Transcription:
Radek (01:00)
Hello everyone and welcome in another episode of our podcast Cross-Border Insights. My name is Radek Opalko and I represent Media4U Group. And today we will be talking about France. And as a guest here we have Agathe from Makes You Local. Welcome in today’s episode. Agathe it would be very nice if you could say a few words about yourself and your role in Makes You Local.
Agathe (01:25)
Yeah, of course. So thank you for having me here today. As you say, I’ve been working in Makes You Local for two years now as an e-commerce manager for the French market. My accent was a telling. So basically, I’m helping a website to go in France and succeed there through various task missions, can be customer service, can be helping them just improve their website. So everything you need to succeed in France.
I’m helping the website doing so.
Radek (01:54)
Thank you very much also for speaking English because going into the stereotypes I heard that French people are really liking to speak this language as French is more important.
Agathe (02:05)
It is unfortunately quite true. I’m a bad example because I moved abroad, but yes, we are not known to shine in other languages and that’s also something to consider when you’re going in the French market.
Radek (02:17)
Yeah, I’m going further in the stereotypes, for me, France, for example, is mostly vacation, baguette and wine. So it’s difficult for me to think about France as a business area. But France is also known as the European capital of fashion. This country is a leader in terms of luxury brands also. However, could you explain what are the preferences of the average customer?
I heard, for example, about the rising trend of buying the secondhand stores. If you could describe a little bit, because we all know French perfumes, French fashion brands and also everything luxury. And on the other hand, we have this secondhand. So how does it look in reality?
Agathe (02:57)
Yeah, that’s actually a really great question and I think that’s a really good opportunity to talk about something that there has been a polarizing trend in France about fashion. we can see two main players over the past few years. On one hand, have Vinted that is known across Europe and that’s actually everywhere. And actually, France is the biggest vintage community. So it has been a really big success in France and has been the main leading fashion website app for the past few years. But on the other hand, we also have Shein that is really complete opposite with ultrafast fashion and all that implies. And just this year, Shein went in front of Vinted. So you have really those two really different mindsets.
F ighting on the fashion sphere in France. in both cases, what we can see is that low price are key driver, where it can be on Vinted or Shein, but there are other considerations that are really complete opposite because on Vinted there is also an appeal to more responsible, sustainable choice. So the French consumer that go there are also having a more conscious way of purchasing and they are willing to spend time and energy to find the good deals. when the other French customer are buying on China, it’s really instant gratification. I want it cheap, want it fast, I want it convenient. So you really have those two different mindsets fighting over. And that is something that is really linked to the younger generation who also have smaller purchase power.
If you look at slightly older generations, so we go 30, 35 and above, that might change a bit and that’s really interesting for European brands or companies. Because for those slightly older generation that might have more higher purchase power, they will now look for prioritized durability and things that will last over the years and they will like over the years. so for those generation and people with higher purchase power, they’re increasingly turning to mid-range, longer lasting alternatives. So for that, you will see that Made in France is a really, really good incentive, but also Made in Europe is also really valued for those customers because made in Europe it implies that you respect EU legislation so quality, safety is ensured so there is not much difference between made in France or made in Italy or made in Portugal.
So those customers will look at those mid-range higher quality more expensive brand because they look for something that is a bit more lasting and you have brands such as Sezane for example it’s a French a region brand, but they claim to produce two thirds of their products in Portugal. So that’s exactly what I’m talking about. It’s having this European local production that is attractive for people with a bit of a higher purchase power. Yeah, and that’s, I think, one trend that is really important with a bit older generation.
Radek (06:08)
And we of course have those which are still looking for these luxury goods. So these very, very high-level and very, very high-priced things like jewelry, perfumes and those fashion brands which are very extraordinary. That’s what France is known for.
Agathe (06:25)
Yeah, of course, luxury remain. Luxury remain unshaken. So yeah, you will also look for that because it’s also the value behind this purchase is you’re purchasing a luxurious goods.
Radek (06:38)
Yeah, these Chinese platforms are, I would say, invading the whole Europe currently. But it’s good to hear that there is still a trend that made in Europe is an important thing because I don’t know how it’s in France, maybe you will tell, but in Poland we have also this initiative from the government even to…
decrease this level of flooding the market with this very cheap but also not ecological products because customers are buying a lot because it’s cheap but it brings some kind of consequences because those clothes for example are used one season or one month and they’re thrown away, which generates a lot of trash.
Agathe (07:20)
Yeah, that’s I think the same across the whole Europe. So that’s why you see that people who also have a bit more room to invest, they are really keen on looking for an alternative that will last a bit longer and a bit more meaningful. So that’s what we are seeing right now in France, but across Europe, those type of decisions are made. So yeah.
Radek (07:43)
So you described a little bit and you divided a little bit these generations of the customers, but who is the French e-commerce customer? What are the preferences in general? Because you started that, so we would follow that.
