French e-commerce: why does 2024 mark a turning point in the quality of growth?
According to FEVAD, French online sales reached €175 billion in 2024, an increase of 10%.
The headline figure is impressive.
But the most important change lies elsewhere: the number of transactions also increased by 10%.
In previous years, inflation had played a major role in pushing e-commerce revenue higher. In 2024, growth became much more clearly volume-led rather than predominantly price-led.
Consumers were not simply paying more.
They were making more online purchases.
What does this shift mean for the market? Why are services growing faster than products? And what does the strong performance of online travel reveal about household spending priorities?
Key figures for French e-commerce in 2024
Key takeaways:
– €175 billion in online sales, up 10%
– the number of transactions also increased by 10%
– €67 billion generated by online product sales
– €108 billion generated by services, up 12%
– travel is among the most dynamic online categories
Volume or price: why the distinction matters
This is the most important part of the 2024 figures and perhaps the easiest to overlook.
Revenue can increase for two very different reasons:
because consumers buy more, or because the same purchases cost more.
Both produce higher turnover, but they describe very different economic realities.
During the period of high inflation, part of e-commerce growth was largely nominal.
Revenue increased because prices increased, even when purchase volumes did not necessarily rise at the same pace.
In 2024, the underlying mechanism changed.
The number of transactions rose by 10%.
Consumers were therefore making more purchases online, rather than revenue growth being explained primarily by higher prices.
This makes the 2024 performance a stronger signal of underlying demand.
Services are far larger than products online
The breakdown reveals another important feature of French e-commerce.
Online product sales generated around €67 billion.
Services generated approximately €108 billion, with growth of 12%.
Services therefore account for close to two-thirds of French online commerce by value and are also the more dynamic segment.
This challenges the most common image of e-commerce.
Online shopping is often associated primarily with parcels arriving at consumers’ homes.
But a large part of French e-commerce is actually based on bookings and services:
– travel
– transport
– accommodation
– ticketing
– entertainment
And travel is among the strongest-performing categories.
What the growth of online travel tells us
Strong online travel sales are more than a sector-specific detail.
They provide further evidence for a broader pattern documented by the Cetelem Observatory:
when household budgets are under pressure, spending on pleasure, services and experiences can prove more resilient than spending on durable goods.
The same pattern appears in several places.
– In e-commerce, services are growing by 12% and travel is among the strongest segments
– In national accounts, spending on services continued to rise even when consumption of goods was flat
– In leisure markets, theme parks, cultural spending and holidays have shown significant resilience
E-commerce offers a particularly useful observation point because it records actual, dated and quantified transactions, rather than stated intentions.
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What the 2024 figures reveal about online commerce
Three lessons emerge.
The nature of growth has changed
The shift from price-led growth towards transaction-led growth suggests that the increase in e-commerce activity reflects stronger purchasing volumes rather than simply inflation.
French e-commerce is largely a services market
At approximately €108 billion compared with €67 billion for products, services account for most of the market’s value.
In other words, booking matters more than delivery even if the parcel remains the dominant image associated with e-commerce.
Household priorities can be seen directly in online baskets
E-commerce data captures what consumers actually purchase.
And the categories growing fastest suggest that experiences and services continue to occupy an important place in household spending decisions.
FAQ – E-commerce in France
Why was French e-commerce growth in 2024 different from previous years?
Because the number of transactions increased by 10%. In previous years,
revenue growth had been influenced much more heavily by inflation.
In 2024, the increase was more clearly driven by purchasing activity.
Are services larger than products in French e-commerce?
Yes. Online services generated around €108 billion in 2024, compared
with approximately €67 billion for product sales. Services also grew
faster, at around 12%.
Which segments are driving French e-commerce growth?
Services are the strongest part of the market, with travel among the
most dynamic online categories.
What does strong online travel spending reveal?
It supports the idea that households continue to prioritise pleasure
and experiences, even when spending on some physical goods is more
subdued.
How large is the French e-commerce market?
According to FEVAD, online sales reached approximately €175 billion
in France in 2024.
Why was French e-commerce growth in 2024 different from previous years?
Because the number of transactions increased by 10%. In previous years, revenue growth had been influenced much more heavily by inflation. In 2024, the increase was more clearly driven by purchasing activity.
Are services larger than products in French e-commerce?
Yes. Online services generated around €108 billion in 2024, compared with approximately €67 billion for product sales. Services also grew faster, at around 12%.
Which segments are driving French e-commerce growth?
Services are the strongest part of the market, with travel among the most dynamic online categories.
What does strong online travel spending reveal?
It supports the idea that households continue to prioritise pleasure and experiences, even when spending on some physical goods is more subdued.
How large is the French e-commerce market?
According to FEVAD, online sales reached approximately €175 billion in France in 2024.
Key takeaways
French e-commerce reached €175 billion in 2024, up 10%, according to FEVAD.
The most significant change lies in the source of that growth: the number of transactions also rose by 10%.
Unlike previous years, when inflation had played a major role in increasing revenue, the 2024 performance was much more clearly driven by actual purchasing activity.
Services also dominate the market, generating around €108 billion compared with €67 billion for products, while growing by 12%.
Travel is among the strongest categories, supporting the Cetelem Observatory’s broader observation that pleasure and experiences remain important drivers of household consumption.
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👉 Back to the March 2025 Mobility & Consumption Minute on BNP Paribas Personal Finance
