Cdiscount — the largest French e-commerce platform. What do you need to know?

Cdiscount, what is it? A leading marketplace!

The French e-commerce market ranks 3rd in Europe and 6th worldwide in terms of sales. It is estimated that by the end of 2023, e-commerce market revenue will reach $91.645,5 million, which will also represent an increase of 18.1% compared to 2022. It’s important to note that the French prefer shopping on domestic platforms. More than half (60-70%) of French people do not buy products offered on foreign websites.

In the country by the Seine, trust in unknown brands from other countries is very low. However, the French are very keen on using large e-commerce platforms. The undisputed leader here is the global giant — Amazon, but the popularity of local services is also growing. According to Statista.com, Cdiscount is currently the second most popular marketplace in the French e-commerce market.

Moreover, the platform is constantly developing, which is confirmed by its financial results, which it regularly manages to multiply. In 2022, Cdiscount’s turnover amounted to 2.2 billion euros, representing a growth of 8.6% compared to 2019 (source: WebRetailer).

Why is it worth selling on the Cdiscount platform?

Cdiscount.com gives us the opportunity to direct our offer to a large group of potential buyers — the platform has 10.2 million active users, including 2 million using a subscription. Moreover, the service is visited by as many as 23 million people monthly. Interestingly, for such a large number of visitors, there are only about 15,000 sellers, so the competition is still relatively small. This means a significant potential for finding recipients for our goods. Additionally, products on Cdiscount.com are offered in 40 general categories and 2000 subcategories. This makes it easy to find a “niche” you want to reach and direct our offers to a precisely selected target group.

What products are worth selling on Cdiscount?

Wondering what products sell on the French marketplace Cdiscount? This platform offers goods from practically every category, from auto parts to home furnishings, toys, and clothing (except fresh food products), but as much as 28.5% of the total sales made through this platform pertains to the electronics and computer industry. Home appliances, furniture, clothing, cosmetics, and alcoholic beverages also sell well.

Starting sales on Cdiscount

To join the Cdiscount platform as a seller, the following steps are necessary:

1. Registration of a Cdiscount account: first, the seller must create an account on the Cdiscount platform.
2. Identity verification on Cdiscount: then, they must go through the identity verification process to confirm their identity and secure transactions.
3. Adding products on Cdiscount: after verification, the seller can add their products to the platform, specifying the price, availability, and other details of the offer.
4. Starting sales on Cdiscount: once the products are added, the seller can start online sales and serve customers.
5. Order processing and delivery on Cdiscount: Cdiscount allows order processing and delivery through its platform.

It’s important to remember that to cooperate with Cdiscount, you must meet the following requirements:

• be a registered business in your country, reported to the relevant tax authorities and have a valid VAT number,
• maintain key indicators at the appropriate level — for example, a customer complaint rate of no more than 1% and an on-time delivery rate of 99%.

The second point is particularly important because the account must be individually accepted, and Cdiscount reserves the right to make each decision confidentially and without specifying criteria. Moreover, the seller must provide French-speaking customer service and a return address in France. Alternatively, they can provide customers with return labels covering the cost of international shipping.

After receiving approval, you can start selling. A great plus for sellers on Cdiscount is the absence of sales limits and obligations, as well as free posting of offers. Listings can be added in bulk using a CSV sheet or API. Another advantage of Cdiscount is the absence of restrictions on the countries of origin of sellers and buyers. However, you must remember that all offer contents must be in French.

What does selling on the Cdiscount platform look like?

Thanks to a well-developed help panel, sellers can count on the support of Cdiscount employees. If a consumer has a problem with an order, they first contact the site’s support. In case of a conflict, the platform provides mediation.

Similar to Amazon, the French marketplace offers a warehousing service, Cdiscount Fulfilment. Additionally, we can take advantage of the option of free shipping, equivalent to Amazon Prime — Cdiscount à Volonté. Cdiscount.com’s logistics centers are located in several points, and their total storage area exceeds 500,000 m2. As part of this model, the platform takes over the entire delivery, including storing the goods, packaging them, shipping, and transport.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Fulfilment service is free for the first two weeks. You can also take advantage of integration services with Cdiscount.com, making it easier to manage the entire supply chain, offered by our partners — Idosell or Baselinker.

Octopia — using the SaaS platform as part of a subscription

Thanks to Octopia — a scalable SaaS-type technological platform developed by a company belonging to the Casino group, i.e., the owner of Cdiscount.com. Besides logistical services, Octopia offers access to several sales channels. Entrepreneurs selling goods through the Cdiscount platform can easily register in new channels from the Seller panel.

Octopia enables easy transfer of our offers within an internal agreement with Cdiscount to marketplaces in other countries — including Norway, Finland, Sweden, or Spain. Every seller on the platform can use this solution as part of a subscription. Thanks to Octopia API, we have access to easy invoicing, customer opinion management, complaints, etc.

Costs associated with selling on Cdiscount

Before starting sales on a given platform, it’s necessary to familiarize yourself with the associated costs. The billing rules on Cdiscount are the same as those mentioned earlier for Amazon. This means that every seller is obligated to bear a monthly subscription fee (€39.99) and a sales commission. Its amount ranges from 5-20% and depends on the product category.

Building brand visibility in the French market

Among other French marketplaces, but not only, Cdiscount stands out for its high visibility on social media (Twitter, Instagram), and thus — a large number of people following their accounts. On Facebook, they have as many as 1.65 million followers! Therefore, this French marketplace is primarily recommended for new brands that want to build their recognition.

Additionally, the platform offers the PPP (Pole Position Program), which also helps sellers increase the visibility of their own brands, by directing traffic to their listings or enabling them to acquire product reviews.

The French market is a tempting bite for every seller, offering a chance for new profits. However, it’s difficult to gain the trust of 55 million of its consumers, who are characterized by a great distrust of online stores belonging to unknown foreign brands. Therefore, the very popular large marketplaces among the French are our greatest chance to build our position in the French market.

Cdiscount is less popular than Amazon, but it is certainly an easier place for new sellers to make their mark. The Cdiscount platform is very popular among domestic social media users, which gives us a great chance to familiarize French consumers with our brand. And this is already the first step to conquering this extremely important European market!

Everything you need to know about Cdiscount — summary

Cdiscount is a powerful French e-commerce platform that opens the door for sellers to the French market. With its huge customer base, customer support, and product diversity, this marketplace platform offers many development opportunities.

The seller registration process is relatively simple, and an effective marketing strategy can help sellers succeed in the French market. Cdiscount is not just a platform; it’s a gateway to one of the most important e-commerce markets in Europe.

It’s worth noting that the e-commerce market can evolve, so it’s always worth following new trends and adjusting sales strategies to changing customer needs. Thanks to Cdiscount, sellers have access to one of the most promising e-commerce markets in Europe, which can bring many benefits.