Agathe (07:57)
Yeah, no, of course. Well, I interact a lot with them on a daily basis in my work, I think I get a pretty accurate picture now. I would say one thing that is quite striking compared to other countries I could have seen during my work is that French consumers are particularly drawn to personalised experience.
Radek (08:18)
Much more than in other markets where maybe efficiency is the key driver. But in France, really the idea of feeling recognized, that’s really also something really cultural. You want to be acknowledged, you want to be known and valued as an individual, an esteemed customer, that’s maybe something way stronger in France than in other countries. that’s why I think we will talk about that a bit later, but…
Radek (08:24)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (08:45)
French are way more likely to have customer accounts than in other countries. I know for Scandinavia, Sweden, for example, it’s not necessarily something that they’re really attracted to, but customer account loyalty program, that’s something that is quite strong in France. And I would just summarize that in some countries, maybe purchasing online, it’s really… something commercial and just a pure transaction. Whereas in France it can also be especially if you talk with the customer service, it’s really about the relationship between the customer and the brand. So that’s really something to keep in mind and just make French customers feel special. So all the little things that can personalize the experience using their name or things like that, it’s really important that they are sensitive to that.
Radek (09:33)
Yeah, it’s a very good advice for the people because this podcast is dedicated to the people who are planning to enter your market, enter the French market. So please, our listeners, mind it. Make them feel special and that you are making just for them.
Agathe (09:44)
Make them feel special. That’s the key. Yeah, and I know I had this, I took during some conference we had with some clients. The key in France is really this mindset, sometimes French can be, there was a French humorist who was saying that a couple of years ago, is French hate injustice, but they adore privilege. So it’s all a question of perspective.
They will react really strongly if they feel you are treating them unfairly, but yet at the same time they really love to have the little extra. So that’s a fine line to balance, but yeah, just make them feel loved and special. That’s a long way to go.
Radek (10:25)
Yeah, I hope everyone will take this under consideration. I also read that France is a pioneer in short-term exclusive sales. For example, it’s called flash sales, for example, started by VP company. Could you tell us a little bit about that?
Agathe (10:41)
Yeah, of course. that’s really relevant things to point out. And also it’s linked to what I said just before. So you have a platform like Veepee, which was Vente-privee before, or Show Room Privé. So those platforms rely on having a customer account and an exclusive community. And yeah, basic of the flash sales model, short-lived, exclusive to their member promotion and that work especially well in France for a few reasons. As I said just a bit before, French are really keen on having those customer accounts and having this loyalty program because there is this culture about having personalized service and rewards going with that so they are really more inclined to go through those type of programs.
Radek (11:23)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (11:30)
And that’s also something I’ve seen in my personal experience while working at Makes You Local is that when I’m helping on international customer service and when I’m helping on French customer service, it’s not exactly the same interaction I have. French are way more likely to talk about customer account and things like that and rewards for having an account. So that’s why it worked well. It’s also another aspect of that is a good way to work around the strict sales or sold legislation in France because that’s sold are really specific things that is framed by law and you cannot really move around. So having this opportunity to just offer those promotion incentives, having more freedom to do so, that’s also something that works very well. And so you have a good model for France and on top of that you have this emergency.
Radek (11:59)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (12:20)
French feel really into .. purchase. So that’s why I think it really aligns with the French mindset.
Radek (12:27)
Well, good to know, of course. Especially when you are able to deliver this kind of service. Because not everyone can. But if we are talking about the sales, we also should talk about delivery method. What are the key criteria from the French?
Agathe (12:50)
Yeah, that’s something to really consider before going in France. I think that delivery is one of the big challenges in France compared to other countries. But yes, so for French customers, price is really the number one factor when they are going to consider delivery options. I think it’s more than half of the French customers that will look and focus on the price of the delivery first.
Way before faster delivery time, which is only maybe a quarter of the French customer. So that’s also something quite distinctive to smaller neighbors.
Radek (13:23)
So the price is more important than the delivery time. So it can be delivered later on, for example two days or three days, but it should be cheaper.
Agathe (13:26)
Yes, and that’s a really good point. course, fast is good, but it’s not an expectation yet in France. And we are used to work with a couple of days, two to three to four, sometimes five, depending on where you are. But it’s really far from those smaller or Nordic countries where speed is absolute key in France. That’s not what is expected.
Radek (13:53)
Yeah, yeah, I’ve spoken with your colleagues and there were suggestions that next day delivery is something mandatory in certain regions, yeah.
