Business France Marketplace: one year of action for exporters

As we live fully in a digital society, and our businesses have an ever-increasing need to make themselves known around the world, in December 2023, Business France launched the bespoke Business France Marketplace, a platform intended for international professional buyers who can access, in just one click, a distillation of the best French products and expertise available for export.

One year later, the Business France Marketplace can present its first results:

•  3,100 French businesses registered
• 30,000 products referenced
• 2,000 products highlighted at events abroad (list of upcoming ones here)
• 200,000+ foreign visitors
• 2,000+ export connections
•  More than 15 products and services categories already covered in food, beverages, well-being, sports and beauty

This success can be explained amongst other things by a strong global trend:

• 80% of global BtoB buyers buy on marketplaces, with the global B2B e-commerce market recording growth of nearly 17% this year.
• 80% of French executives believe in the benefits of digital technology, but only 26% of them have an online sales solution (according to the France Num Survey).

To strengthen the driver of growth represented by export e-commerce, the Business France Marketplace is expanding its offering, opening up three new sectors: healthcare, decoration and clothing. In 2025, new sectors, particularly in industry, will enrich the range of products offered.

The Business France Marketplace is part of the “Dare to Export” plan, unveiled on August 31, 2023, which aims to boost French exports by increasing the number of exporting businesses to 200,000 by 2030. It is one of the flagship solutions of the “digitalization” component of the plan, helping to profoundly change the export culture in France.

Completely free for French businesses and run by Business France teams around the world, the Business France Marketplace offers three principal advantages : 

1.  Increased international profiles, by making products and services accessible to thousands of qualified and certified foreign buyers and by benefiting from individual and collective communication actions carried out by Business France throughout the year.
2.  It is directly contactable by these buyers to develop their sales. Each business can also maintain the link with foreign customers met at trade fairs or during missions to court prospective investors.
3.  Businesses can benefit from a practical and educational platform to digitalize their offer, and advance their employees in the digital transformation. They can also consider extending their digital presence onto other e-commerce platforms.

A few examples:

Thanks to the Business France Marketplace, many “first-time exporters” generate their first export sales. This is the case of Brasserie Caporal, which received its first order in the week it registered!

The most experienced businesses are strengthening their presence abroad and are being contacted by new customers. This is the case of the Ardèche company Concept Fruit, a chestnut specialist (success story here).