D. Tighe
Research expert covering consumer behavior, sporting goods retail, and the global toy industry.
Consumer behavior in France - statistics & facts
Home to great food and wine, as well as consumers that value quality products, France is also one of Europe’s largest economies, by gross domestic product. And although France’s average wealth per adult is relatively high globally speaking, the country’s consumers are faced with many of the same challenges and changes seen elsewhere, such as inflation, an aging population, and an increasing emphasis on e-commerce.
French consumers, as well as other Europeans, tend to spend a lot of money during the holidays. Average spending during Black Friday among the French has risen in recent years and may grow yet again in 2024.
The French consumer
When it comes to making offline purchases, French shoppers most commonly go to grocery stores. In 2023 and 2024, about 65 percent of surveyed consumers said they had bought something in this type of physical store in the past 12 months. Apparel stores, shoe stores, and pharmacies were also commonly visited. Within the same survey, respondents were asked what they intended to buy in the coming 12 months, and smartphones were on nearly a third of French consumers’ shopping lists, making it the top answer. Ranking second, about one in five French shoppers planned to purchase sports equipment within the next year.How does France compare to its peers?
In many ways, France’s consumers have patterns similar to those of other large European countries. In 2023, for instance, the weekly proportion of online versus in-store shopping among French consumers was comparable to the European average. That said, Europeans do not always share habits. Of the five biggest economies in Europe, consumers in France spent the least amount of their annual shopping budget on Amazon that same year.French consumers, as well as other Europeans, tend to spend a lot of money during the holidays. Average spending during Black Friday among the French has risen in recent years and may grow yet again in 2024.
