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Summary of our market study
The French used car market is estimated at 100 billion euros and between 5 and 6 million vehicles
The global used car market is estimated at 1,580 billion USD for over 100 million vehicles.
In France, used car sales volumes exceed new vehicle sales by a ratio of more than 3. The market is estimated at between 5 and 6 million vehicles. 5.3 million new vehicles were registered in 2023
Over 80% of French households own at least one vehicle, and around 30% own several
Online platforms play an important role, with Aramisauto and Le Bon Coin leading the way.
The French market is faced with a trend for professional channels to gain ground on private sales, as well as a diversification and rejuvenation of the range of vehicles available.
Auctions remain a niche market for older and collectible models
Analysis of demand trends in the used car market
. However, there are disparities between urban and rural areas, with the latter boasting higher car ownership rates.
Vehicle price is a primary consideration for around 80% of buyers, along with mileage and general condition
An overwhelming majority of used car buyers using online resources during their buying journey.
Key players in the French used car market
- Le Bon Coin has established itself as one of the leading private sales platforms for used cars in France.
- la Centrale is another key player in the French used car market.
- Aramisauto: France's undisputed leader in online used car sales
- Auto-infos and Argus are two entities that provide resources and information to the used car market.
- Reezocar: online car sales
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Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Definition and scope of study
A vehicle is said to be used when it has been in use for more than 6 months (from the date of first registration) and driven more than 6,000 km.
Worldwide, the used car market is booming (compound annual growth rate of 7%), driven in particular by growth in the United States, which is enjoying a compound annual growth rate of almost 8%. France also boasts a strong market with sales volumes of used vehicles 2 to 3 times higher than those of new vehicles.
The used car market experienced a period of growth from 2012 to 2019, with the number of used car registrations rising by 7%, and a major peak in 2021, the culmination of the Covid effect with almost 4 times as many newly registered used cars as new cars. A number of factors contribute to the dynamic demand for used vehicles, not least the economic benefits of a used car being sold at a lower price. Nevertheless, after a record year in 2021, the market is struggling to return to growth. In 2023, registrations were down by 13%. Several factors explain these difficulties: a difficult economic context with soaring prices, an ageing fleet... Nevertheless, the ratio of used cars to new cars registered remains around 3.
The used car market has been revolutionized by the arrival of the Internet, enabling it to re-invent itself. There are now some twenty physical and digital players in the market, and over half of used car buyers have done their research on the Internet beforehand. When it comes to online sales of second-hand cars, Aramisauto is the leader in France, with which PSA has been associated since 2015. Aramisauto's particularity has made it a success: this market player buys used vehicles, maintains them and puts them back on sale.
The used vehicle market is unique in that it covers only the resale of vehicles between private individuals or through professional resellers. This means you need to take precautions regarding the condition of the vehicle (mechanical condition), as well as its origin (tampered with, stolen), to avoid becoming a victim of fraud. This is why many people are gradually turning to professional dealers for greater security. Today, the trend is towards electric vehicles, although the purchase of electric vehicles is still very much concentrated on the new-build market.
1.2 The global and European used vehicle market
According to a report by research site Precedenceresearch, the used car segment will reach a market size of *,*** billion USD by ****. This result is the culmination of several years of growth. Indeed, demand for used cars in developing countries continues to grow, while supply is increasing. Asia-Pacific now joins the historical ...
1.3 National market: mixed decline in used vehicle registrations
The website of the French Ministry of Ecological Transition reports data on vehicle registrations. In ****, *.* million used cars were registered in France. In comparison, only *.* million new car registrations were recorded. In ****, therefore, there were almost three times as many used cars purchased as new cars.This trend became much more ...
1.4 Foreign trade in used vehicles
International trade: There is a clear trend towards exports of used vehicles from developed to less developed or developing countries. This trend is notably influenced by the fact that, in these importing countries, environmental standards are not as stringent as in developed countries. Car fleets that are no longer allowed to ...
1.5 The impact of Covid-19: a boon for the market?
According to an article by Capcar, the used car market performed very well after the first confinement. Used cars have always been popular with the French, and are becoming an increasingly attractive solution. In June ****, after the first decontainment, a **.*% rise in the number of used cars sold was recorded, followed ...
