Amazon, the online commerce giant, has just confirmed an increase in its delivery fees for books, an announcement that is raising concerns among consumers.
In this article, we will explore in detail this recent decision by Amazon and its implications, while examining the reasons behind this initiative.
The New Shipping Fees
In the near future, purchases of books on major online platforms will incur additional shipping fees. Orders under €35 will require a minimum of €3 for delivery. For orders exceeding €35, e-commerce giants will no longer be able to offer free delivery, but they can reduce these costs to €0.01.
Amazon Customers Confronted with a Change
The objective behind this decision in France is to put major online platforms and independent bookstores on an equal footing by banning free delivery. This measure comes at a difficult time, as it coincides with a period of widespread inflation.
It is important to note that even the company Amazon, primarily affected, does not view the implementation of these minimum shipping fees favorably. In a recent letter addressed to its Prime subscribers, the American company explained
"As of October 7, 2023, a new regulation on the delivery fees of new books will come into effect in France. It will apply to all book sellers in France and will impose a minimum of €3 delivery fees for any order containing less than €35 of new books. For orders containing €35 or more of new books, the minimum delivery fee will be €0.01."
With this decision, Amazon undoubtedly fears losing some of its Prime subscribers, for whom free book delivery was a strong marketing argument, justifying recent price increases. However, it is essential to note that this is not the first time Amazon has adapted to French legislation.
In 2014, a law had already prohibited sites from combining both the 5% discount (applied to subscribed members) and free delivery. In response to this decision, Amazon and Fnac had retaliated by applying shipping fees of 1 cent.
No Escape in Sight
This time, the French decision seems difficult to circumvent. Indeed, Amazon has already submitted an appeal to the Council of State last June to try to invalidate this measure, which it considers as "excessive power."
According to the French branch of the company, this cultural exception "will penalize readers, authors, and reading in general, and we call for the rights of consumers to be asserted. This measure will have a significant impact on the budgets of the French."
Since the beginning of discussions on shipping fees for books, Amazon has always claimed that free delivery contributed, at least in part, to compensating for the absence of local bookstores in certain rural or underserved areas.
