Article written by franceinfo Culture with AFP
France Télévisions – Culture Editorial Staff
The French subsidiary of e-commerce giant Amazon announced on Tuesday 5 November 2024 that it was implementing a free book delivery solution through its automated lockers, which a law sought to ban. From October 2023, Amazon.fr and other online sellers must charge a minimum of EUR 3 for book delivery for all orders of less than EUR 35.
The law of 30 December 2021 on the book economy states that the delivery of new books‘may under no circumstances’ be free of charge, ‘unless the book is collected from a book retail business‘. This law is intended to encourage the French to buy their books in a bookshop or other retail outlet. It was challenged by Amazon before the Administrative Court, which asked the Court of Justice of the European Union for an opinion.
“Without faith or law”
Without waiting for this opinion, Amazon found a solution that it considers to be in accordance with the texts in force. “For their book orders, customers can now choose free delivery to an extensive network of more than 2,500 pick-up points across France. This option is available for a selection of collection points located in shops that sell books,” it said in a statement.
These pick-up points are automated lockers usually located in the shopping arcade of supermarkets, or counters at the checkout or reception of various shops, mainly “More than 70 per cent of these pick-up points are located in rural areas or small towns,” Amazon said, giving examples of supermarkets in the Cher, the Côtes-d’Armor, the Oise or the Var. “We are delighted to offer this new convenient and cost-effective delivery option to readers today,” Amazon.fr’s head of books, Géraldine Codron, said in a statement.
Asked by AFP about this offer, theUnion of French Booksellers (SLF), a professional organisation of independent booksellers, said it was sceptical about its legality. ‘We can ask ourselves many questions. Is a cabinet a business? Is it enough to be in a hypermarket to meet the terms of the law?” said delegate-general Guillaume Husson. “Amazon is a lawless actor who is attacking a text supported by the government and voted unanimously by parliamentarians,” he added.
It is true that the whole of GD applies the undercutting ‘without limits’ and without controls of any kind.
But Amazon does not apply this rule, at least now, and finding my book, Le Ossa dei Caprotti, at a 15% discount was genuinely surprising to me because Black Friday only starts on 21 November. Although, in the past, sales have always started before that date without anyone objecting.
Obviously Amazon ‘s taxation at OECD level seems to have vanished and that at Italian level has been announced but is still under discussion.
Probably nothing will happen but on cases like this there should, however, be possible sanctions.