Agathe (14:04)
Yeah, that’s not possible in France. mean, that would be great, but I don’t think French customers expect that. On the other hand, again, I see that with the customer, they will be on the phone asking, hey, how much does it cost? Or really more focused on the price of the delivery. having high delivery fees can be a big no-no for French customers. I’m thinking about ten and above…
delivery fees for at-home delivery. That’s not what we are used to and French will likely just drop off because they don’t want to pay that much for delivery. They would rather wait a bit longer and get it for an affordable delivery price. On the other hand then, having free delivery is a really good incentive for French customers. And one thing that worked particularly well is having, you know, those free, pardon my French, free thresholds. So
When you are above an order of 30 or 40 euros, you get a free delivery in parcel shop, 40 or 50 euros, you get a free delivery at home. That works really well with French and they are even really likely to add a little extra items to the basket, even though the price might match by adding this extra little item, just they don’t want to pay delivery fees.
So if you want to increase slightly your basket value, that’s also a really good thing to have those free delivery thresholds.
Radek (15:27)
So it’s a very good advice for the shop owners, that this mechanism works pretty well in France. You mentioned parcel shop delivery. Does it have a strong appeal for French customers?
Agathe (15:41)
Yes, yes, it has quite a lot actually. Delivery in parcel shop is almost as used and popular as at home delivery. When you look at the habit of the French population, it’s mostly driven by, of course, younger generation or urban population that are likely to choose those parcel shop options to get a delivery, because it offers some freedom and convenience so you are not stuck at home. As a reminder, we are talking about delivery that might take a couple of days or it’s a longer time frame. Based on my experience, based on also discussion with carriers and partners, issues with delivery occur way more often in France than in the Netherlands or Germany, for example, which seems to be organized as a clockwork.
That’s amazing. That’s unfortunately not the case in France. So for many people, it’s really annoying to wait at home for nothing. And we have those cases of customer calling when I’m supporting the customer service and be, I’ve been home all day. I just receive a notification from the carrier. It doesn’t matter which carrier. It’s a common trend. They say it was not there. It’s going to a parcel shop that they didn’t choose. So it might not be the most convenient. So many people will just… prevent this hassle and just choose a delivery at a parcel shop. I would just like to qualify that of course it depends which item you are selling and to which population you’re catering. If you’re selling a couch, of course people will like to get you delivered at home. I really challenge you to try to take a couch in the Parisian metro. That’s not for the weak-minded.
Radek (17:05)
Mm-hmm. I saw the films, even on LinkedIn I think, from India where a guy was delivering the closet on his scooter. So everything is possible. But with the metro it may be an issue, yeah.
Agathe (17:27)
Yeah. yeah. It is. I would not advise you to build your business case on that one. of course this is to take into consideration with what is your business about. Definitely offer this option also on a website because that is liked by a lot of French people.
Radek (17:40)
So if your products fit in into the parcel machines, it’s a good direction,
Agathe (17:56)
Yeah, exactly.
Radek (17:58)
And talking about the films, what power does the influencer marketing have today in France e-commerce? What do you think about that based on marketing strategies dedicated to building business growth?
Agathe (18:11)
Definitely it is something to take into consideration for several aspects. I think everywhere in modern days we have seen that influencers have grown more more important and France is no exception. A quarter of French consumers say that they discover new products through influencers, so that’s something to really take into consideration because it’s quite important. A quarter of them look through influencer to know what would be their next purchases. So that would be something really important to think about. I would also say it’s quite important when you are targeting French customers to have local French influencers. Again, it also depends of which product you are selling, if it’s really international, really simple that maybe make a lot of English words are used.
Radek (18:51)
Okay.
Agathe (19:00)
You go bit more technical or if it’s a bit more specialized, having people who speak French is quite important because, again, French are not that good in English. And just having every complex ad and influencer speaking really fast in English might not be the strongest incentive. So consider having French influencer. Two things also about.
Agathe (19:22)
influence in France that I have noticed is that two trends, things that are growing, is the micro-influencer, so you know, with like a smaller community, because smaller means stronger connection, more trust, they look more reliable, and yeah, they have a smaller community, but they tend to influence them more.
And that’s to go back to the brands made in Europe. Those types of influencers are really good because they have this really strong community, so having local micro-influencers can be a really good way to showcase your brand. Also nowadays, people expect influencers to take accountability for what they advertise. So sustainable influence is also something that is growing in France.
Not just you know try fast fashion as we talked or Shein so those two two things to take into consideration.
Radek (20:12)
So Mbappé will be better than Cristiano Ronaldo, yeah?
Agathe (20:16)
Yes, also because it’s extremely well liked, yeah, think if you manage to get them back, you’re really good for the French market.
Radek (20:20)
Influencer strategy is one of the strategies, but what are the other most effective strategies and channels for promoting online shop in French market?
Agathe (20:37)
Yeah, so influencers, you just said. And another way to promote your market, but not just being directly on your website, it could be the marketplace. It’s also quite important in France. Half of the purchase online are made via marketplace. So definitely a good thing to consider. And you have a lot of either general Amazon, La Redoute .
