End of everything free for online book deliveries on Amazon in France: discover the new prices!
New regulation to promote fair competition
To guarantee a certain fairness between large e-commerce companies and independent bookstores, France has decided to put in place new regulations concerning delivery costs for book orders. From now on, only orders worth more than €35 will benefit from reduced delivery costs. It is important to note that these fees cannot be less than €0.01. This regulation will come into force on October 7, 2023.
The impact on Amazon Prime users
Until now, Amazon Prime subscribers received free shipping on books, which was one of the main benefits of this subscription. However, with this new regulation, Amazon Prime members will now have to pay shipping fees for their book purchases. This decision could result in a loss of subscribers for Amazon, especially after recent price increases.
The reaction of Amazon and Fnac to this decision
Faced with this new measure, companies like Amazon and Fnac have decided to apply the minimum authorized delivery costs, i.e. €0.01. However, this only concerns orders over €35. For orders under €35, a minimum delivery fee of €3 will now be required on the main online platforms. This change should make local bookstore offerings more competitive compared to online purchases.
Amazon’s arguments to justify free delivery costs on books
Throughout discussions about book delivery fees, Amazon has consistently argued that free delivery fees help, at least in part, to compensate for the absence of local bookstores in some rural areas or without such businesses. . The end of free delivery costs could therefore have an impact on these already disadvantaged areas.
The future of independent bookstores and the book market in the face of this new regulation
- Increased equity between large platforms and small local businesses: the possibility for giants like Amazon to offer attractive delivery costs will no longer put local bookstores in difficulty.
- Potential consumer support for local businesses: faced with similar delivery costs, some buyers may prefer to turn to independent bookstores rather than going through online platforms.
- An uncertain impact on the online sale of books: this measure could encourage local commerce, but it could also encourage consumers to favor other formats (digital books, audio books, etc.) or to group their purchases together to reach the threshold of €35 and benefit from reduced delivery costs.
In conclusion, the new regulations on delivery costs for book orders in France aim to protect independent bookstores and promote fairer competition. However, only time will tell us whether these measures will have a truly positive impact on the book market and small local businesses.
