Cdiscount: Complete file on this French Marketplace

The flagship of online commerce in France, Cdiscount represents much more than a simple distance selling site. Owned by a consumer goods group, it has become a veritable virtual market on a global scale. Internet users from 4 continents can find a wide range of goods and services there. This article invites you to discover more details on the tricolor equivalent of Amazon and Ali-Baba.

Wide ranges of products and competitive prices are the soul of Cdiscount

Listed on the Paris stock exchange, Cdiscount is a company under French law. Its head office is in Bordeaux. Online commerce is its core business. That said, shipping goods across a multitude of countries has allowed it to develop other branches, including logistics. Managed by parent company Cnova, its sprawling network covers France, but also Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Travel and energy are among his favorite areas.

The name Cdiscount alludes to sales. In fact, this company offers discounts almost all year round. She strives to keep her prices as competitive as possible. This even constitutes its trademark. Then, this online merchant grants some additional benefits to customers subscribed to its various loyalty programs. There are in particular promo codes with a significant reduction at checkout.

It was a family business trading used CDs

The evolution of Cdiscount is best understood through its history. In 1998, when Web 2.0 was still in its infancy, the e-commerce site started its business by selling used DVDs. At the origin of this initiative, the brothers Hervé, Christophe and Nicolas Charles have always sought to develop the site. The offer catalog expanded to include technological products from 2001.

The company opened a store in Bordeaux in 2006. This physical store is dedicated to the best sellers on the site. The family business continued its growth by tackling household appliances in 2007. That same year, it began to offer wine and furniture. The shelves were filled more with decorative items and fun merchandise from 2009. A few months later, the group continued to arouse the interest of Internet users thanks to its pragmatism. It provides a single point of contact for all agencies.

A thriving e-commerce site bought by Casino

A shareholder in Cdiscount from the start of the adventure, Casino became a majority shareholder in 2008. In 2011, it added the online sales site to the list of its properties, essentially made up of hypermarkets. This year, the Charles brothers are withdrawing and the mass distribution giant remains sole master on board with 99.6% of the shares. Which leads to some changes in the e-commerce group.

From September 2011, Cdiscount opens its platform to third parties. In other words, individuals and professionals can sell their products there, for a percentage. This marketplace has made it possible to infinitely expand the ranges of goods offered on the brand. The virtual market generates billions of euros and ensures sustainable profitability for Casino.

The catalog of offers on the platform continues to expand

Under the leadership of Casino, the Cdiscount group is constantly seeking to enrich its catalog. For 2016, for example, the brand offers mobile telephony products and services. Food and electricity also appear in the list of its activities as of October 2017. Diversification even leads the company to deploy travel as well as medical services.

For 2021, Cdiscount is expanding its departments with used cars. This new feature is commonly prepared with Arval, a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, specializing in the rental of company vehicles. The vehicle fleet is mainly made up of models registered less than 5 years ago. That said, the brand remains faithful to its vision, that of offering exclusively the cheapest prices on the market.

Good reasons to join this French marketplace

Individuals or professionals have an interest in knowing Cdiscount’s services. The platform offers numerous arguments to convince sellers, but also buyers from all backgrounds, to join its open market.

• Cdiscount is one of the most popular e-commerce sites in France with 11 million unique visitors per month.
• With 8 million active members, its marketplace is number 2 in France. The online sales sector generates 57 billion euros nationally.
• The platform deploys several programs, particularly for businesses. Professionals will be able to offer their goods through 40 distinct categories.
• Using the 3D Secure and FIA-net system, the site is one of the most reliable at the moment. In addition, it is possible to pay several times.

A leading logistics and advertising partner

More than a virtual marketplace, Cdiscount is a godsend for those who escape the hassle of logistics. Online selling becomes easier thanks to the Fulfillment program. This service includes storage of the goods, packaging before shipping as well as delivery. This avoids having several contacts along the distribution circuit. Reduced, beneficiaries will be able to concentrate on retaining their customers and promoting their own product ranges. Cdiscount even manages returns.

