French consumer spending marked by a new boom in e-commerce activity and mobile payments

The BPCE Digital & Payments Barometer survey is based on anonymized payment data from more than 20 million bank cards, offering a unique perspective on purchasing behavior in France.

Consumption in 2025: growth but only on the surface

Credit card spending, including cash withdrawals, which is up 1.1% overall, is in line with annual inflation of 0.9% according to France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), despite the prevailing climate of instability and fragile consumer confidence.
This aggregate view, however, masks deeper, more structural changes. If the exceptional period of the COVID pandemic is excluded, 2025 is the first year since 2020 in which overall consumption did not grow faster than inflation. This observation reveals a constraint on household budgets that now seems firmly embedded in consumer behavior.

Digital technology, a key driver of consumption

E-commerce satisfies consumer demands by enabling them to make careful choices and effortless comparisons and reach decisions rapidly in a context of multiple constraints. In 2025, 30% of credit card spending was made in e-commerce, up from 27% in 2022, a sign that e-commerce is becoming an established feature of consumer practices.

30% of credit and debit card purchases are made through e-commerce

This 3-percentage point increase in the share of e-commerce over the past three years resembles the boom observed during the COVID period (+4 pp from 2019 to 2022). Consumption among people under the age of 35 is even more marked by online purchases, accounting for 38% of their spending, while for people over the age of 55, online purchases account for only 20% of their overall consumption. Mobile payments are following the same trend of continuing growth: in 2025, more than one in five payments was made via a mobile device, more than triple the figure for 2022. The transition from physical wallets to smartphones is already well underway.

The increase in essential spending is contained

Spending on car/motorcycle expenses (fuel, maintenance, tolls) was down 2% in 2025. The average price of a trip to the gas station was €46, down €2 from 2024, partly due to the decline in fuel prices. Spending on food, up 1.5%, is split: the number of trips to the checkout increased by 5% but the value of the average basket was €36, down €1 compared to 2024 and down €2 compared to 2022, both in traditional and discount stores, reflecting the French appetite for bargains.

Fashion and home furnishings are heavily discounted…

Overall spending on ready-to-wear clothing is down 1.5%. The sector is restructuring around digital, which accounted for 35% of spending in 2025, up from 26% in 2022. Second-hand clothing is also doing well, with spending up 13% compared to 2024 and an average basket size remaining stable at €22. Traditional fast fashion, down 0.5% in value, must reinvent itself if it wants to remain relevant in the face of ultra-fast fashion digital platforms. The latter, however, experienced a slowdown in the second half of the year (-2% spending in 2025).

+13% The increase in spending on second-hand ready-to-wear clothing

Spending on home furnishings is slowing down, with the most resilient sectors being low-price and ultra-low-price formulas; ultra-discount digital platforms are enjoying a boom, with spending up 69% and an average basket value of €32.

… while other aspirations are focused on emotion and experience

Digital entertainment is winning the day: spending on video and music streaming increased by 10% in 2025 with an average basket value of €15. One out of every three consumers had purchased a subscription to a service in this sector. Consumers still dream of getting away from it all but they adopt a more thoughtful approach. Travel spending grew by a modest 2.5% while alternatives, such as camping and tourist and cultural activities, enjoyed strong growth of 10% and 9% respectively. The French are looking to travel more while optimizing their budget and favoring local experiences. Spending on wellness (beauty salons and cosmetics) is up 2.5%, reflecting the importance of personal image in the age of social media. Average basket sizes are stable: €45 in salons and €50 for cosmetics purchases.