Average order value on marketplaces in France: what our data reveals

To make sense of what our data reveals, some market context is needed – particularly for sellers based outside France.

French e-commerce is in robust health. According to the FEVAD’s annual report published in February 2026, the sector generated €196.4 billion in revenue in 2025 (+7% year-on-year), with 3.2 billion transactions recorded. Marketplaces are playing an increasingly central role: they accounted for 31% of product e-commerce revenue in 2024 (up from 29% in 2023, the latest available breakdown), led by consumer electronics (25% of marketplace sales), followed by home appliances (17%), fashion (15%), DIY (9%) and toys/games (8%).

At the same time, a structural tension is emerging: average order value is declining across the board. FEVAD reports that AOV fell 3% in 2025 to €62 – with fashion being the only category in outright volume decline (-0.5%), dragged down by low-cost platforms and the rise of second-hand. This is the backdrop against which our data becomes meaningful: some marketplaces are resisting this compression; others are its first casualties.

Ubaldi stands out dramatically with an AOV of around €380–360 – 3.4 times that of Amazon (€120–100) in the same category. The explanation is structural: Ubaldi has historically focused on large home appliances and high-value electronics (American-style fridge-freezers, premium washing machines, high-end TVs). When a merchant sells on Ubaldi, they are rarely selling a €9.99 HDMI cable. They are selling a €450 dishwasher.

This illustrates a truth that is well-known but rarely quantified: vertical specialisation in high-unit-value products is the single most powerful lever for maximising AOV.

The most counterintuitive result in this category is the performance of Auchan, Carrefour and E.Leclerc, which show AOVs of €220–260 – higher than specialist retailers Darty (€180–160), Boulanger (€140–120) and Fnac (€100–80).

Our main hypothesis: consumers who buy electronics or appliances on a grocery/generalist marketplace like Auchan or Carrefour are already committed buyers, typically targeting high-value products (large appliances in particular). They are not browsing – they are there to complete a specific, high-cost purchase. By contrast, Fnac and Boulanger, as dedicated tech destinations, attract a much broader range of purchase profiles – including a significant share of small purchases: accessories, cables, external batteries, entry-level Bluetooth speakers. These high-volume, low-value items mechanically drag the AOV down.

Amazon ranking 9th with an AOV of €120–100 in Consumer Electronics will surprise no one who follows the French market. Amazon is structurally built to maximise transaction count, not unit value. Its vast catalogue – ranging from a €2 cable to an €800 4K screen – produces a mechanically diluted basket. Its strength lies elsewhere: frequency, loyalty (Prime), and volume.

Printemps and Galeries Lafayette share the top spot in Fashion (€120–100), confirming that premium positioning is the most discriminating factor in this category. The gap between these platforms and Amazon (€40–20) reaches a ratio of 3.7 – even more pronounced than the Ubaldi/Amazon gap in Consumer Electronics (3.4).

This comes down to audience intent. Shoppers on the Printemps or Galeries Lafayette marketplace are not looking for a deal. They are looking for a brand, a quality level, a premium shopping experience. Their purchase intent is already oriented towards high-perceived-value products, which translates directly into the basket size.

Spartoo and Sarenza both sit at €100–80 – close to the premium tier despite a non-luxury positioning. Footwear has a natural characteristic: it is a considered, single-unit purchase (shoppers rarely buy multiple pairs at once), with an inherently higher average ticket than a basic clothing item.

Veepee and Showroom Privé, with AOVs between €40 and €80, present an interesting case. These platforms sell quality – often premium – brands, but at discounted prices. The promotional mechanism that makes them attractive is also what compresses the basket. Buyers spend less because the unit price is lower, and the flash-sale format encourages opportunistic single-item purchases rather than deliberate basket-building.

La Redoute appears in two of our rankings: Fashion (€60–40) and Consumer Electronics (€140–120). The gap between these two baskets – a factor of 2.6 – perfectly illustrates the challenge of maintaining a consistent AOV level across a multi-category positioning. La Redoute is neither a Fashion marketplace nor a Consumer Electronics marketplace: it is effectively both, and that dilution is visible in the numbers.

