This report provides detailed consumer insights into France's retail market. It focuses on the economy, consumer sentiment towards personal finances, cost pressures, offline retail, and online retail.
More than half of the French consumers expected the economy to worsen during the first half of 2024. Around 50% of them also expect their finances to deteriorate due to the impact of the economic downturn. French consumers have become wary of non-essential retail purchases. A higher proportion of female consumers in France switched to cheaper brands, whereas most male consumers stayed loyal to their preferred brands but bought less to cope with inflation. Due to cost pressures and rising awareness of sustainability, secondhand goods have grown in preference. As a result, almost a third of French consumers continue to purchase secondhand goods.
More than half of the French consumers expected the economy to worsen during the first half of 2024. Around 50% of them also expect their finances to deteriorate due to the impact of the economic downturn. French consumers have become wary of non-essential retail purchases. A higher proportion of female consumers in France switched to cheaper brands, whereas most male consumers stayed loyal to their preferred brands but bought less to cope with inflation. Due to cost pressures and rising awareness of sustainability, secondhand goods have grown in preference. As a result, almost a third of French consumers continue to purchase secondhand goods.
Key Highlights
- Over half of female consumers are switching to cheaper brands compared to more than 40% of male shoppers.
- Three quarters of French consumers plan to continue or increase shopping instore compared to 60% stating the same for online shopping.
- In France, younger generations are heavily influenced by Instagram and TikTok, impacting their purchasing decisions.
- In France, consumer trust in secondhand goods and preference for value-aligned retailers underscore evolving shopping priorities.
Reasons to Buy
- Understand how different demographics in France view the health of the economy over the next six months and their own personal finances
- Discover consumer views about shopping in physical stores, including their views on self-check-out, and how they see their shopping behavior changing in the short term (over the next three months)
- Understand how important the online shopping experience is to French consumers and their preferred social media website by age group
- Learn about French consumers’ perception of buying secondhand items versus selling used items by age group
Table of Contents
01. Overview02. Consumer Sentiment
03. Cost Pressure
04. Offline Retail
05. Online Retail
06. Preowned Retail
07. Methodology
List of Figures
- Real GDP growth and inflation - 2018-2025
- Age-group share of total population - 2015,2020,2023,2025
- Over the next 6 months how do you expect the economy to change? - 2023
- Over the next 6 months how do you expect your own personal finances to change? - 2023
- When it comes to spending on retail goods and services, how will your household be behaving over the next 6 months compared to normal? - 2023
- Over the next 6 months how do you expect the economy to change? - 2023, overall and by generation
- Over the next 6 months how do you expect your own personal finances to change? - 2023, overall and by generation
- When it comes to spending on retail goods and services, how will your household be behaving over the next 6 months compared to normal? - 2023
- What will consumers spend more or less on over the next 6 months - 2023
- When it comes to spending on leisure activities and services, how will your household be behaving over the next 6 months compared to normal? - 2023
- Leisure spending index, by age - 2023
- How are you coping with rising prices in general? - 2023
- How consumers are coping with price rises, by gender - 2023
- How consumers within different age groups are coping with price rises - Buying more of store’s own brand products - 2023, by age
- How consumers within different age groups are coping with price rises - Switching to cheaper brand alternatives - 2023, by age
- How consumers within different age groups are coping with price rises - Comparing/ checking prices online before purchasing - 2023, by age
- Top visiting/average visiting frequency by location - 2023
- Sentiment regarding ‘Shopping in physical stores’ - 2023, overall and by generation
- Sentiment regarding ‘Shopping at small, independent retailers’ - 2023, overall and by generation
- Sentiment regarding ‘Use self-check-out services instore’ - 2023, by generation
- Sentiment regarding ‘I would prefer to use a store that lets me walk out without stopping to pay at a checkout (i.e. just-walk-out store)’ - 2023, by generation
- Online shopping allows for much greater choice compared to physical shops - 2023
- I am deterred from shopping online due to return fees - 2023
- Sentiment regarding ‘Shopping Online’ - 2023
- Social media site usage - 2023, by generation
- Sentiment regarding ‘Retailers should remain neutral on current events on social media’ - 2023
- Sentiment regarding ‘Social media influences my purchases’ - 2023, by generation
- Sentiment regarding ‘I would use AR technology to help me choose which item to buy’ - 2023, overall and by generation
- Sentiment regarding ‘Purchasing versus selling second hand preowned or used products’ - 2023
- Sentiment regarding ‘Purchasing versus selling second hand preowned or used products more frequently’ - 2023, by generation
- Sentiment regarding ‘Purchasing second hand preowned or used products’ - 2023, by income
- Sentiment regarding ‘Selling second hand preowned or used products’ - 2023, by income
- Agreement and disagreement of statements regarding preowned retail - 2023
