Semrush reveals which retailers generate the most traffic

Semrush, the global digital marketing specialist, presents the results of its global retail study, conducted between January 2022 and February 2024, after the end of Covid restrictions. Focus on the results for France.

Amazon most popular, Lidl most advertised

Amazon.fr is by far the most-visited retailer, with 228.7 million visitors, more than 4 times as many as second-placed Cdiscount.com (54.3 million) and Leroymerlin.fr (39.7 million).

To achieve these results, retailers are investing in advertising. Semrush has calculated the growth in average paid traffic by adding together paid traffic from social networks and paid traffic from search engines in 2022 and 2023. Lidl.fr leads the French market with an increase in paid traffic of 5,156%, followed by cultura.com (544% increase), and action.com, in third place, with an increase in paid traffic of 211%.

The typical consumer is a female

Semrush has also drawn up a consumer profile. While in 2022, 66.89% of consumers were men, the trend has reversed: in 2023, 53.54% of consumers are women.

The study also reveals a massive increase in online retailers among senior citizens, doubling or tripling in the 45+ age bracket. Conversely, 18-24 year-olds and especially 25-34 year-olds seem to be shunning the online retail sector.

The French market's high concentration on direct traffic and the growing participation of women and an older population suggest targeted opportunities for brand engagement and advertising. Today, the biggest sources of traffic for French retail sites are direct traffic (66.3%) and organic search (29.8%). The emphasis on direct traffic is significantly higher in France than the EU average, highlighting strong brand awareness and demonstrating customer loyalty in the French market.

Julie Farley, EMEA Marketing Director at Semrush: "It's up to retailers to take this into account in their digital marketing strategy. This is even more the case during the upcoming sales period in France. For retailers looking to leverage brands and stand out from these aggregators, it's crucial to focus on personalization and exclusivity of offers. By offering exclusive products or versions not available on the major aggregation platforms, resellers can attract a segment of customers seeking uniqueness. What's more, investing in strong customer relations and exceptional after-sales service can help build customer loyalty and create an engaged brand community. Strategic partnerships with local influencers and the optimization of brand-specific SEO campaigns can also boost online visibility and awareness, enabling effective differentiation from industry giants."

Download the full report

Methodology : data were collected from 5413 retail domains in Europe, with a particular focus on 106 domains in France, between January 2022 and February 2024.

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