2 Demand analysis
2.1 Used vehicles star of demand
Data from the French Ministry of the Environment and Ecological Transition enable us to establish which types of used vehicles are experiencing the greatest increase in demand.
*since January *, ****, vehicles with fewer than ** seats have been counted as passenger cars. ** VASP: Specialized Self-Propelled Vehicles*** Trailers with GVW > * tonnes; registrations of ...
2.2 Household motorization and used car purchasing factors (price, mileage, etc.)
Household motorization
Share of motorized households France, ****-****, % of total Source: ****
The proportion of motorized households in France has been rising since the turn of the century, and will continue to do so until ****. In ****, **.*% of French households had at least one vehicle, compared with **.*% in **** and **.*% in ****. Leaving aside the ...
2.3 Behavior of used car buyers
Which car brand is best?
In ****, according to an OpinionWay survey, Peugeot tops the list of the French people's favorite car brands, followed by Renault and Audi. The top * favorite brands were as follows:
Peugeot Renault Audi Citroën BMW
It's clear that French brands are well known among the public, ...
2.4 Electrics gain ground
New trends are changing demand and the used vehicle market. The democratization, albeit still in its infancy, of electric and hybrid vehicles is already beginning to make itself felt on the second-hand market; although it is mainly affecting new vehicles.
Breakdown of used vehicle sales by energy France, ****, in Source: ****
Sales ...
3 Market structure
3.1 The brands most present in used car sales
French brands :
Brand penetration by origin in the used vehicle market France, september ****, % Source: ****
French brands are gradually losing their dominance of the used car market. In ****, they already accounted for just **.**% of registrations on the market, which was already down -*.*% in volume terms on ****, but they were still in ...
3.2 Several sales channels compete for market share
Only the automotive market in its entirety by sales channel is available, giving an idea of car customers, even if it could conceivably be different for used cars:
Automotive market by sales channel France, August ****, in percent Source: ****
The chart is based on sales in the first * months of ****. at that ...
3.3 Used car distribution channels
Source: ****
C*C sales habits are changing. While the value of the property was for a long time the main criterion for the seller when reselling, it is now relegated to second place. In ****, people are looking for convenience above all else. in fact, **% of those surveyed prefer unencumbered transactions when ...
3.4 The Internet: an integral part of the used car buying process
In recent years, the Internet has taken on a central role in the used-vehicle buying process, either because it is widely used as a source of information and comparison, or as the final purchasing platform (***).
Distribution platforms
Among the latest developments in used-vehicle distribution platforms is ParuVendu.fr, which has just ...
4 Offer analysis
4.1 The ageing of the used vehicle fleet
As the years go by, the used car fleet continues to age. In ****, the average age of the fleet was * years, rising to **.* years by **** [***].
Breakdown of used car fleet by age France, ****, % Source: ****
In ****, sales of older used cars increased. Sales of vehicles between * and ** years old continued to grow ...
4.2 Wide price differentials between different used vehicle segments
The consumer price index for used cars :
Used car consumer price index France, ****-****, base *** in **** Source: ****
The selling price of used cars has seen two peaks over the past ** years, one in **** and the other in **** (***). After a period of stability in the CPI for used cars, the index began ...
4.3 Supply trends: used electrics
In ****, **% of respondents to the Kantar - AramisAuto survey planned to acquire a "hybrid or electric" vehicle. Among those intending to buy a used vehicle, this percentage drops to **%.
Electric vehicle purchase drivers France, ****, in percent Source: ****
Barriers to buying an electric vehicle France, ****, in c Source: ****
While the reduction of ...
4.4 The new market in trouble, an advantage for the second-hand market?
Although the new car market saw some growth in ****, over the long term it is struggling to regain momentum, with only *% of households buying a new car each year in ****, compared with *% in the mid-****s[***].
Various factors are causing the new car market to experience difficulties, allowing the used car ...
5 Regulations
5.1 The Conversion Bonus
The "Prime à la conversion" is a government subsidy designed to encourage the replacement of old vehicles. This aid is paid up to a limit of one per person until January*, ****, when purchasing a low-polluting vehicle if the old vehicle is sent for scrapping. The conditions for awarding the Conversion Bonus have ...
