Galaxus says «Bonjour la France»

Galaxus is expanding. After Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany and Austria, Galaxus is now going live in France. Switzerland’s leading e-commerce platform is now available to shoppers from Strasbourg to Bordeaux Galaxus is aiming to build up a loyal customer base and break the top 5 of largest online retailers in France.

Galaxus was launched in Germany in 2018 and in Austria in 2021. The product range currently includes over 1.6 million products. Since the launches, over one million customers have already shopped at Galaxus in the two countries. «On the back of this success, we’re taking the next expansion step,» says Florian Teuteberg, CEO and founding member of Digitec Galaxus.

According to Florian, expanding to France make sense because the country’s close in terms of language and culture. He adds that the proximity to the Galaxus logistics hub in the German town of Krefeld is also an advantage. French customers will be supplied from that warehouse for the time being – with products in stock taking about three to five days to arrive in France.

Europe’s no-nonsense online shop

Does France need another online shop besides Amazon, Veepee or Fnac? «Galaxus is more than an online shop. It’s also a platform packed with information, entertainment and interaction,» says Florian.

The online retailer has an editorial team that counts 30 members who provide quality information on products from the Galaxus range. Their special interest articles, reviews and features are written according to journalistic criteria, express a clear opinion and aim to inspire online shoppers in their search for products. «Our editors are independent. Their job isn’t to promote products, but to tests them with a critical eye and be honest about the result even if this means a product comes off badly. This generates added value for our Community,» Florian explains, adding, «we hope this no-nonsense approach and transparency will also be welcomed in France.»

Galaxus is also transparent when it comes to sustainability and price development. For example, carbon emissions are displayed below all the products available in the shop. The stated emissions take into account the entire value chain – from sourcing the raw materials to doorstep delivery. If customers want to shop in a climate-neutral way, they can offset their emissions by voluntarily paying a fee at checkout. On average, customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland do this for every tenth purchase. Galaxus also displays the price development history of all products. «This also makes us the most honest online retailer in Europe in terms of price and sustainability,» says Florian.

Galaxus speaks French

«We now have the opportunity to expand our French-speaking community in one fell swoop. But to do that, we’re going to have to win French customers’ trust,» says Florian. One way of achieving this will be by offering Swiss service quality – – including excellent customer service. «We already have native French speakers in customer service to help French-speaking customers in Switzerland. So we’re all set to provide support to our new customers in France as well,» says Intan Vermeer, Head of Customer Service.

Great potential in France

In Switzerland, Germany and Austria, Digitec Galaxus generated sales of over two billion Swiss francs last year. To put this into perspective, the annual sales of e-commerce platforms in France in 2021 amounted to 129.1 billion euros, according to the Fédération du e-commerce et de la vente à distance (fevad). This is an immense total volume. And Galaxus wants a piece of the baguette. «Our home improvement range has the potential to do well. I’ve been told DIY – or 'bricolage' in French – is a national obsession in France,» Florian says. Which product categories will be best received by people in France? The online retailer will soon find out.

(Video in french)