La Redoute is a really old marketplace that existed before I was born, so I’m not that old, but I know my mom was using it when she was young. It was a catalogue before, that’s really an institution in France. They sell the clothes, furniture, those type of things, or you have like more specialized one, or like Zalando, or things like that. So being on those marketplaces helps and can be a really good entry point because you get a lot of visibility, they have a really high traffic on that, that is a really good to be on that also it’s a bit more trusted that may be a completely anonymous website that you have never heard of or you don’t know so if you’re able to maybe have some product on those marketplaces that’s a good way to get your brands and products known in France.
Radek (21:38)
Yeah, marketplace is often a good place to try and to start. Before you are planning to open your own shop, it’s good to deliver the products to the potential customers via marketplace to see if they are buying if it is ok or to verify which group of your products is selling best. To promote them further while creating your own shop.
Agathe (22:01)
Yeah.
Radek (22:11)
It’s also a pretty common scenario currently in other places in Europe also. So I’m not surprised that here is also trend very popular. But I would ask you that very general question. What are the key commerce trends which are currently shaping the French market?
What would you point out besides those things or to sum up those things which you already said?
Agathe (22:38)
Yeah, yeah, no, that’s really French by the way to say „yes, no” But yeah, I think a key trend to keep in mind that is maybe also shared in other countries in Europe, but the second hand circular economy is a big thing in France and it’s keep on growing and building up.
About Vinted and how France is the biggest community, but it’s not just clothing. You have, for example, Back Market, which is a French initiative, it’s this initiative, they buy back electronics and just restore them and sell them as good as new for a lower price.
Agathe (23:17)
you have a lot of initiatives like that in France or from abroad but working well in France and that just shows that French are really keen on thinking beyond a one single time product and I think for businesses that want to go in France now it’s not just nice to know it’s actually mandatory to be a bit aware of this mindset because even though
Agathe (23:42)
they might not be circular businesses, they will have to be prepared of, how can we help meet customer expectation on the afterlife of the products or beyond the single purchase. So maybe repairing the product if it’s possible or the spare part, those are things that French customers are really interested in.
Radek (24:01)
So this idea of refurbished electronics for example, it also reaches us here in Poland also, where you can buy from those big companies like Dell or other electronic providers, that you have the new ones and you have also these refurbished ones, which as you mentioned are as good as new.
Agathe (24:04)
Yeah, and that’s a big thing in France, is just trying to, again, we have this polarizing trend, but that’s still something to really consider and that is really growing and also that is encouraged by public power to be a bit smarter about our purchase and just make them last or repair rather than throw away.
Radek (24:43)
But you think it’s connected with the economy, so people want to buy for the smaller price or is it the mindset changing that people are preferring to do that because they think they are ecological then and they are supporting the planet and everything?
Agathe (25:02)
That’s a very good question. I think it’s a bit hard when you have those social trends to just say, that’s looking from a really clinical point of view and say, yeah, that’s just because of that. It’s multiple factors. And of course, being sustainable is nice and a lot of people wish to be sustainable, but in reality they will choose, you know, maybe cheaper price or things like that because, you know, that’s the reality of what they have us means. So I wouldn’t say that it’s solely to be sustainable that they are looking for that. That’s a nice consequence, but yeah, the situation, how it’s… political global situation, it’s going, the purchase power, everything. People are also looking to, yeah, maybe I’ll become a bit more price sensitive. I’m just trying to make smart purchase and that just go hand in hand with repairing and be a bit more responsible. So I would say it’s maybe mostly price driven, but then you have the reward of being more sustainable.
Yeah, I would anticipate that, yeah, because same here, yeah. There is a big trend of ecology going on and I’m not saying about all those products in the grocery shop which has a BIO in front, but people are being more and more aware. But the price is still the king, yeah, because if you can have the product which is as good as new for, I don’t know, two thirds of price, so it’s…
Agathe (26:25)
Yeah.
Radek (26:37)
People started to look at it, especially that when you, as you mentioned, those situations, geopolitical situations are currently a little bit crazy. So, people are counting and I would, I would like to get back a little bit to the thing which we’ve discussed before, because you mentioned what are the French customers looking for while choosing the delivery method, but I would like to dig a little bit.
Agathe (26:53)
Mm-hmm.
Radek (27:02)
What are the most favored payment and delivery methods in France? Because many of our customers, while planning to expand their shop, are wondering what payment method we should have, what delivery method we should have, what are the crucial ones, so without them not starting in France, and what are also those preferable ones.
Agathe (27:24)
Yeah, yeah, no, of course. that’s the hardcore topic I think you really need to nail before getting in France. So to talk about payment methods first, maybe. I would say less is more in France. So payment by card is an absolute must for online shopping. That is at least 80 % of all the online purchases that are made with cards.
Radek (27:26)
Mm hmm.
Agathe (27:48)
And in France, don’t really have this distinction between debit card, credit card, because we have our own national system, which is CB, which stands for Cartes Bancaires … Banking Card or Carte Bleue, literally blue card. But that’s really an umbrella term. So it’s just to say that’s your payment card. though, yeah, that’s just, yeah.
