France

The ecommerce sector in France generated 112.2 billion euros in 2020. Compared to 2019, internet sales grew by 8.5 percent. This growth was not homogenous across all products, as the sales of services were hit hard due to the pandemic.

The enterprise marketplace software as a service platform provider Mirakl, announced that it has raised 468 million euros in a Series E funding round. This increases the company's value to more than 2,92 billion euros. The financing will be used to rapidly expand Mirakl further.

Dutch discount retailer Zeeman is expanding its online presence in Europe. The retail chain currently has an online store in the Netherlands and Belgium, but will now also launch an ecommerce website in France and in an yet unknown market.

The Carrefour Group will acquire a minority stake in Cajoo, a French startup that delivers groceries in under 15 minutes. For Carrefour, the investment is a way to speed up quick commerce in France. Cajoo operates in ten cities across France and has over 100,000 users.

Omnichannel beauty retailer Sephora has signed an agreement to buy Feelunique, an UK online retailer of prestige beauty products. The transaction is expected to complete later this year.

Payment by installment has become increasingly popular in France. It seems that 30 percent of French consumers have already resorted to installment payments.

Carrefour has announced that, across France, it will roll out over 400 automatic lockers for picking up parcels. The locker network is the result of a partnership with Pickup, a subsidiary of the La Poste group.

ManoMano, an online do-it-yourself marketplace from France, has raised 300 million euros in a Series F funding round. The DIY platform wants to use this money to continue its expansion in Europe, particularly in Germany and the United Kingdom.

BigCommerce has announced today it will expand to France, Italy, and the Netherlands. The expansion takes place in the form of a fully localized experience, letting merchants use the platform to manage their store in their locale language. Local payment methods and currencies are also included.

French postal service company La Poste has launched a new investment fund for startups that have a positive impact. With La Poste Ventures, the French company wants to anticipate changes in important sectors for the Group and explore new business models.

French supermarket group Carrefour has partnered with Pickup, a subsidiary of La Poste, to launch a new service. Under the name Pickup Drive, customers of Carrefour can collect their online groceries and also pick up or drop off parcels.

The use of mobile payments has further increased in France. The share was 18 percent in 2018, but has now grown significantly to 38 percent. Currently, half of French consumers intend to use their smartphones for in-store payments in the future.

Cubyn, a logistics startup from France, has raised 35 million euros in funding. The Paris-based company wants to use this money to expand its fulfillment and delivery services across Europe.

Polish parcel locker company InPost has acquired Mondial Relay, a major logistics company from France. InPost will pay 565 million euros to buy Mondial Relay and thus expand its international presence.

Wildberries has launched dedicated ecommerce websites in France, Italy, and Spain. The entry into these markets follows after Wildberries' launch in Germany last month. The major Russian online retailer is now available in several countries across Europe.