The French online commerce has reached a new level in recent years, driven by a European regulatory acceleration and the emergence of artificial intelligence in the purchasing journey. Two recent legislative frameworks, the AI Act and the DSA, are reshaping the rules of the game for merchants. At the same time, buyers’ habits are shifting towards channels driven by AI agents, changing how a product becomes visible.
These underlying movements affect both large marketplaces and small independent shops.
AI Act and transparency obligations for e-commerce sites
Since August 2, 2026, the AI Act imposes transparency obligations on artificial intelligence systems that interact with individuals. Any chatbot, voice assistant, or conversational agent integrated into a purchasing journey must clearly inform the user that they are interacting with an AI.
The requirement does not stop at dialogue. The same European framework mandates the labeling of content generated or manipulated by AI when it can be confused with authentic content. For an online shop that uses synthetic visuals on its product pages, descriptions written by a language model, or videos edited by AI, the question of compliance arises now.
Field feedback varies on this point: some platforms already display explicit mentions (“image generated by AI”), while others are waiting for more precise sectoral guidelines. The available data does not yet allow for measuring the impact of these mentions on customer trust and conversion rates.
To keep up with these regulatory developments and their concrete translation in business strategies, Blog Business news regularly covers changes affecting French digital players.
DSA and new responsibilities for online merchants
The Digital Services Act is not only about web giants. Since February 17, 2024, the DSA applies to many companies operating as intermediary services, including some marketplaces, sites hosting customer reviews, or integrating internal messaging.
In practice, a merchant managing a review space or a community forum on their site can be classified as a host under the DSA. This implies reporting procedures, processing times, and traceability of removed content. The trend is thus towards the professionalization of moderation, even for small structures.
On the other hand, the DMA (Digital Markets Act) does not create direct obligations for SMEs not designated as access controllers. It only applies to large platforms identified by the European Commission. Merchants are not directly targeted by the DMA, but they feel its indirect effects: changes in ranking algorithms, new interoperability rules, and the opening of certain closed ecosystems.
This distinction between DSA and DMA remains poorly understood by some e-merchants, who confuse the two texts and either overestimate or underestimate their respective obligations.
AI agents and product visibility: a changing acquisition channel
The use of AI by consumers to discover products is rapidly increasing. An e-commerce site optimized for Google may become invisible to an AI agent if it does not meet certain data structuring criteria. Compatibility with these new intermediaries is becoming a commercial strategy issue in its own right.
- Product sheets must be structured with data that can be utilized by language models (factual descriptions, standardized attributes, up-to-date prices and availability).
- Authentic and detailed customer reviews seem to carry more weight in AI-generated recommendations than short or generic reviews.
- Presence on multiple marketplaces (Amazon, but also specialized European platforms) increases the chances of being referenced by a conversational agent that aggregates multiple sources.
The French Competition Authority has also begun to take an interest in the role of AI agents in guiding consumer choices, a topic that could lead to new recommendations.
Online sales of fashion and home products: what recent data shows
The fashion and home categories remain among the most dynamic in French online commerce. Online clothing sales continue to grow, but the context has changed. Product returns, which were long free and unlimited, are now subject to increasing restrictions at several retailers.
Specialized marketplaces are gaining ground against generalists in these segments. Buyers of decoration or furniture products are looking for more immersive experiences (augmented reality visualization, 3D configurators), while clothing buyers prefer AI-enhanced size guides to limit returns.
New trends and online business ideas for the coming months
Consulting and online training tailored to the French-speaking audience are among the fastest-structuring activities. The demand for distance-accessible certified training remains strong, supported by public funding schemes.
Affiliate marketing remains a low-investment entry model, but competition is intensifying and average commissions tend to decrease on high-turnover products. Technical niches (specialized tools, high-end sports equipment) offer better margins than saturated categories.
- Virtual assistance for SMEs and freelancers is professionalizing, with packaged offers (administrative management, customer relations, community management).
- Dropshipping via French and European suppliers is gaining credibility compared to Asian circuits, thanks to shorter delivery times and better quality control.
- Regulatory compliance consulting services (DSA, AI Act, GDPR) are becoming a commercial niche in themselves, as the demand from small structures exceeds the available supply.
The European regulatory framework, far from hindering online activity, creates new niches for entrepreneurs capable of translating legal complexity into concrete services. The coming months will reveal whether this dynamic primarily benefits consulting specialists or if it spreads more widely throughout the French e-commerce ecosystem.