Called Pole Position Plan or PPP, Cdiscount’s advertising network offers digital visibility to sellers. A real strategy, it includes several solutions to reach the target audience. The customer pays according to their expectations and the brand takes care of digital communication. In addition to a strong presence on social networks (1.7 million fans on Facebook), the group invests in traditional media. The broadcast of advertising spots, radio announcements and insertions in the newspaper have a positive influence on sales.

Some privileges for premium customers

Sellers are not the only ones to benefit from Cdiscount. Its open market allows consumers to benefit from various advantages. The site has a program that echoes Amazon Prime. Offered at 29 euros per year, the Cdiscount unlimited or CDAV offer ensures accelerated receipt of orders. It gives the right to exclusives for bargain hunters.

The 29 euros can be amortized thanks to discounts. This membership fee is covered by promo codes. Other privileges such as unlimited access to an online press are offered. There is also the possibility of free and faster delivery than the competition. Goods purchased on the site before 2 p.m. may arrive at the customer’s home the next morning, regardless of their address in France.

Other benefits and additional services for members

Cdiscount Famille is yet another loyalty program from the French e-commerce group. Subscription remains free for customers already benefiting from the CDAV. Which triggers several bonuses. Any purchase of more than 8 euros allows you to have priority during events such as promotional campaigns or events. It paves the way for special discounts on household goods in the “Unbeatable” category. In short, it’s the right solution to save on the price of diapers, toys and other children’s items.

The group has dedicated customer support. The latter grants preferential treatment to members. Requests can be made directly in the CDAV space. It is also the best place to benefit from personalized support and individual order management. In other words, the brand does not make anyone wait for a long time on the phone when making complaints.

Cdiscount is also the subject of much controversy

As with many large companies, Cdiscount has also experienced some concerns in terms of data confidentiality. In February 2021, one of its senior officials was indicted for misappropriating sensitive information concerning 33 million customers. Some of the personal information was resold to professional sites. Which confirms the controversy launched by the NGO Noyb in 2019.

During an appearance at the Bordeaux public prosecutor’s office, the company executive was prosecuted for breach of trust and fraud. The file in the hands of the investigating judge mentions 124,000 names and contact details that can be downloaded from a site dedicated to this purpose. The brand still reassured the general public that no banking data was revealed since it does not keep this type of information. In any case, similar accusations also concerned Vanity Fair and AlloCiné. Nobody is perfect!

Cdiscount: Everything you need to know about the French e-retailer

Cdiscount is a French e-commerce company headquartered in Bordeaux.

It is present on four continents: Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Cdiscount, which belongs to the Casino company and is listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, specializes in mass commerce and offers a diversified range of products, integrating high-tech, fashion, household appliances, furniture and books .

The Casino group also owns Cnova, the parent company.

Understanding the history of Cdiscount

The beginning

Brothers Hervé, Christophe and Nicolas Charle launched the e-commerce site Cdiscount.com in December 1998 as a modest seller of old CDs and DVDs.

In 2001, the company launched into the sale of technological products, then household appliances in 2007, wine the following year, furniture and decoration a year later, and games and children’s products in 2009.

Cdiscount opened its first store in Bordeaux in 2006, offering a range of the site’s best-sellers.

In each of the group’s agencies, a single point of contact has been set up since 2010.

After its acquisition by Casino

It should be noted that the Casino group took a stake in Cdiscount in 2000.

Eight years later, the group controlled 79.6% of Casino’s capital through direct and indirect participations.

However, it was not until 2011 that Casino bought the Charles brothers’ shares, bringing the group’s stake to 99.6%.

In September 2011, the company created a third-party marketplace, which is now known as Cdiscount Marketplace.

The company’s goal is to increase revenue by expanding its product portfolio.

That year, Party Dealer’s sales exceeded one billion euros.

Cdiscount, for its part, continues to aim for long-term profitability.

Cdiscount began extending its service coverage to mobile phones in 2016, electricity in October 2017, travel in 2018 and medical care in 2019.

Used automobiles were added to the site’s offering of goods and services in January 2021.

Cdiscount Used Cars is the result of a collaboration between Arval and Cdiscount Used Cars.

It is a long-standing company of the BNP Paribas Group, with a car rental company and a used car fleet, which was registered less than 5 years ago.

