Rethink Mobile: Behaviour Beats Downloads

French brands are moving from chasing installs to mastering the real customer journey,  blending data, trust and behaviour insights to turn browsers into loyalists.

“For years, traditional French companies talked about “going digital”. But now they’re getting serious about putting mobile at the heart of how they connect with customers,” says Sarah Maina, Regional Manager, Middle East & France at AppsFlyer.

Forget mobile as a channel, it’s fast becoming the front door to the entire customer experience in the region. But if you think downloads and push notifications are enough to drive conversions here, think again.

Ecommerce, travel, retail, even banking, sectors with traditionally strong in-store habits, are leaning harder into mobile as a way to create stickier, more meaningful relationships. In a market known for tight privacy rules and savvy shoppers, that relationship matters more than ever.

“This market is at a crucial inflection point,” says Sarah Maina, Regional Manager, Middle East & France at AppsFlyer. “It’s not just about having an app anymore. It’s about making that app the primary channel for engagement, service, and conversion.”

Understanding real customer behaviour is now mission-critical. Here’s where French brands are digging deep, uncovering the subtle behavioural signals that reshape how journeys are planned, measured, and optimised.

The Cart Is Not the Checkout

One behavioural quirk brands can’t ignore? French customers love filling carts but not always finishing them. But here’s the catch.

“Mobile, for many, is a tool for discovery rather than decision-making. It’s not uncommon for users to fill their cart as a way to bookmark products, compare prices, or build a wishlist — without necessarily planning to buy right away. This doesn’t mean they’ve completely abandoned the sale,” Sarah points out. 

So, is cart abandonment really abandonment or just part of the journey? The French approach it like a mood board. Many shoppers still complete the final purchase on desktop or in-store, especially for higher-value items. Control, trust, and a preference for bigger screens all play a role.

For marketers, that means the cart can’t be treated as the finish line. It’s a signal, not a stop sign. Sarah advises, “Treat the cart as part of the broader decision-making journey, not the finish line. Simplify the checkout flow, build trust, and look at the full cross-device path to purchase. It comes back to the point I made earlier about needing to understand the customer lifecycle, and is also why retention, re-engagement, and measuring incrementality are all so critical today.”

Are French consumers more likely to browse on mobile but convert elsewhere? Absolutely but it varies by industry.

In luxury retail, mobile is where the journey starts. “Given the influence of social media here, users browse, get inspired, and maybe even engage with brand content online. But they’ll often complete the purchase in a boutique,” Sarah explains. There’s still something irreplaceable about the in-store experience.

So how should brands adapt their attribution strategies in this context?

Closing the Attribution Gap

Last-click attribution won’t cut it anymore.” True. 
France’s hybrid path-to-purchase means brands can’t stick with last-click logic. They have to bridge the gap between screens and between online and offline.

“What smart brands are doing is using tech to bridge that gap,” says Maina. Loyalty programmes that connect browsing with in-store visits, QR codes that loop physical and digital worlds together. These are the new rules of attribution.

And data? Well, a lot of brands have access to rich datasets, but still struggle to translate those insights into action, according to Sarah. Advanced tools like audience segmentation, incrementality testing, and even retail media integration come into play. 

From Growth-at-All-Costs to Experience-First

In 2025, France’s brands are waking up to a more sustainable reality: it’s all about relationships. And it’s long overdue. 

“We’re seeing French brands step back from the old ‘just get the download’ mindset. Now, it’s more about: Did we get the right user? Are they sticking around? Are they happy?” says Maina.

“There’s a real emphasis on quality over quantity. Lifetime value, retention rates, and churn are now the metrics that matter. And that’s changing how teams work, too. Product, marketing, and data teams are aligning more closely around experience rather than volume.”

That shift is re-centreing lifetime value, retention, and churn as real performance metrics not just downloads or impressions.

The Big Lesson? Behaviour Drives Everything

From cautious buyers to multi-device journeys, French consumers are sending clear signals: know your audience, respect their habits, and meet them where they are — not where you wish they’d be.

The mobile revolution in France signals a broader redefinition of success: sustainable growth rooted in strong user relationships. Putting the user experience at the centre of measurement and strategy is how brands here are building more resilient, trusted mobile ecosystems.

“Brands seeing the most success are the ones who simplify. They focus on a few key metrics, translate them into real strategies, and build from there. It’s not about having more data, it’s about knowing what to do with it,” adds Sarah.

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