The French online commerce has crossed a symbolic threshold by exceeding 200 billion euros in annual revenue. Behind this milestone, online business trends are reshaping around three forces: automation through artificial intelligence, the conquest of foreign markets, and a European regulatory framework that will impose new constraints starting in the summer of 2026.
Agentic commerce: when AI manages the shopping journey
The term agentic commerce refers to a shopping journey in which a generative AI intervenes at several stages, from product search to after-sales service. This is not a classic chatbot that answers frequently asked questions: the AI agent compares, recommends, sometimes negotiates a price, or triggers a return without human intervention.
According to the Fevad 2025 report, 94% of French merchants claim to have adopted generative AI solutions. On the buyer side, nearly one in three online shoppers uses these tools in their journey. The phenomenon affects fashion, electronics, and specialized food alike.
This massive adoption creates a gap between sites that integrate AI into their conversion funnel and those that rely on a static product sheet. To follow business information on C Nouveau, this type of monitoring on commercial automation becomes a useful reflex for SME leaders as well as digital independents.
The risk, however, concerns technological dependency. A merchant who entrusts their customer relationship to a third-party AI agent loses some control over the user experience. Any malfunction or algorithmic bias directly impacts the conversion rate.
Internationalization of French e-commerce businesses
Internationalization has become the number one strategic priority for e-commerce leaders in France. According to Fevad, 46% of leaders place it at the top of their investments, an increase of 17 points compared to 2023. Meanwhile, 73% of French sites now sell abroad, up 4 points year-on-year.
This shift is not limited to translating a site into English. Companies are adapting their payment methods, delivery logistics, and return policies to local habits. A site targeting Germany integrates payment by invoice, while one aiming for Canada prioritizes North American digital wallets.
Concrete barriers to international expansion
Selling abroad involves managing multiple tax obligations (intra-community VAT, customs duties outside the EU) and product standards that vary from country to country. The logistical cost of the last mile internationally remains the most underestimated item by SMEs that are starting out.
- Compliance with VAT rules of the destination country, with different thresholds and rates depending on EU member states
- Adapting customer service in the local language, including managing disputes and returns
- The choice of nearby warehouses or logistics partners capable of delivering within the timelines expected by the target market
Profitable internationalization involves targeting two or three markets, not simultaneous distribution across ten countries. Successful sites concentrate their resources on areas where demand for their product category can be verified through search data.
AI Act and transparency obligations for online commerce
The AI Act (EU regulation 2024/1689) enters a phase of concrete application starting August 2, 2026. For online commerce players, transparency obligations change how a site interacts with its visitors.
Any interaction with a conversational agent or virtual assistant must be indicated as interaction with artificial intelligence from the beginning of the exchange. Texts, images, sounds, and videos generated or modified by AI must carry a label readable by the user.
What this changes for an e-commerce site
A merchant using an AI chatbot on their product page will need to display an explicit notice before any conversation. Product sheets written by generative AI will need to be identified as such, according to the application modalities. Visuals retouched by AI (showing a piece of furniture in a setting, virtual fitting) also fall under this obligation.
- Display a clear notice from the first interaction with an AI-powered chatbot or virtual assistant
- Label content (texts, images, videos) generated or significantly modified by generative AI tools
- Document the AI systems used for product recommendations or price personalization, in order to respond to potential audit requests
Failure to comply with these obligations exposes one to financial penalties as provided by the European regulation. Companies that have already integrated AI into their sales funnel have every interest in auditing their customer journeys before the deadline.
Digital economy and signals to watch in 2026
Beyond AI and internationalization, several signals deserve the attention of digital professionals. Mobile now represents the majority of online transactions in France, prompting merchants to rethink their interfaces around screens smaller than six inches.
The issue of decommercialization, debated in the Senate, also questions the growth model of e-commerce. Some parliamentarians are pushing for stricter regulation of permanent promotions and online overconsumption practices, which could alter merchants’ pricing strategies.
The French online commerce sector is at a technical and regulatory tipping point. Companies that anticipate the constraints of the AI Act while structuring their international expansion have a concrete advantage. Those who wait to see risk having to adapt their systems in a hurry, with the costs that this entails.