Paris (AFP)
The social network Facebook will launch with representatives of SMEs tools to help small French traders take the digital step and resist the consequences of the health crisis, Facebook and CPME announced on Saturday.
"82% of French people aged 16 and over buy online, when only 15% of French very small businesses sell online," recalled the two partners in a preamble.
In order to reduce the gap between these two data, they have developed a system which notably includes a program of 25 free 30-minute training sessions "to switch urgently to digital solutions, with training specifically dedicated to click and collect" .
Merchants wishing to develop these new sales channels will then be able to ask questions to experts on the various digital solutions in an online discussion space, "during and after the training", specify Facebook and CPME.
Mark Zuckerberg's group will also make online tools available to merchants, in particular to facilitate their communication and to let their customers know that they are in business.
This program "aims to reach 2 million VSE-PME and French users", indicate Facebook and CPME, whose regional referents, accompanied by local businesses, will speak on the social network via videos "for help entrepreneurs accelerate their digital adoption ".
"The risk of seeing greater difficulties arise in the coming months is real, and many points of sale and businesses could close in the coming months. In this context, digitizing your business is no longer an option, today. it's a question of survival, "said François Asselin, president of the CPME, quoted in the press release.
Laurent Solly, vice president of Facebook in Southern Europe, emphasizes that "the health restrictions linked to the pandemic have revealed the vital need for companies to adopt digital technology."
Facebook launched a vast offensive since the spring to develop merchant exchanges on its platform, as well as on Instagram.
© 2020 AFP