Network France
Qualitative market research in France
France has 66.7 million people, 82.4 per cent of them in cities, and 63.4 million internet users, 95.2 per cent of the population (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Qualitative research there works when sessions run in French with a moderator who lives in France, and when Paris is not taken for the whole country. MindMarket runs in-depth interviews, focus groups, mystery shopping and customer intercepts in France with local moderators and one project manager for your whole study, and has sent real car buyers into French dealerships for a car brand.
AT A GLANCE
France at a glance for researchers
- Population. 66.7 million people, median age 42.3, 82.4 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Paris concentrates head offices and wealth; Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux and Toulouse are markets of their own.
- Languages. French, in every session, including with professionals who work in English. Our moderators live in France and work in French, with translation for your team.
- Internet and mobile. 63.4 million internet users and 77.3 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Online interviews run well; for tasks with documents, many people still reach for a computer.
- Where fieldwork happens. Paris first, with Lyon, Marseille or Lille added when your audience or your stores are in the regions. Customer intercepts run where your customers are.
- Data protection. The GDPR and the French Data Protection Act, enforced by the CNIL: consent before recording, a stated purpose, and data that stays in the EU unless a transfer is covered.
- Timing. August is a holiday month, school holidays in February and April are staggered by zone, and the public holidays of May turn into long weekends. Plan around all three.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in France?
In the UK, most people complete a sign-up on their phone. In France, the device, the language and the city each change what you hear.
- Test on the screen people use. In our pan-European crypto study, French participants were more likely than British ones to start on a desktop, particularly when they had to upload documents. A flow tested only on mobile would have missed them.
- In French, with a moderator who lives there. People describe money, taste and habits more exactly in their own language. Sessions run in French, and your team follows with translation.
- Paris is not France. What a Parisian professional buys says little about a household in Lille or Marseille. We agree with you which cities the decision depends on before recruitment starts.
- Real buyers in the showroom. For a dealership programme, real intenders of the brand's segment visited showrooms twice over six weeks with one checklist: the wait before a greeting, the offer of a test drive, the follow-up within 48 hours.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in France?
- We recruit through local partners in each city, who find the people your brief describes, from first-time users of a financial app to drivers of a given car segment.
- For mystery shopping we recruit real intenders of the brand's segment, never employees or dealers, and brief every shopper on the same checklist.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in France?
Most studies in France run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with mystery shopping, customer intercepts or UX research when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, health, luxury and B2B audiences, online or in person | Senior profiles book weeks ahead; avoid August |
| Focus groups | Concepts, packaging and advertising, in Paris and one regional city | A Paris-only sample; add a second city |
| Mystery shopping | Car showrooms, retail, banks and hospitality | One checklist and one briefing for every city |
| Customer intercepts | Feedback at the door of a store or a restaurant, in Paris and beyond | Agree access with the venue; keep the survey short |
| UX research | Sign-up flows and apps tested with French users | Test on desktop as well as mobile |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in France
How much does market research cost in France?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and France added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Senior and affluent audiences cost more to recruit than general consumers, and each extra city adds recruitment and moderation. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
Do I need a French moderator if participants speak English?
Yes. People are more exact and more candid in French, and the findings only compare with other markets when each was run in its own language. MindMarket's moderators in France live there and work in French, with translation for your team.
Is Paris enough, or should I add other cities?
Paris is enough for a first read, and for audiences that live there, such as head-office decision makers. For a national launch, add one or two regional cities, such as Lyon, Marseille or Lille, because incomes, retail and habits differ from the capital.
Can you run mystery shopping in France?
Yes. For a car brand, real intenders of its segment visited dealerships in France and four other countries twice over six weeks, with one checklist: the wait before a greeting, whether a test drive was offered, whether anyone asked about the current car, and whether a follow-up arrived within 48 hours.
When should I avoid fieldwork in France?
In August, when much of the country is on holiday, in the second half of December, and during the long weekends of May. School holidays in February and April are staggered by zone, so check the dates for the cities you cover.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in France told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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