Online sales, a remedy for inflation? While the confinements have profoundly changed the way we consume, the French must now observe a rise in prices, which panics their daily expenses. To manage their budget, many are now turning to the Internet and e-commerce sites, in search of attractive promotions and reduced prices compared to those offered in stores.
As Xavier Lemuet, director of major surveys at the Institut Médiamétrie, explains to the Parisian, “no less than 60% of Internet users have purchased food products online in the last twelve months”. Thus, for 48% of respondents, online shopping allows them to better organize their expenses, while 23% of them choose home delivery. If the latter appears as a practical asset, it is also ideal to limit its use of the car, singled out for its environmental impact.
To date, the Lidl application registers 1.7 million unique visitors per day and thus takes precedence over other large retailers, such as Carrefour and Leclerc, which are at nearly 1.5 million visitors. Still at the top, Amazon continues to top the list of sites visited, while Le Bon Coin and Cdiscount complete the podium. As the Parisian article reveals, 22% of those surveyed believe that it is easier to find promotions on the Internet rather than in stores and favor, above all, the speed of delivery.
In all, there are two million additional online buyers who have flocked to the Internet, all categories of products and services combined. The progress of anti-waste applications, such as Vinted (4th in the ranking), is also notable. 42% of Internet users are now familiar with their use, while 17% regularly place orders there.
While consumer prices have increased by 4.8% over one year, according to INSEE, large retailers are competing in inventiveness to satisfy their customers. On May 4, Leclerc offered its “consumption shield” with a price freeze on 120 basic necessities (milk, coffee, rice, flour, eggs, etc.). Each price increase suffered by these products will therefore be automatically credited to the customer’s loyalty card when they go to the checkout.
Intermarché has, for its part, created vouchers for 5 euros, in exchange for a minimum purchase amount on Monday. As for Lidl, one of the leaders in discount, the brand has imagined a monthly coupon of 5% reduction, valid once a month, from 50 euros of purchase. Named “the boost that is worth the cost”, this offer is reserved for customers who have the store’s loyalty card and the “Lidl plus” application. An ingenious way to bring together digital and the return to traditional stores.
