# French — Consumer & Retail Sub-Lexicon

Auto-generated from translation experience. Maps French consumer, retail, franchise, and
distribution legal terms to their correct English equivalents.

## Core Consumer Terms

| French | English |
|---|---|
| conditions générales de vente (CGV) | general terms and conditions of sale |
| conditions générales d'utilisation (CGU) | terms of use / terms and conditions |
| conditions générales d'achat (CGA) | general terms and conditions of purchase |
| contrat de consommation | consumer contract |
| professionnel | trader / business |
| consommateur | consumer |
| délai de rétractation | withdrawal period / cooling-off period |
| vente à distance | distance selling |
| vente hors établissement | off-premises selling |
| obligation d'information | duty to inform / disclosure obligation |
| pratique commerciale déloyale | unfair commercial practice |
| pratique commerciale trompeuse | misleading commercial practice |
| pratique commerciale agressive | aggressive commercial practice |
| garantie commerciale / garantie contractuelle | commercial warranty / manufacturer's warranty |
| service après-vente (SAV) | after-sales service |
| réclamation | complaint / claim |
| médiation de la consommation | consumer mediation |
| action de groupe | class action / collective action |

## Franchise Terms

| French | English |
|---|---|
| contrat de franchise | franchise agreement |
| franchiseur | franchisor |
| franchisé | franchisee |
| droit d'entrée | franchise fee / initial fee |
| redevance de franchise | royalty / ongoing franchise fee |
| redevance de publicité | advertising contribution / marketing fund contribution |
| savoir-faire | know-how |
| marque (du franchiseur) | (franchisor's) trade mark |
| signes distinctifs | distinctive signs / brand elements |
| manuel opératoire | operations manual |
| territoire exclusif | exclusive territory |
| clause de non-concurrence (post-contractuelle) | post-term non-compete clause |
| obligation d'approvisionnement exclusif | exclusive supply obligation |
| Loi Doubin | Doubin Act (pre-contractual disclosure law) |

## Distribution Terms

| French | English |
|---|---|
| contrat de distribution | distribution agreement |
| contrat de distribution sélective | selective distribution agreement |
| contrat de distribution exclusive | exclusive distribution agreement |
| concession commerciale | commercial concession / distributorship |
| distributeur | distributor |
| fournisseur | supplier |
| agent commercial | commercial agent |
| contrat d'agent commercial | commercial agency agreement |
| mandat | mandate / agency |
| mandant | principal |
| mandataire | agent |
| indemnité compensatrice | compensatory indemnity |
| commission | commission |
| objectifs de vente / quotas | sales targets |
| exclusivité territoriale | territorial exclusivity |
| clause de non-concurrence | non-compete clause |
| rupture brutale des relations commerciales établies | abrupt termination of an established business relationship |

## E-Commerce Terms

| French | English |
|---|---|
| commerce électronique / e-commerce | e-commerce / electronic commerce |
| site marchand / site de vente en ligne | e-commerce website / online store |
| place de marché / marketplace | marketplace |
| mention légale | legal notice |
| politique de confidentialité | privacy policy |
| politique de cookies | cookie policy |
| hébergeur | hosting provider |
| responsabilité de l'hébergeur | hosting provider's liability |
| Loi pour la confiance dans l'économie numérique (LCEN) | Digital Economy Act (LCEN) |

## Section Headings

| French | English |
|---|---|
| OBJET | PURPOSE / SCOPE |
| PRODUITS / SERVICES | PRODUCTS / SERVICES |
| COMMANDES | ORDERS |
| PRIX ET PAIEMENT | PRICE AND PAYMENT |
| LIVRAISON | DELIVERY |
| GARANTIES | WARRANTIES |
| RESPONSABILITÉ | LIABILITY |
| PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUELLE | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY |
| DONNÉES PERSONNELLES | PERSONAL DATA |
| DURÉE ET RÉSILIATION | TERM AND TERMINATION |
| LITIGES | DISPUTES |
| DISPOSITIONS GÉNÉRALES | MISCELLANEOUS |

## Notes

- **"Clause abusive"**: Under French law (Code de la consommation), unfair terms in
  consumer contracts are void. The assessment is similar to the EU Unfair Contract Terms
  Directive. Translate as "unfair term" or "unfair contract term".
- **"Rupture brutale" (Art. L. 442-1 Code de commerce)**: A specifically French tort
  covering the abrupt termination of an established business relationship without adequate
  notice. No common law equivalent. Translate descriptively: "abrupt termination of an
  established business relationship".
- **"Document d'information précontractuelle" (DIP)**: Required by the Loi Doubin
  (Art. L. 330-3 Code de commerce) before entering into a franchise or exclusive
  distribution agreement. Functionally similar to a US Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
- **"Agent commercial"**: Subject to specific protections under French law (Code de
  commerce) and the EU Commercial Agents Directive. The agent is entitled to an indemnity
  on termination — this is mandatory and cannot be waived in advance.

## Additional Lawlinguists-validated French Consumer / Retail Mappings

| French | English |
|---|---|
| Code de la consommation | French Consumer Code |
| non-professionnel | non-professional (person acting outside trade — intermediate between consumer and trader in French law) |
| contrat à distance | distance contract |
| contrat hors établissement | off-premises contract |
| droit de rétractation | right of withdrawal (14-day cooling-off for distance and off-premises contracts) |
| garantie légale de conformité | statutory guarantee of conformity |
| garantie commerciale | commercial warranty |
| garantie des vices cachés | warranty against hidden defects (Arts. 1641-1649 Code civil) |
| produit défectueux | defective product |
| responsabilité du fait des produits défectueux | product liability (Arts. 1245-1245-17 Code civil, transposing Directive 85/374/EEC) |
| clause abusive | unfair term (Art. L. 212-1 Code de la consommation) |
| liste noire / liste grise des clauses abusives | blacklist / greylist of unfair terms |
| information précontractuelle | pre-contractual information (Arts. L. 111-1 et seq.) |
| DGCCRF (Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes) | Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention |
| Médiateur de la consommation | Consumer Ombudsman |
| action de groupe (à la française) | French class action (introduced 2014, extended 2016, broadened 2023) |
| Loi Doubin (Art. L. 330-3 Code de commerce) | Doubin Act (pre-contractual disclosure — DIP) |
| document d'information précontractuelle (DIP) | pre-contractual disclosure document (20-day minimum delivery before signing) |
| contrat d'agent commercial (Arts. L. 134-1 et seq. Code de commerce) | commercial agent contract (implementing Directive 86/653/EEC) |
| indemnité de fin de contrat (agent commercial) | agent's termination indemnity (typically 2 years' commission — French case law) |
| rupture brutale de relations commerciales établies (Art. L. 442-1 Code de commerce) | abrupt termination of established commercial relationship (French-specific tort — no direct foreign equivalent) |
| préavis raisonnable | reasonable notice (length depends on duration and exclusivity of the relationship) |
| déséquilibre significatif (B2B) | significant imbalance in B2B relations (French-specific competition-law tort) |
| vente à perte | sale below cost (Art. L. 442-5 Code de commerce — prohibited) |
| contrats de consommation | consumer contracts |
| crédit à la consommation | consumer credit (Loi Scrivener; Arts. L. 312-1 et seq. Code de la consommation) |
| crédit immobilier | mortgage credit (Arts. L. 313-1 et seq.) |
| TAEG (Taux Annuel Effectif Global) | annual percentage rate of charge (APR) |
| démarchage | doorstep / cold-call sales |