The Cdiscount marketplace

How Cdiscount works

Cdiscount is currently the second largest online sales market in France.

After ten years of existence, the platform is now open to external sellers.

Of course, these are aimed at consumers looking for low-cost products, which is the demographic chosen by the site.

What Cdiscount offers for professionals

One of the most visited e-commerce sites in France

France has an e-commerce market of 57 billion euros.

With 8 million active users and 11 million monthly unique visits, Cdiscount is one of the most visited sites in France, making this platform ideal for entering the market.

The good news for businesses is that Cdiscount offers a diverse selection of products in more than 40 distinct categories.

Competitive prices and attractive payment terms

In addition to competitive commission rates, Cdiscount uses FIA-net and 3D Secure technologies to ensure the security of all customer payments.

The majority of French consumers choose to pay in several installments.

Cdiscount, in reaction to this trend, offers payment in four steps without harming the seller.

Use Cdiscount Fulfillment to simplify logistics

It is possible to use the Cdiscount Fulfillment service as a Cdiscount distributor.

This service frees you from the burden of storing, packaging and delivering products.

This solution relieves you of logistical responsibilities and allows you to concentrate on making sales, retaining customers and advertising your items.

In addition, Cdiscount takes care of all customer difficulties related to the delivery or return of products, and takes care of customer relationship management (which can be long and costly).

Boost visibility on online media

Another advantage of selling on Cdiscount is the increase in media and online visibility.

With more than 1.7 million fans on Facebook, the company has a strong presence on social media.

It also regularly invests in television, radio and print advertising to boost its visibility and the success of its sales team.

If you use Cdiscount to develop your business, you will also benefit from this lever of increased sales.

Pole Position Plan

Cdiscount Pole Position Plan (PPP) is an on-platform advertising service for resellers.

The objective is to increase the visibility of your communication on the site.

Sellers and Cdiscount agree on a goal and receive a series of personalized solutions to help them achieve their goals through this program.

The Cdiscount program at will

The Cdiscount at will program, which costs 29 euros per year, allows customers to receive their goods quickly and benefit from exclusive discounts in order to get even more good deals.

This service is of course very similar to Amazon Prime.

This program allows you to amortize your subscription by placing a few orders each year.

However, by taking advantage of other accessible privileges, such as members-only discount codes, access to the online press is endless.

Fast, free and unlimited delivery

If they confirm their order before 2 p.m., Cdiscount members can have it delivered the next morning to their home, anywhere in mainland France.

Discounts all year round

If Cdiscount is known for its regularly displayed low prices, the e-retailer reserves a little more for participants in its unlimited program.

Indeed, CDAV members regularly benefit from it.

The promo code is personalized for them and allows them to benefit from a reduction during checkout.

In addition, Cdiscount Voyages and Cdiscount Énergie continue to offer reductions.

During the sales period, optional Cdiscount partner customers can benefit from additional discounts.

Cdiscount Family

Cdiscount members have the option of using the Cdiscount Family service for parents and children.

You can benefit from a bonus if you subscribe to the platform for free as a CDAV member.

By purchasing 8 euros for each event, you benefit from great savings on household items in the « unbeatable » section.

Diapers, toys, learning tools and other products ideal for all ages benefit from deep discounts.

Dedicated customer support

Members of the Cdiscount advantage plan are not ordinary consumers because they have their own customer service.

This customer service is easily accessible from your CDAV space.

It allows you to obtain privileged assistance in the management of orders and products received.

This will allow you to escape the high wait times of normal customer support and benefit from greater VIP treatment thanks to Cdiscount in the following cases.

Data controversies at CDiscount

Data theft by a manager

At the beginning of February 2021, a senior Cdiscount executive working on the Cestas site (Gironde) was prosecuted.

He is suspected of having stolen the personal information of 33 million customers, at least part of which was then resold on professional sites.

The Cdiscount warehouse worker was referred to the public prosecutor’s office on February 1 and presented to the investigating judge after his incarceration, according to a press release from the Bordeaux public prosecutor’s office to AFP.

