Smartphones dominate online shopping device usage in France in 2026, with a clear majority of both women and men reaching for their phones first. Women show a notably stronger preference, with 62% citing the smartphone as their primary shopping device, compared to 53% of men — a nine-percentage-point gap that underscores the channel's particular resonance among female shoppers.
Computers remain a meaningful alternative, especially for men. Some 43% of male online shoppers rely most often on a desktop or laptop, versus 32% of women — an eleven-point difference that represents the widest gender gap across all devices measured. This suggests men are more likely to favour the larger screen and keyboard environment when making purchases online.
Tablets account for a marginal share of primary shopping activity, with just 4% of men and 5% of women selecting them as their go-to device. The near-identical figures across genders indicate tablets occupy a niche role regardless of demographic, sitting well behind both smartphones and computers in the French online shopping landscape.
