6 tips for selling fashion online on the French market

France is the seventh largest economy in the world, and the third largest e-commerce market in Europe. 73% of the French population made at least one online purchase last year. That said, French shoppers are notoriously picky in their purchasing preferences.

The translation
First, most French people will not buy online if the website is not translated into French. Indeed, even if many French people are multilingual, 60% of them will not buy if the site is not available in French. Thinking about translating your site is therefore essential.

Payment method and currency
As for the language, the French attach a particular importance to the means of payment and the currency used. The French prefer to pay in euros by credit/debit card or by PayPal (or others e-wallet). We also recommend that you display the payment method logos prominently on the payment page.  Be sure to offer local payment options, currency conversion, and appropriate, cost-effective, and fast local shipping methods.

Size conversion
Sizes are not the same in all countries. Converting sizes to French standards will allow you to attract more customers and avoid frequent returns due to errors in garment sizing. It is an essential point if you think about selling in France that to convert all sizes of all your items to French standards.

Optimization of the mobile version of the site
The French want to make quick, secure, and effortless purchases, which is why 34% of online purchases in France are made via a cell phone. It goes without saying that optimizing the mobile version of your site seems to be a must. From the homepage to the shopping cart, everything must be clear, readable, and optimized.

The standards
Of course, to sell in France, as in any other country, standards must be respected. The main laws to consider are the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation in Europe) and the “1978 Act” (which applies to all businesses in France), these two laws cover all companies selling in France and provide for penalties in case of non-compliance. In order to verify that you are following French standards, we advise you to go through a specialized lawyer.

Going through a retailer site
Large online retailers are already favored by at least 25% of all French online buyers. The main e-commerce sites used in France are Amazon, Cdiscount.com and Fnac. Other major retail sites are eBay, Carrefour, Rakuten, Google Shopping, Leroy Merlin, La Redoute and Apple. We recommend looking at these popular sites to see if any of them would be a good fit for your products in terms of traffic, competition, and visitors.

By considering cultural preferences, regulations, and major retail sites, you can easily take advantage of the rich electronic climate in France where nearly 90% of the population has access to the Internet and 40% of them are already buying cross-border.