With only €100 separating first from last, the DIY/Home/Garden category is the most compressed of the three analysed, compared to a €300 spread in Consumer Electronics. This reflects the nature of the products: even entry-level items (basic tools, small furniture) carry minimum unit values that simply do not exist in Fashion.

Conforama and Jardiland share first place (€240–220). Furniture and garden equipment (lawnmowers, outdoor dining sets, greenhouses) are by nature infrequent, high-commitment, high-unit-value purchases. This flows directly into the basket.

Vente-unique and Maisons du Monde follow closely (€220–200), confirming that online furniture structurally generates high AOVs – a pattern well documented in home e-commerce sector reports.

One of the most unexpected results in this category is Leroy Merlin (€160–140) sitting level with – or just behind – Bricomarché. Leroy Merlin is the undisputed leader of physical DIY retail in France, yet its marketplace AOV is no better than smaller rival Bricomarché.

Our hypothesis: on Leroy Merlin’s marketplace, third-party merchants tend to list a higher proportion of everyday, moderate-value SKUs – fixings, paint, small tools, accessories. Larger renovation projects (tiling, flooring, plumbing) tend to remain in-store or on direct order, often outside the marketplace channel. This “marketplace as complementary channel” dynamic creates a bias towards smaller references that compresses AOV.

If there is one finding to take away from this entire study, it is this: in every category analysed, generalist marketplaces (Amazon, Cdiscount) consistently rank at the bottom of the AOV table.

This is consistent with a well-understood dynamic in online retail. The promise of infinite assortment – which is the generalist’s strength in terms of order volume – mechanically dilutes AOV. Buyers come for practical, often low-involvement purchases, with high price sensitivity. Specialist marketplaces, by contrast, capture buyers in decision mode on high-value products, with purchase intent already formed.

This finding reflects a broader trend our data confirms: as generalist marketplaces reach saturation, specialist platforms are becoming more attractive to merchants who prioritise basket value and qualified audience reach over raw volume.

These findings, while based on a specific panel, carry clear practical implications, especially for sellers entering or scaling in France.

On marketplace selection: If your goal is to optimise transaction value – to improve gross margin per order or reduce the impact of fixed fulfilment costs – marketplace choice is a direct lever. A specialist marketplace aligned with your product category will tend to generate a higher AOV than a generalist platform, even if order volumes are lower. For international sellers, this is particularly important: the French market has deep, mature specialist platforms that are worth investing in rather than defaulting to Amazon alone.

On product mix: Our data shows that AOV on a given marketplace varies significantly depending on which SKUs are listed. A seller on Boulanger’s marketplace who optimises their catalogue towards premium references will outperform the platform average. Product mix management by channel is a variable that is too often overlooked when entering a new market.

On multichannel diversification: La Redoute’s appearance in two rankings with very different AOVs is a reminder to treat each marketplace as a distinct channel, with its own category positioning. What works on a Fashion platform will not necessarily work on a Home platform – and vice versa. This is especially relevant for international brands who may have a broad catalogue and need to map their assortment to the right French platforms.

On the macro context: In an environment where the overall French e-commerce AOV is under pressure (-3% in 2025, per FEVAD), our data on specialist platforms shows that it is possible to maintain – or even grow – a high basket by playing on platform and assortment positioning, rather than being swept along by the generalised price compression.

This AOV analysis complements our 2025 Barometer of the Top 10 French Marketplaces, which ranks the leading platforms by sales volume, number of orders and number of active sellers. The two studies are complementary: one measures the commercial power of the platforms, the other the unit value of transactions. Together, they offer a more complete picture of the French marketplace landscape.

Methodology: This study is based on aggregated and anonymised data from a sample of 300 merchants using Lengow to sell on French marketplaces, over the period 7 April 2025 – 7 April 2026. The sole indicator analysed is AOV (average order value per transaction), expressed as a range, broken down by marketplace and product category. Sales volume (GMV) and number of orders are not taken into account: a high ranking in this study does not reflect the size or commercial power of a marketplace, but solely the average transaction value observed within our merchant panel.