Radek (27:52)
So just card, credit, debit, it doesn’t matter.
Agathe (28:15)
No, and before working abroad, be fair, I was a bit young, but I had hard time distinguishing what was a debit and a credit card. So, certainly in the mindset of French people, those blue cards, carte bleue, are most of the time Visa or MasterCard, and they’re just doubly branded as carte bleue and Visa or carte bleue and MasterCard. So this umbrella term is quite important to be aware of, and that’s what people will look for.
Radek (28:30)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (28:42)
And again, be that can seems, you know, yeah, that’s evident. But to go back to how French customer function and work for many French customers, especially I’m talking about older generation, we’re going 55 and above. I’m not saying old, I’m saying older generation. That might be the only mean of payment they have to purchase online. I still have sometimes really older generation asking if they can pay by cheque online. So that’s the type of mindset we have. We’re a bit behind there. So you really need to make sure that is visible, you know, having the CB logo on the footer or the header of your website, having that as the first payment option, just making sure that it’s visible and that there is no issue with your setup because…
Radek (29:13)
Okay.
Agathe (29:33)
Let’s say there is something that is not working for the day, you will lose 80 % of your purchase. That’s really important to have it working. The other way of purchasing online would be PayPal. That’s the second alternative and that’s covering almost all the rest of the 20%. And then you have smaller alternatives, Apple Pay and so on. But it’s really marginal that maybe with really younger generation and maybe…
Radek (29:44)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (29:59)
That’s the thing you will find on more trendy, smaller, really new web shops. So I’m not saying it’s wrong to consider those alternative means of payment or installment payment, but that’s not really the rule in France. So don’t lose your time. Yeah, don’t lose your time on, do I need to do Clarna, or do I need to put installment payment in France? Don’t lose your time on that. If your website is working very well, everything is working smoothly, you can consider that. if you’re starting, focus on payment by card and PayPal. That is really good.
Radek (30:36)
And buy now, pay later idea because it’s growing in some countries of Europe. How is it in France?
Agathe (30:42)
Yeah. It is growing, of course, like it is in, you know, I think it’s also just people in general across in every country. It’s definitely growing. No, no, no, And I think also, again, with how general situation is going, it might not be the moment where people are the most secure to commit to pay later. They would rather have the money now and pay and then be done because we are a bit uncertain times. So if you have it on your website on top of that, why not? But that is not the thing to focus on.
Radek (31:21)
So credit card, so card payment and PayPal are the crucial ones, yeah. And the delivery methods, how would you, what would you say?
Agathe (31:26)
Yes, exactly.
Yeah, so we talked about that a bit before, but I would say it’s offering both again. If you’re delivering really big furniture or if you’re delivering, I also know we have some companies that are selling mobility help or tools. So of course, people who need that, they don’t want to go to a parcel shop to pick it up. But apart from that, if you’re selling clothes, food, offering at-home delivery and a parcel shop delivery option are really good. And having well-known trusted carrier in GLS, DPD, Chronopost, Colissimo, DHL, those type of…
carriers that already have an inference in France and on that I would just add a note. It’s because depending on where you start to ship the order, you might have several carriers from the warehouse in the country of origin until France and then it’s the French or local carrier.
Maybe investigate what works well with your current setting because we have some cases where the connection with the last my carrier is not working and then the tracking is not sent on time and that’s one of the main points. I would say for example DPD is known and used across Europe and then we have DPD France and we also have Chronopost that is part of the DPD group. So the information goes well between
Radek (32:46)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (33:02)
If you start with DPD in Poland and then you give it to Chronopost in France, then the tracking will be smooth because they work together, they are well integrated together. Yes, so that’s also one thing to consider with what you have from the beginning. How well does it go with the last mile carrier
Radek (33:12)
They are integrated, yeah.
Yeah, very useful information that you don’t have to have everything in the beginning. So focus on the card payment, focus on PayPal and DPD and it’s almost sufficient to start. And then you can think about adding other options.
Agathe (33:28)
Yep.
Radek (33:40)
It’s a very wise advice for the people. Not focus on everything, just start with something. You talked about loyalty programs and you talked about those personalization aspects. How about the reviews? Are they important in the buying process for French customers? Are looking at the reviews or not?
Many shops here which we are also working with are wondering if we should open the reviews or not in the market because not always there is someone carry on with this. So if you could just tell us if it’s important or not.
Agathe (34:19)
Yeah, of course. yes, short answer is yes, it’s important, really important. I would say roughly three-quarter of French customers stated that they are looking at review when they are considering a purchase. So that’s not something you can just ignore. Google reviews are a big thing in France. That can seem simple, but that’s the first thing you see when you are browsing online.
