The home shopping delivery market - France

Since the meteoric rise of Uber Eats and Deliveroo, home delivery has become an integral part of consumer habits. Initially focused on catering, it has rapidly extended to food shopping, overturning traditional business models. While the pandemic acted as a catalyst in 2020 and 2021, with record growth (+44.7% in 2020, +24.9% in 2021), the market has since stabilized, while remaining on an upward trajectory. In 2023, growth held steady at +10.5%, and early trends for 2024 confirm a more measured but still present rise (+4.1% in the first quarter, +5.5% in the second). Ultra-fast delivery has profoundly transformed the offer. While traditional chains offer an extensive range of products, express services such as Carrefour Livraison 1h have drastically reduced the choice to guarantee rapid delivery. The boom in 10- and 30-minute models, boosted by massive fund-raising, left its mark on the market before running out of steam under economic and regulatory pressure. At the same time, aggregator platforms have consolidated their position. Uber Eats and Deliveroo now largely dominate food delivery, eclipsing pure players and quick merchants, who are struggling to establish themselves in the face of their territorial coverage and optimized infrastructure. The price battle is also shaping the landscape. Leclerc is coming out on top, offering the most competitive prices in April 2024, while the more expensive quick delivery is aimed at customers looking for immediacy. Consumers are choosing between cost and convenience, favoring hybrid models in which the pedestrian drive-thru is playing an increasingly important role. Carrefour, with almost 500 points of withdrawal, is capturing this trend by facilitating access to shopping without delivery charges. But the market faces major challenges. In March 2023, the reclassification of dark stores as warehouses upset the balance of quick commerce. Many municipalities seized the opportunity to restrict their locations, forcing players like Getir and Flink out of the market. Inflation and rising operating costs exacerbated this crisis, leaving the incumbent platforms to regain control of the express segment. At the same time, consumer expectations are changing. Eco-responsibility is becoming a criterion of choice, and co-transportation, still marginal, is arousing growing interest. 80% of French people see it as a lever for reducing environmental impact, and 66% say they are ready to use it. Despite its still limited take-up, this alternative could reshape the market by adding a collaborative dimension to shopping delivery. After an explosion phase, home delivery is entering a new era. More structured, more segmented, it must now deal with the trade-offs between speed, price and ecological impact. And while growth has stabilized after the post-Covid boom, projections remain optimistic, with sales expected to increase almost 20-fold by 2029.