Between October 1, 2020 and January 30, 2021, the executive was accused of fraudulent collection of data from the automated processing system, breach of trust and fraud against the interests of Cdiscount.

While there are uncertainties about the use of the data, one discovery stands out: a database containing approximately 124,000 names.

These appear to correspond to the files used by Cdiscount customer service and have been available for download on a dedicated site since mid-January 2021.

Nevertheless, Cdiscount has confirmed and unequivocally maintained that the event had no impact on banking data, and the company does not hold any banking data of its customers.

Unconsented recording of user data

Another controversy has undermined consumer confidence in Cdiscount.

Thus, the NGO Noyb accused the site in 2019 of collecting internet users’ data without their explicit consent.

In reality, it was a leak from the GDPR, promulgated a year earlier.

In this case, the e-retailer was not the only one to be judged.

Thus, we discovered two well-known websites alongside it: Vanity Fair and AlloCiné.

Octopia: a platform dedicated to marketplace solutions

Cdiscount presented its new marketplace creation tool at LSA.

Octopia, as it is called, has been in place since January 2021, but its official launch took place on April 1 of the same year.

It is primarily aimed at a European audience.

Octopia positions itself as a marketplace solution that combines product sourcing and logistics services.

Its potential lies in the services it offers to support sellers in expanding their activities.

Octopia has a technical module necessary for configuring the marketplace.

This module allows retailers to increase their online sales.

This portal provides access to the management of numerous articles.

The objective of these services is to make life easier for traders by avoiding time-consuming and unrewarding chores.

So they can focus on business matters.

Merchants will be able to integrate logistics services for their third-party sellers in addition to being assisted in the design of their marketplace.

In terms of payment, this infrastructure is remunerated by product margins.

Thus, the Octopia service makes it possible to significantly increase the capacity of the merchant site.

Cdiscount and artificial intelligence

Cdiscount uses artificial intelligence to offer the highest level of service to its consumers.

Machine learning techniques are applied to textual descriptions of products to automatically predict their categories.

Image recognition, on the other hand, is used to categorize products based on their appearance.

The company also uses artificial intelligence to personalize the consumer experience, especially when it comes to product recommendations.

Cdiscount uses AI to duplicate individualized service on a large scale, in the same way that a salesperson advises consumers in a store.

First, the Kameleoon Predict platform collects data on visitor intent.

This could be based on the pages they view or their geolocation.

Other data sources, such as CRM and DMP, can also be integrated.

Then, AI can evaluate and interpret the data to identify correlations between visits.

This makes it possible to calculate in real time the chances of conversion for each of them.

A graphical editor is then used to generate personalization activities such as pop-ins or page edits.

These personalization activities will be launched automatically based on the progress of the visitor’s purchasing intent.

This technology is widely used at Cdiscount to personalize the site’s home page.

Predictive algorithms, for example, are used to personalize the presentation of offers based on the visitor’s interest in specific product categories.

Likewise, artificial intelligence is used to deliver individualized advertisements based on each visitor’s purchasing intent.

Coupons are issued exclusively to prudent customers recognized by algorithms, thanks to AI.

The ultimate goal is to persuade them to make a purchase.

Cdiscount was able to increase the return on investment of its promotional efforts by at least three times thanks to this predictive method.

Sales are also adapted based on visitor interest in a given product category.

The click-through rate on these targeted sales increases by 20% compared to a mass campaign.

Predictive algorithms, which can detect each visitor’s sensitivity to a type of message, are also used to tailor messages for urgency and social proof.

This results in a 5% increase in conversion.

The Lab by Cdiscount: an innovation laboratory dedicated to marketing and Data

Cdiscount, as an avant-garde company, wishes to support startups in their growth.

In 2017, the company created The Warehouse, a dedicated supply chain incubator.

Then, in 2019, there will be “The Lab”, which will be dedicated to marketing and data.

The objective of this program is to collaborate in the development of marketing solutions that are both effective and responsible in order to respond to the difficulties of tomorrow’s e-commerce.

Initially, solutions on three themes were developed: the retail experience and new modes of consumption, participatory and community commerce, and local and eco-responsible consumption.