Really visible and that is quite trusted. that might be something you want to spend a bit of energy and focus that you get a good rating or replying to the comments on that because that’s the window of your brand or of your website. So give a bit of thought into that. TrustPilot is also widely used. That’s such a big thing now that everybody knows and use TrustPilot. But I would say there are also two things that are working well in France. It is Avis Vérifiés, which is a platform that will only collect reviews from real buyers, so that’s really good to avoid scams and things like that.
Radek (35:19)
Yeah, yeah,
Agathe (35:22)
And you also have Société des Avis Garantis. So again, it’s a credible source. So if you can get good reviews on those two platforms and add them on your website, you know how we get 4.7 on Avis vérifiés. That is a really strong trust signal and a really strong incentive for French customers. So please, if you have good reviews, put them on your website because they will be looked at and they will be trusted by French customers.
Radek (35:49)
But because you mentioned two typical French solutions, but If I would ask if the reviews are generally important or they should be in these two platforms.
Agathe (35:53)
Mm-hmm. Reviews in general are important. So if you have…
Radek (36:04)
Okay, so even if they are Google reviews or another company reviews, it’s also very good. It’s important, but the best would be if they would be from those two companies you mentioned.
Agathe (36:12)
Yeah.
Yes, exactly. So best of the best is those type of certified review, but reviews in general, it’s good also. It’s also transparency, which French are really appreciative of. If so, if you can show that you have good review from customer, wherever they are from, that’s good. So if it’s Google review, it’s also good.
Radek (36:39)
Okay, so it’s very important. Another question is about quite hot topic right now, especially in the fashion market, so the return procedure. Because there are a lot of discussions also connected with this ecology aspect and so on, should returns be for free or not. Each country has its own regulations here.
How does it look in the French market? How are the customer preferences and what are procedures in your country?
Agathe (37:11)
Yes, so just quickly about the legislation, to be safe, French legislation on that align with EU regulation, so you’re good to go with EU, so know the mandatory 14 days of return, but French really like the 30 days period to return, especially when it’s you know the purchase before Christmas because then they have more time or it can be
Radek (37:21)
Okay.
Agathe (37:37)
Around summer holiday or back to school because that’s a time where you do a lot of purchase, you have a lot of things to figure out, so if you have a bit of those extra time to, this extra time to figure out if you want it or not, that’s really good. So if you can guarantee 30 days at least on those periods, that is good. Then I would say, and I’ve seen that also in my work at Makes You Local, I know some countries are… really hard called about paying for the return, Germany being one. It’s not as much painful situation in France. Of course, a free return is always appreciated, but if they have to pay for it, it’s okay. But two things is, it has to be visible on the terms and conditions on the website.
They don’t feel that it’s hidden, so make sure that if… No surprise, French hates surprise. Yes, so you have to really put that clearly in your terms and conditions. And another thing, it’s not as much paying for a return, it’s having to handle the whole logistics. So it’s really good to provide the return label or arrange a pick-up.
Radek (38:25)
So no surprise, that, I want to return and then 10 euro.
Yeah, it’s very useful.
Agathe (38:47)
Yeah, and it can be another thing about French is they don’t necessarily want to talk to customer service, which makes me really sad. But they would rather have the written label either printed in the parcel or in the confirmation email, or they can get it online on the form. And it doesn’t have to be a physical written label. It can be a code. And they go to the parcel shop that works very well. They would rather put it. They don’t really like collection at home, they prefer to go and put the parcel somewhere. Again, what I’m saying, if you have a couch, you’re not going to drive to a parcel shop with it. again, having all those online solutions that works for younger or in the medium age generation, if you are really targeting older generation, having it printed or picking up at home might work well. But that’s more for most of the website is… enable your French customer to be able to handle the return easily. So provide them with the return solution that is easy and that is not costing them time or blocking them and they are okay to Not pay but maybe you know, you keep like five euros I would say that’s pretty standard depending on where you are and depending on the amount of purchase but five euro will not be refunded from the return and That’s that’s I think a good solution for the French market
Radek (40:08)
So, assuming the easier the better, but not necessarily for free. Yeah. Okay. So it’s also…
Agathe (40:13)
Yes, they are willing to pay for convenience.
Radek (40:18)
So it’s also worth noting down. So right now I have a question, I think directly from the things you are doing every day. So what the shop or business consider while translating the content for the French market, for the French audience.
Agathe (40:36)
That is a really great question. think I spent a lot of time talking about it when I’m working at Makes You Local and talking with clients. AI can be a really nice tool when well trained, but it remains a tool that will never replace a human eye. never fully trust AI, I would say.
Especially with French, it’s quite a complex language and especially if you are translating from a language that is from a different roots so not a Latin language. So when you are translating, you have to think that it will be different rhythm, different length of sentences and there two things to really pay attention to in French.
Radek (41:14)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (41:26)
Politeness and tone, of course every country have their own way of being more or less familiar, but that can be a bit tricky in French. We are quite sensitive to how polite you can be and we have this whole distinction between the formal you and the informal you. yeah, in doubt always use the formal you. So it’s vous.
