The State “wish to engage” of the “steps to find a buyer for the magazine” 60 million consumers published by the public establishment National Institute of Consumption (INC), in economic difficultythe office of Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs Laurence Garnier told AFP on Monday.
“The State wishes to take steps to find a buyer for the magazine“, indicated this source to AFP, aiming to “to provide the magazine with new resources and expertise, which will enable it to attract new readers.” “This change in the status of the magazine will also contribute to optimizing the use of public funds”further indicated the State Secretariat dependent on Bercy, specifying that there is “no buyer identified.”
“The sustainability of the title requires a professional buyer and expert in the sector, capable in particular of investing in digital and driving a new marketing and commercial strategy“, further specifies Ms. Garnier’s office, observing that the magazine meets “for several years” of the “major difficulties”with a number of subscribers increased from 140,000 in 2019 to 76,000 in 2024et “a persistent deficit for seven years, which has exhausted its cash flow“.
The “stunnedness” of employee representatives
Employee representatives from the National Consumer Institute (INC), which publishes the magazine, expressed their “astonishment“ in a press release to AFP. “This decision is disastrous because it will considerably weaken independent expert information serving consumers, leaving more room for sponsored monologues from influencers and fake news on consumer issues”still regret the representatives of the fifty employees, regretting that “the public interest is rarely financially profitable”.
Last March, employee representatives called for “save“60 million consumers, newspaper born in 1970 and “in danger” due to insufficient investments according to them. A parliamentary report in 2022 mentioned a “gradual reduction in the amount of subsidy“at the INC between 2012 and 2020, increased from 6.3 million euros to 2.7 million euros.
“I bitterly deplore that the arbitration that I was able to obtain” in favor of a revival of the title via state investment “has not been maintained”reacted in a press release sent to AFP the former Minister Delegate in particular for Commerce, Olivia Grégoire, addressing her “thoughts” “to the employees of the INC, as well as to the consumers whom they have always endeavored to inform as best they can“.
