Law
Since 2018, important law impacted consumer electronics brands market.
Based on "Loi Hamon" for online business, return policy is 14 days after the order date. Both online & offline, product need a french packaging, manual & app. Product has to offer a 2 years warranty. It's also forbidden to sell a product with a wrong plug for French consumer. Customer support has to handle any situation in french.
Consumer behavior
In term of consumer electronics brands market, France is not a market of high consumption. In France, people has one or two credit card max against 5 to 6 in United states. Early majority is educate by discount.
Most of product with discount has +50% more chance to be buy because of the economics opportunity.
France still the second market in Europe for consumer electronics brands after Germany. People buy High tech product on Amazon, C-discount, Fnac, LDLC & Boulanger. This 5th marketplaces/retailers handle 80% of the market. It's an attractive market as a premium european country for premium brands that want to reach people with high purchasing power in Lille, Marseille, Paris, Bordeaux, Cannes, Lyon etc.
80% of consumer say that the free shipping is essential to order.
64% come to store to enjoy experience, having good advice and discover new product
70% of french consumer buy online for the low price and discount
The strikes of Yellow Jacket was a hard moment for high tech brand and consumption market in 2018. But since the events in 2018, people come back to normal fast, as it could happen with Covid-19 crisis. In France, it's all or nothing.
Trends & consumer budget
Smarthome is growing since 2015 with Google Home & Alexa. +15% growth between 2018 & 2019 with a 8% growth in high tech market.
It's hard and risky to try to sell pure-health to high tech stores. In France, all product for healthcare are refund by government and buy exclusively in pharmacia from customer. People don't want to buy product for health if they don't have refund after. So the best option is to convinced pharmacia to sell your product, not easy in France for high tech.
Wellness is a different game a market in expansion with a lot of range in development. Retail stores as Boulanger, Auchan and Natures & decouverte has a huge part of market share in their business thanks to wellness product as massage, candle, yoga stuff etc.
French consumers has a budget for gaming with an average of 1 500 €/person that play video games, that is 3 times the budget 10 years ago. a business of 5 billions dollars with an average age of 39 against 21 in 2008 and a rate of 50% of women against 20%.
3.000.000 kids (10-17 Year old) play video games in France. on 3.100.000 kids in France (97%)