Radek (41:42)
Okay.
Agathe (41:49)
Because the informal is really direct. That’s not something you want on a professional communication. So that’s really something if you’re not sure, just go with „Vous” And another thing just to maybe frame it a bit more clearly, depending on what is your website identity and depending on what you’re selling can be your, know, jewelry for really young women, really fresh, really… Pepsi and something really trendy. Maybe you want your generic tone to be „tu” on the website. But when you are going to talk to the customer, you should never use „tu”. So I know it’s becoming a bit complex, but that’s the reality of French. And that is a bit hard to just use AI to translate that. I’ve seen that on some websites. goes also, AI is really bad at consistency sometimes. I can see.
It starts with vous, then it becomes tu. That is really confusing and that is a main telling. Another thing is gender agreement. So I don’t know what it is for you, but in French, it’s a gendered language. So every word is either feminine or masculine. And you cannot guess. And AI again is really bad at knowing that the it or whatever was neutral.
In English, three sentences above is actually a he or she now. So, yeah, gender and politeness are really things to pay attention to when you’re translating in French because that’s really telling that it’s a local French. And always have a French person checking what’s happening or someone who is fluent in French, but always have someone.
Radek (43:14)
In Poland currently we also are paying more attention to this feminine version of the words, because there were years, I would say one generation, when it was lost a little bit and everything was more masculine than feminine. So if you are a doctor, you are a doctor, not a female doctor or something like that.
Agathe (43:51)
Mm-hmm.
Radek (44:09)
Did it change currently or was it always like this that in France it was a very high attention on this aspect?
Agathe (44:18)
Yeah, that’s a long and complex topic. So I would say for business marketing, you always had female and male. And it’s also because all the words are gendered, but also depending if I’m, for example, talking to you, addressing you, I would use different gender for the adjective or the past participates whereas if I’m talking to a girl such as myself it would be the feminine version so that’s not just a flower is feminine and and pants are masculine it’s also all the words surrounding the person so
That has always been something. And now I would also say maybe before when we were talking to a customer, we would just use the general masculine version. And now it’s a bit more tricky. It’s like, sometimes we do masculine.e because that’s the feminine version is usually with an e. Or you find ways. That’s also my work in Makes You Local it’s.
When I get the English version that is really straightforward and addressing the person directly, I will find a way to make it indirect. So I’m not addressing if it’s a man or a woman. And that’s a lot of things to consider that direct translation cannot really grasp.
Radek (45:39)
Sounds like a very difficult language.
Agathe (45:42)
I’m really happy I was born into it and I didn’t have to learn it.
Radek (45:46)
For me, because I speak Spanish, for example, when I read French, I understand what is written, but when the French are saying, it’s totally different. That’s the biggest surprise in the French language. But you mentioned AI as one of bad directions to go into, but what are the other warning signs or the red lights saying that the localization was purely executed? What would you underline?
Agathe (46:14)
Yeah, just to qualify a bit, you can use AI, of course, to do the draft, but you should always check what they’re saying. Of course, it’s like work smarter, not harder. So maybe especially for technical description, it can be good. And then you just have someone to read that. But yeah, of course, on a website, you can quickly spot if it’s just AI translated or sometimes it’s partly translated. You have maybe the front page that is in French, and then you click on another link and then it’s
Radek (46:19)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah.
Agathe (46:42)
Everything in another language that’s not really… I’ll elicit the trust in a French customer and they are likely to go away from this website that looks bit spammy. So that would be language. Again, to be a bit more reliable to French customers, it’s all the support contact information, having them localized. So the phone number, the email…
Radek (46:57)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (47:05)
the chatbots, it’s also quite terrible to… You’re on a French written website and you open the chatbot and everything is in English or another language. That’s a disappointing. And also you are on a French website and you’re trying to call or you’re trying to send an email, then it’s in English. And again, just to come back to what you said at the beginning, French are not necessarily really good at… speaking English and I have this case at MakesYouLocal on the international website so it’s English and then know English written and then customer from different places will talk. I have seen a tendency sometimes French customer to still write in French or still try to speak in English and they get really surprised when they hear English so imagine that if the website is French and they try to contact you and then the support is fully in English…
They will not be pleased. They might also never come back to the website or if it’s before the purchase, they might not purchase. So that’s also one thing to consider is trying to make the support local. Because when the French people need you, they will need someone they can speak to. And again, a bit difficult if it’s only in English.
Radek (48:19)
Yeah, you underlined a very important aspect because for many companies and for many shops, and we also observed this while making those localizations, they focus on the products. They see the catalog, they see the product pages, they see the category pages, they focus on that and they forget that there are also other… places like for example about us, like for example those small things which make the customer feel like it’s from here, it’s local. So it’s very forget about it, that it should be also taken under consideration while planning the localization.
Agathe (49:03)
Yeah, of course.