The initiatives selected by the Lab receive personalized help from Cdiscount professionals as well as access to data collected by the e-commerce giant.

The failure of Cdiscount Cloud

Cdiscount, the French e-commerce giant, is following Amazon’s example.

However, if Jeff Bezos’ company was initially focused on online commerce, it is its Amazon Web Services branch dedicated to Cloud Computing which currently generates the biggest revenues.

Cdiscount attempted to join this market in 2016 with Cdiscount Cloud, an unlimited Cloud storage solution which was immediately integrated into its Cdiscount à Volonté offer.

As a reminder, the subscription to this offer is 19 euros per year and entitles you to free shipping and daily offers.

For its part, the Cdiscount Cloud service offered unlimited photo storage on all user devices, as well as 20 GB for all other kinds of information.

This service is the result of a collaboration with the French company Oodrive.

The main feature of this service was data hosting which was only available in France.

Unfortunately for Cdiscount, the cloud storage market is already extremely crowded.

Major players include Amazon, Google, Apple iCloud, Dropbox and Box.net.

As a result, Cdiscount Cloud has never really established itself as a market leader.

On October 11, 2018, the service was removed from the Cdiscount à Volonté offer, and the data was completely destroyed on November 12.

Cdiscount uses Snowflake and Microsoft Azure to store its data in the Cloud

In its early days, Cdiscount began by placing its data in a traditional data warehouse.

However, as the company’s data volume grew rapidly, it was forced to expand its systems.

For example, in 2014 it created a Big Data platform based on Hadoop to hold the largest data sets from sources such as traffic and search engines.

The company gradually discovered itself with a complex ecosystem and data duplicated across multiple platforms.

With a huge number of competing users, access to data became more difficult to govern.

Cdiscount plans to consolidate its analytical platforms in 2019.

The goal was to achieve both simplicity and scalability.

After the company’s CIOs explored the many options available, the decision was made to use Snowflake’s cloud data warehouse platform with Microsoft Azure hosting.

This solution allows granular allocation of IT resources while using auto-scaling to guarantee SLAs on important tasks.

Snowflake also includes features that help minimize administration time.

On Snowflake, IT segmented the environment into 36 silos with the goal of documenting and clarifying data.

These different silos correspond to the functional areas of the company: logistics, transport, ordering… each silo has a business equivalent.

During the Big Data 2020 show, Cdiscount’s data manager admitted that the process was more delicate than expected.

Data management, particularly lineage, posed difficulties.

This migration required more than six months of work.

The Casino subsidiary, whose turnover increased by 1.4% in 2020, is seeking to accelerate by monetizing its platform.

Cdiscount, Amazon’s long-time competitor in France, has decided to take a detour in order to reach a new level of success.
The Casino subsidiary, which holds a maximum market share of 8% in the online commerce sector, compared to 22% for the American giant, is launching into an activity of… seller of sellers on the Internet.

With 13,000 external merchants already selling their items on its site, the company’s marketplace is expected to see significant growth in the years to come.
After representing 38.2% of the total business volume a year ago, it now represents 43.6%, according to figures announced on Thursday February 18.
Cdiscount’s turnover will increase by 1.4% in 2020, to reach 2.2 billion euros.
Its losses, although created due to considerable technical expenses, were reduced to 15.7 million euros (compared to 61.6 million in 2019).

If you run a huge e-commerce site, the marketplace is the holy grail in terms of profitability.
Inventory does not represent a barrier to cash flow because it belongs to the sellers, and the company receives money through sales commissions as well as the purchase of keywords so that the products are featured on search engines.
“The greater the number of consumers, the greater the number of rushing sellers, and the greater the number of sellers, the greater the number of customers.
Once the snowball starts rolling, the momentum is really favorable,” according to one industry member.

A 12-13% commission is typical.

Cdiscount charges a commission of between 12 and 13% on each merchandise sold on its website.
When external merchants purchase its delivery solution by storing their items in its 500,000 square meters of logistics facilities (one third of the total market area), the site standardizes the service that is given.
In the words of Emmanuel Grenier, CEO of Cdiscount, “A marketplace becomes powerful when it is able to quickly deliver to the customer.”