimo mercado mundial de comercio electrónico, Francia generó 112.000 millones de euros (93.700 millones de euros) de ingresos por comercio electrónico en 2020. Alrededor del 93% de la población es usuaria activa de Internet, y el 81,4% de ella afirma que también compra por Internet.

Como en la mayoría de los países europeos, los mercados en línea dominan el mercado del comercio electrónico en Francia. En 2021, más del 53% de los consumidores franceses afirmaron haber comprado en Amazon ese año. Aunque los principales mercados internacionales encabezan la clasificación en la mayoría de los países, la lista de los cinco primeros de Francia incluye un par de plataformas minoristas locales.

Los cinco principales mercados de comercio electrónico en Francia

1. Amazon.fr

Amazon almost needs no introduction, as the largest marketplace in the world, many consumers start their product search here rather than google. Selling on Amazon can be made simple through Amazon FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) or FBM (fulfilled by merchant). Find out more about these schemes here.

Though do note, from May 2022, Amazon applies a 4.3% fuel and inflation surcharge if you use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) to deliver your goods sold through the Amazon Marketplace in France.

Visits per month: 166 million

Category of goods: general

Fee for brands: €39 monthly, plus variable commission per order based on product categories (generally around 15.45% for the portion of the total sales price up to €45.00 and 7.21% for any portion of the total sales price greater than €45.00); Additional fees apply if you use Amazon's e-fulfilment service, FBA.

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2. Cdiscount.fr

Cdiscount is an online marketplace unique to France. It is the leading e-commerce platform based in France and the go-to place for retailers looking to sell electronics in France.

Aunque es muy popular, Cdiscount también es muy competitivo. Competirás con marcas francesas populares, lo que puede resultar difícil si eres nuevo en el mercado. Además, el sitio de Cdiscount sólo funciona en francés, aunque los minoristas disponen de gestores de cuentas que hablan inglés.

Visits per month: 51 million

Category of goods: general

Fee for brands: €39.99 monthly, plus 2-15% commission per sale, depending on product category

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3. Ebay.fr

Ebay is another huge global player with over 187 million eBay users worldwide. The platform can be used to sell any kind of goods. It facilitates consumer-to-consumer (C2C) and business-to-consumer (B2C) commerce. 

Visits per month: 39 million

Category of goods: general

Fee for brands: Starting at €19.50 per month, plus Variable fees, depending on selected services; 4.5% to 12% commission per sale, depending on the product category

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4. Aliexpress.fr

AliExpress is an online marketplace based in China. Launched in 2010, it has grown to be one of the biggest online marketplaces in the world. It is known for selling inexpensive goods. 

AliExpress no cobra cuotas fijas ni mensuales, lo que significa que sólo pagas cuando realmente realizas una venta. Esto la convierte en una plataforma de bajo riesgo para los minoristas que desean vender en Francia.

‍Visits per month: 33 million

Category of goods: general

Fee for brands: 5-8% commission per sale

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5. LeroyMerlin.fr

Leroy Merlin is a France based home and garden marketplace hosting many different brands. They supply goods as well as services for home and garden improvements.

Visits per month: 33 million

Category of goods: home and garden

Fee for brands: €39 monthly, plus variable commission per sale

Which marketplace to choose?

Aunque Amazon es el claro líder del mercado aquí, el mercado francés del comercio electrónico alberga una serie de plataformas locales de venta competitivas que, entre ellas, son casi igual de populares entre los consumidores. Esto da a los minoristas online una buena gama de plataformas locales aprobadas entre las que elegir.

Working with a 3PL

If you are interested in putting all of your energy into just selling then why not consider teaming up with a 3PL partner like Hive to handle all of your brand’s operations. We integrate with your online store and pick, pack, and deliver your products. 

Interested? Find out more here.