“There will be no book market or economy if there are no longer enough readers”

IYou have to choose your battles. We can indulge in the caricatured criticism of Amazon, a company which has created more jobs in France than any other since 2010, supports the activity of more than 16,000 French SMEs and is among the top 100 largest tax contributors in France. But be careful not to get lost in the postures, like a recent column published in these columns.

A la plume, a large brand specializing in the distribution of cultural goods well known to the French and two professional associations which seek to defend – this is commendable – the interests of their members. But the big absentee from this forum is the reader, who is not mentioned once. The indictment: Amazon announced at the beginning of November free delivery of Books to 2,500 collection points located in businesses that sell books.

This initiative, in compliance with current regulations, preserves the purchasing power of readers by allowing them to avoid paying the obligatory shipping costs of 3 euros [en vertu de la loi dite « Darcos », promulguée le 30 décembre 2021] introduced in October 2023 for home delivery. Thanks to it, books will not cost more for residents of rural regions than for those in the Latin Quarter in Paris.

Inequalities in access to cultural products

This initiative in favor of reading is denounced by certain professionals, who seem to believe that there are legal rules in our country which should apply to some, but not to others. Funny conception of the rule of law and the interest of the French. Because let's remember: the free collection of books is already a widespread practice among many brands such as Fnac, Cultura or E. Leclerc, without anyone having had to worry about it until now.

This double standard would not be so serious if it did not lead the signatories of this text to divert their gaze and the debate from the real issues. Who is concerned about the inequalities in access to cultural products outside of big cities? Who would regret that millions of French people are sacrificing their cultural purchases to cope with inflation? Who will think about ways to support booksellers while promoting access to French books?

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