Amazon closes seven centers in Quebec | Could you do without Amazon?

Calls to boycott the online commerce giant are increasing on social networks. Wishful thinking or real threat? Decryption with two experts, Renaud Legoux and Sylvain Sénécal, professors in the marketing department of HEC Montréal.

“All Canadians should boycott Amazon, American companies and products. Let’s hit them where it hurts,” says a user on X.

“It’s time to boycott Amazon for what they did in Quebec. That’s what I’m going to do,” says another.

“Boycott the oligarchy. Use other sites when you can. Amazon isn’t the only option. We need to react before things go too far,” added a third.

Since the announcement of Amazon’s dismissal of 1,700 employees in Quebec, comments calling for a boycott of the online commerce giant numbered in the dozens on Wednesday evening.

“We see that there is a feeling of anger, or solidarity, which is developing. But will actions follow? This is the question that arises,” underlines Sylvain Sénécal.

A difficult boycott

First obstacle to the boycott: the online shopping giant has become a must for many consumers, who sometimes use it on a recurring basis (several times a month).

“Amazon is not like a clothing brand that can easily be replaced by another,” recalls Renaud Legoux.

The comfort provided by being able to order from home, in a few clicks and at a low price, products that are sometimes difficult to find elsewhere, to receive everything in a few hours, remains difficult to beat. Alternative solutions “are often more costly, in terms of time and money,” emphasizes Sylvain Sénécal.

Especially since in practice, it is not enough to no longer use its platform to completely cut yourself off from the web giant, since Amazon also offers SMEs delivery services for orders placed on their site. And turning your back on Amazon also means choosing to do without services like Amazon Prime, a streaming platform to which more than a third of Quebecers subscribe.^⁠1.

“They have tentacles everywhere,” summarizes Sylvain Sénécal.

The importance of context

However, calls for boycotts are not in vain for those who believe in them, underline the two experts.

“It allows you to signal a disagreement,” recalls Renaud Legoux. It reaffirms the values ​​of our society. »

Although Amazon is not a company renowned for the “exemplary treatment of its employees”, he recalls, the fact that these are Quebec employees adds an element of proximity which could possibly tip the scales. in favor of a boycott, in the name of national solidarity.

For Sylvain Sénécal, the context could also weigh in the balance.

This call for a boycott is taking place at the very moment when Canada has, above its head, the sword of Damocles of 25% customs tariffs which could be imposed very soon by the United States. The dismissal of 1,700 employees could therefore be, for some consumers, the last straw that will push them to change their habits.

Some may also decide to reduce their purchases on Amazon, rather than implementing a total boycott. Everything will also depend on its competitors, who could possibly take the lead and take advantage of the situation to attract consumers to their own platforms.

“In short, everything is possible,” summarizes Sylvain Sénécal. “But there is perhaps a little more fertile ground at the moment [pour un mouvement de boycottage] than a few years ago. »

1. NETendances – Digital portrait of Quebec households, Academy of digital transformation of Laval University, 2023