“Shopping online for groceries is well established in France, but the sector is dominated by the ‘Drive’ click&collect model. The huge boost to demand from the pandemic resulted in a diversification of options for shoppers, with enormous expansion in the rapid delivery market. As the market recalibrates, home delivery is now driving growth, with directly-run retailer operations increasing in availability. The rapid delivery sector has consolidated as quickly as it expanded, and recent rulings on the status of dark stores have major implications for businesses in this area.”
– Natalie Macmillan, Senior European Retail Analyst
Key issues covered in this Report
- The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the online grocery retailing sector
- Current level of online grocery shopping and how people receive their orders; whether people are shopping online for groceries more often
- Which companies people shop online for groceries with
- Attitudes towards certain aspects of online grocery shopping
- The strategies of the major grocery retailers relating to online
- Opportunities for expansion of the market.
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Overview
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- Key issues covered in this Report
- Areas covered in this Report
- Consumer research
- Market context
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Executive summary
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- The five-year outlook for online grocery retailing
- Figure 1: France: Outlook for online grocery retailing, 2023-28
- The online grocery market
- Growth in online grocery sales is returning to normal
- Figure 2: France: Online grocery retailing estimated market size, 2019-22
- Retailers must respond to the squeeze on consumer budgets
- The consumer
- Younger people driving growth, while fewer older people have stuck with online shopping
- Figure 3: France: changes in level of online grocery shopping, 2020 and 2023
- Hybrid shopping will dominate
- Figure 4: France: engagement in online grocery shopping, 2020 and 2023
- A more diverse choice of delivery options is driving growth
- Figure 5: France: delivery/collection options for online grocery orders, 2023
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- Figure 6: France: Retailers used to shop for groceries online, 2020 and 2023
- Convenience and finding a deal motivate online grocery shoppers
- Figure 7: France: Attitudes to shopping online for Groceries, 2023
- Enhance customer loyalty programmes to drive value for shoppers
- Emphasise convenience and speed
- Highlight sustainability actions to attract climate-aware consumers
- Companies and brands
- Leading players
- Market shares
- Figure 8: France: Leading grocery retailers’ online sales estimated as % of all online grocery spending, 2022
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Issues and insights
- What the cost-of-living crisis means for the online grocery channel in France
- The future of the rapid delivery market in France
- What the cost-of-living crisis means for the online grocery channel in France
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Market size
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- Figure 9: France: Online grocery retail sales (including VAT), 2018-22
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Market drivers
- The ongoing economic impact of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis
- Figure 10: France: key economic projections, annual percentage change, 2019-25
- Inflation on food is soaring
- Figure 11: Inflation, year-on-year change in food and non-alcoholic beverage and alcoholic beverages and tobacco prices, 2016-22
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- Figure 12: France: Inflation, year-on-year change in food, non-alcoholic beverage and alcoholic beverages 2021-23
- Government and retailers come together to agree to a cap on food price rises
- Consumers are worried about their finances
- Figure 13: France: Financial confidence trend data, 2022-23
- Consumers are changing their behaviour
- Figure 14: France: Anticipated behaviour changes as a result of rising prices, 2022-23
- Cash-strapped grocery shoppers look for promotions and switch store
- Figure 15: France: Ways that consumers save money on food and drink, 2023
- Old age dependency ratio is increasing
- Figure 16: France: Population size and median age, 2019-30
- Figure 17: France: Population age structure, 2019-30
- Consumers will become more adventurous in their use of technology
- Figure 18: France: Attitudes to food & drink experiences in the metaverse, 2022
- Consumers will demand action on sustainability
- Figure 19: France: Sustainability-related choice factors in food and drink, 2022
- Buying local and national products to support the economy
- Reducing waste
- Combine sustainability with saving money
- Speak to the feel-good factor
- Figure 20: France: Behaviours related to sustainable food and drink, 2022
- The ongoing economic impact of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis
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Engagement in online grocery shopping
- Younger people are driving growth
- Retailers need to pivot their online experience for older generations
- Figure 21: France: changes in online grocery shopping over the last year, 2023
- Retailers need to focus on retaining customers
- 16% do all or most of their shopping online
- But hybrid shopping will dominate
- Figure 22: France: engagement in online grocery shopping, 2020 and 2023
- Engage with parents to drive further growth
- Adapt offer for older generations
- Figure 23: France: Online grocery shopping by age, 2023
- Finding ways to recruit new customers among the youngest demographics…
- …and the oldest
- Figure 24: France: demographics of lapsed online grocery shoppers, 2023
- Emphasise how shoppers can find value and cut costs online
- Figure 25: France: Online Grocery shopping by financial situation, 2023
- Younger people are driving growth
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How online grocery orders are received
- A more diverse choice of delivery options is driving growth
- The rapid delivery market is consolidating
- Click and collect can save shoppers money and reduce retailers’ costs
- Figure 26: France: delivery/collection options for online grocery orders, 2023
- Paris and larger towns and cities are best served
- Figure 27: France: delivery/collection options for online grocery orders, Ile de France vs all France, 2023
- A more diverse choice of delivery options is driving growth
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Retailers used for online grocery shopping
- Leclerc is the most used retailer
- Amazon has lost ground in grocery
- Cdiscount has also dropped back
- Picard ranks ahead of Monoprix
- Figure 28: France: Retailers used to shop for groceries online, 2020 and 2023
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- Figure 29: France: Retailer shopped by method of receiving online grocery orders, 2023
- Leclerc is the most used retailer
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Attitudes towards online grocery shopping
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- Enhance customer loyalty programmes to drive value for shoppers
- Use price freezes and promotions
- Online grocery retailers need to emphasise convenience and speed
- Highlight sustainability actions to attract climate-aware consumers
- Direct to Fridge could appeal to younger city dwellers
- Figure 30: France: Attitudes to shopping online for Groceries, 2023
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- Figure 31: France: Attitudes to shopping online for Groceries, by demographics, 2023
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- Figure 32: France: attitudes towards online grocery shopping, by retailers typically used for online grocery shopping, 2023
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Companies and brands
- Overview of the key players
- Figure 33: France: overview of the key online grocery players, 2023
- Home delivery is driving growth
- Le drive piéton – growth is slowing
- Rapid delivery under threat from legislation on “dark stores”
- Subscriptions combine cost-saving with loyalty
- Recent retailer performance and activity
- Figure 34: France: Leading online Grocery retailers by sales (including VAT), 2018-22
- Drive locations
- Figure 35: France: Drive locations, 2013-22
- Figure 36: France: Drive locations by retailer, 2022-23
- E.Leclerc is the market leader
- Carrefour is investing in its digital operations
- Casino focuses on growth as it disposes of unprofitable business
- Overview of the key players
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Market shares
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- Figure 37: France: Leading grocery retailers’ online sales estimated as % of all online grocery spending, 2022
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Appendix – Data sources, research methodology and abbreviations
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Data sources
- Abbreviations
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