Radek (49:05)
Last question but very pleasant one. So, seasons. What are the shopping seasons? Do they differ a lot from the general European seasons or do you have some kind of typical French seasons where the sales are going would you advise to the shop? When is the best moment to sell the goods?
Agathe (49:28)
Well, again, that really depends what you’re selling. I suppose if you’re selling outdoorsy things, maybe generally is not the best moment to sell your bikinis or sandals. But yeah, we have some high peak sales season. So I think it’s similar to the rest of Europe. But there are, course, a few the French touch, if you may. We have, would say, from November with Black Friday that has become such a normal things to do. Black month now. Now it’s becoming more and more and people are expecting in French customer. I see that and I think two years ago I would see that a bit and this past Black Friday I see they’re asking a bit more so it’s growing steadily because people get really quickly accustomed to lower prices so I expect that.
Radek (49:57)
Black Friday or Black week or even Black month.
Agathe (50:26)
So from November till the of December with Christmas, the end of the year party, that’s a peak for selling your product. Then there are, I mentioned that quickly, but there are the „Soldes” And, again, just a side note, be really careful when you’re translating everything regarding promotion and sales in French, because…
Sales will be translated as soldes, but Soldes is really specific to something framed by the law. It’s those periods starting in January and in June or July, depending a bit every year, and that’s the law that determines this time period. And only those periods can be mentioned as Soldes and you have lot of things to comply to in order to call your operation as soldes and that’s why you can sell your…
order product at a discounted price. always be careful. Yeah.
Radek (51:20)
Words noted down. This is the exclamation mark. Now, please the listeners note that down
Agathe (51:26)
Otherwise, if it’s not within this legal framework, use promotion, reduction, and so on, but maybe that’s another topic and that would require a longer time, but be mindful when you’re doing that. You also have something called the French days, which are also in spring and in autumn, they change each year.
French can be a bit… That’s typically French, think, to this mindset, but to counterbalance Amazon and Black Friday, the six biggest French retailers decided to do their own French Black Friday, so it’s the French Days, again, discounted offer in spring and autumn. So that would be for the discount. I would also… like to note one thing you were talking about, what’s the best time to sell your products? That’s not just for France but across every market when you’re going abroad. Think about the fact that maybe the weather is different in the country you’re going in the sense, well maybe summer starts earlier in France than it starts in Poland or people are going on holiday earlier to go swimming. So maybe your spring collection that you think of launching in April and do the campaign in April. Well, maybe you might start it earlier in France. So it’s also all those kind of things. Look at when the children and school holidays start. It might be different from your home country and those type of things. Every country has its own calendar a bit around the holiday of the school and that could be a good tip to check.
Winter, spring, summer holidays starting in France because I know that then people are going to go on holiday. know things, because France is actually quite a big country when you look in Europe and it goes from Belgium to Spain. So two countries that have nothing in common. So you have people who are closer to Belgium, have maybe a closer Belgian mindset, a closer weather to Belgium and then you have people nearby Italy or Spain that have this… more Mediterranean mindset. And you have also diversity of landscape in France and in March, within France, people were going on holiday in France for the spring holiday. Some might go skiing and some might already be at the beach. So that’s also things you have to consider and that might be the case. That might not be the case in other countries because it’s such a specific setting for France.
Radek (53:40)
Yeah, but is it that is some kind of general habit for vacation? Because I have friends working in the international companies and my friend once said to that he’s working in the company, in the one Scandinavian company. And he said that everyone is taking vacation in July. So there is no work that month because no one is present in the work. Yeah. So this is their habit.
They always take a vacation in July. Is it something similar in France or due to this aspect which you said that this is quite big country and close to the two total different countries? It depends.
Agathe (54:13)
Yeah, so I think that’s a really good point. You can have several holidays during the year. So would say people might start taking holidays in end of winter, beginning of spring. That’s springish holiday. That’s the thing I was mentioning before. For summer holiday, we have two peak. It’s mid-July and mid-August because mid-July, the 14th of July, that’s our national day.
Radek (54:56)
Mm-hmm.
Agathe (54:57)
and mid-August there is the 15th of August that is a holiday. So that’s the moment where people are also going a lot on holidays. you have those two. Basically I would say the two months it’s like one half of the company is gone in July, the other half is gone in August and you spread around like that.
Radek (55:14)
So this is very nice topic. The vacation ends our today’s recording. So Agathe, thank you very much for joining me. I think a lot of interesting facts were said. So listeners who are planning to go for the French market got a big portion of needed know-how. Of course… If you are interested in expanding your business, dear listeners, to French, please contact me or Agathe because we can help. Media4U is a technical company, so we will help you with all the technical aspects, localization, support and logistics and other aspects. So surely we can help you. So thanks for listening Agathe once more. Thanks for coming here and I hope to see you in the future in next initiatives.
Agathe (56:03)
Thanks for having me. Yes, thank you. Have a good day. Bye.
Radek (56:11)
Have a good day, bye.