5.2 Selling a used vehicle
Regulations governing the sale of used vehicles by professionals
Vehicles for sale must bear a visible label containing the following information:
Sale name: make, type, model, version, month and year of *stregistration; Total mileage covered, if this can be justified by the seller, or odometer reading with the words "not guaranteed"; Sale ...
6 Positioning the players
6.1 Segmentation
- Leboncoin (Adevinta Group)
- ParuVendu.fr
- Aramis Auto Groupe
- Reezocar (Société Générale)
- Spoticar (Stellantis)
- La Centrale Groupe
- Carmax
- Carizy (Renault Groupe)
- Capcar
- Sonic Automotive
- Autotrader
- Simplicicar
- EWIGO France
- Autohero
- Alcopa Auction
- Renault Recyclage Flins
- Enchères VO
- Cazoo
- Auto 1 Vendezvotrevoiture.com
List of charts presented in this market study
- Used car market in value and forecasts
- Average used car prices by country and channel
- Used car market breakdown
- Brand penetration by origin among the top 10 used vehicles
- Breakdown of the top5 used car models preferred by the French
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Latest news
In the face of Vinted, Leboncoin holds its own: a look at the figures - 24/06/2024
- Leboncoin is the 2nd most visited e-commerce site in France, behind Amazon.
- - 26.8 million unique visitors per month in France in the first quarter of 2024.
- - Leboncoin aims to become a European Amazon for second-hand goods
- - Leboncoin buyers: mostly men over 45, with an average of 7.5 purchases per year for a total of €381.
- - Women make 2.8 purchases a year for a total of €110.
- - 20% increase in Leboncoin sales by 2023, surpassing Amazon (+16%) but less than Vinted (+32%).
- - Average shopping basket on Leboncoin: €46, higher than Amazon (€34) and Vinted (€19).
- -Leboncoin customers buy 4.4 times a year, compared with 9.4 times for Vinted.
- - Leboncoin has a 4% market share among a panel of 700,000 people, despite Vinted's sales growth of 61% from 2022 to 2023.
Used cars: Cazoo, the former OM sponsor, placed in receivership - 22/05/2024
- The company employs around 208 people.
- Cazoo was valued at $7 billion when it went public in 2021.
- The company has lost over 99% of its value since its IPO.
- 728 redundancies took place between March 1 and May 17.
- At the end of 2022, Cazoo announces that it will cease operations in the European Union and concentrate on the UK market
- Since March, Cazoo has sold its entire vehicle inventory, repaid its associated loans, and already sold several vehicle repair and collection centers as well as its wholesale division.
Philippe Chainieux at the helm of La Centrale - 28/03/2024
- - Year the company (originally "La Centrale des particuliers") was founded: 1969.
- - Launch of online transaction platform: 1999.
- - Number of vehicles listed on the site: 300,000.
- - Number of unique visitors per month: 7 million.
- - Number of used car sales transactions to private individuals in 2023: 800,000.
- - Number of free quotations: 20 million, covering half the French car fleet.
- - Year of sale to US fund Providence Equity Partners: 2021.
- - Number of company employees: 300, half with technology profiles.
Aramis Auto relies on former consultants - 03/02/2024
- Aramis Group was founded in 2001.
- Aramis Group is present in 6 European countries. Aramis Group went public in 2021.
- The company became a subsidiary of Stellantis with a 60% stake.
- Aramis Group sold 14,000 reconditioned vehicles in 2020.
- Aramis Auto acquired two online used-vehicle sales sites, Onlinecars (sales €168m) and Brumbrum (sales €19m).
- In 2023, Aramis Auto posted sales of over €800 million, up more than 10% on the previous year.
- The company has 750 employees and 33 physical agencies.
- The used car market suffered in 2022, with a decline of 14%.
Leboncoin: a $12 billion bid for the classified ads parent company - 22/11/2023
- A consortium led by Blackstone and Permira has offered 141 billion crowns (12.1 billion euros) to buy Adevinta.
- The transaction values Adevinta at €14 billion.
- In 2021, Adevinta bought eBay's online classifieds business for $9.2 billion.
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the used car market | France
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