contact@quicker-iscm.com
What’s the features of Cdiscount platform? State our viewpoints as a China shipping company. Cdiscount, as you may know, is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in France. It offers unique opportunities for cross-border sellers, especially those from China. Let’s take a closer look at the platform’s key features and advantages.
General Features of Cdiscount Platform
A Leading E-Commerce Platform
Cdiscount is the largest local e-commerce platform in France, operating across 21 categories that cover nearly every aspect of daily life. It is also one of the most popular shopping platforms in the country, holding a 34% market share in the French e-commerce sector, second only to Amazon France.
High Customer Spending, Few Chinese Sellers
Cdiscount was one of the first European e-commerce platforms to open its doors to Chinese sellers. Currently, Chinese sellers account for only about one-fourth of the total number of sellers on the platform. It’s sometimes an interesting thing to see the features of Cdiscount platform from a Chinese shipping company. Despite this relatively small proportion, the platform sees high customer spending per order. Similar to Amazon, Cdiscount offers its own fulfillment service, known as FBC (Fulfillment by Cdiscount), which facilitates efficient distribution.
Extensive Product Categories and Online-Offline Integration
Cdiscount boasts a wide variety of product categories, catering to nearly every aspect of daily life. These categories include:
- DVDs, books, and music
- Computers and photography equipment
- Telephones and audiovisual devices
- Home appliances and furniture
- Wines (including red wine and other types)
- Gourmet foods
- Fashion accessories and cosmetics
- Baby products, pet supplies, luggage, and musical instruments
This extensive range of products, combined with the platform’s ability to integrate online and offline resources, makes Cdiscount a comprehensive marketplace for consumers.
Significant Revenue and Traffic
Cdiscount has a thriving ecosystem with impressive growth metrics:
- 13 million registered users
- A GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) growth rate of 13.6%
- Active traffic growth of 10.8%
- Organic traffic growth of 80%
Cdiscount is recognized as the best-optimized e-commerce website for SEO in France, and it ranks as the fastest-growing e-commerce site in SEO rankings. This strong SEO performance drives substantial traffic and orders for sellers on the platform.
Innovative Marketing and Promotion Tools
Cdiscount offers a variety of marketing and promotional tools to help sellers increase visibility and attract customers. These tools include:
- Automated marketing campaigns to target customers through search engine optimization.
- A range of promotional banners tailored to meet sellers’ needs.
- Real-time monitoring of marketing performance, providing intuitive insights into ROI.
- French holiday promotions, which allow sellers to capitalize on local shopping festivals.
These tools enable sellers to enhance their exposure and reach a broader audience.
Advanced Overseas Warehousing
Cdiscount provides a dedicated overseas warehousing solution. Chinese sellers can send their products to FBC warehouses, which ensures faster delivery, meets the timeliness requirements of logistics, and resolves common cross-border shipping challenges in France. This system significantly improves the efficiency and reliability of logistics for Chinese sellers.
Excellent Customer Satisfaction
As the leading e-commerce platform in France, Cdiscount enjoys a stellar reputation for customer satisfaction. Key performance metrics include:
- An on-time delivery rate exceeding 98.6%.
- A dispute rate of less than 0.5%.
This strong reputation, combined with a well-developed system, helps cross-border sellers establish trust and seize more business opportunities in the French market.
Sea Freight Dedicated Lines to European Union and UK
Cdiscount’s FBC Shipping: VAT Policy and Customs Policies
Cdiscount’s FBC (Fulfillment by Cdiscount) service is a major advantage for Chinese sellers looking to expand their business in France. It simplifies logistics, improves delivery speed, and ensures a better customer experience. However, as with any cross-border shipping solution, understanding VAT policies and customs requirements is critical to success. Below is an overview of key points regarding shipping from China to FBC. Apparently, FBC is one of the features of Cdiscount platform.
What is FBC?
FBC (Fulfillment by Cdiscount) is Cdiscount’s fulfillment service, similar to Amazon’s FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). Sellers can send their inventory to Cdiscount’s dedicated warehouses in France, and the platform takes care of storage, order processing, packaging, and delivery to customers.
Using FBC helps sellers meet the high standards of French consumers, such as fast delivery and reliable service. As a result, sellers using FBC often experience higher customer satisfaction and better sales performance.
VAT Policy for Sellers
When selling in France or anywhere in the European Union (EU), Value-Added Tax (VAT) compliance is mandatory. For Chinese sellers using FBC, the VAT policy is particularly important to understand:
VAT Registration
Chinese sellers shipping products to FBC warehouses in France must register for a French VAT number. This is because storing goods in France creates a taxable presence, even if the seller is not based in the EU.
VAT registration can be done via the French tax authorities or through VAT service providers who specialize in assisting foreign sellers.
VAT Rates
The standard VAT rate in France is 20%, but reduced rates (e.g., 10%, 5.5%) may apply to certain products like books or food items. Sellers must determine the correct VAT rate for their products.
VAT Filling:
Once registered, sellers are required to file periodic VAT returns in France. These returns must detail the VAT collected on sales and the VAT paid on imports or other business expenses.
OSS (One-stop Shop)
If sellers are shipping to other EU countries from the FBC warehouse, they may be eligible to use the OSS (One-Stop Shop) system. This simplifies VAT reporting for cross-border sales within the EU.
Customs and Import Duties
When shipping goods from China to Cdiscount’s FBC warehouses in France, sellers must comply with French and EU customs regulations. Here are the key points to consider:
Customs Declaration:
All shipments sent to FBC warehouses must include a customs declaration. Sellers must provide accurate information about the products, including their value, weight, and HS code (Harmonized System code).
The customs declaration is essential for calculating duties and taxes.
Import Duties:
Import duties are charged based on the product type and its declared value. The rate varies depending on the HS code of the product.
Sellers should check the EU Common Customs Tariff to determine the applicable duty rates for their products.
Import VAT:
In addition to import duties, sellers must pay Import VAT when goods enter France. The Import VAT rate is the same as the French VAT rate (usually 20%).
Import VAT can often be reclaimed later when filing VAT returns, provided the seller is VAT-registered in France.
EORI Number:
Sellers must also obtain an EORI (Economic Operator Registration and Identification) number to import goods into the EU. This number is used to track and identify businesses during customs processes.
Incoterms:
When shipping to FBC, sellers must choose the appropriate Incoterms (International Commercial Terms) for their shipments. For example, using DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) ensures that all customs duties and taxes are paid upfront, avoiding delays at the border.
Air Freight Dedicated Lines to European Union and UK
