Shipping costs for book orders will increase in October, with the entry into force of a minimum price designed to protect booksellers.
A threshold of 3 euros for shipping costs
A decree published this Friday in the Official Gazette will set the regulatory threshold for shipping costs at 3 euros for orders of less than 35 euros. Beyond this amount, the threshold will remain at 0.01 euros, the one in force since a 2014 law.
The measure will be applicable six months after the decree is published, that is, on October 7, the ministry added during a telephone press conference.
The decree signed by the Ministers of Culture and Economy will be the application of the law of December 30, 2021 on the “book economy”, proposed by a senator and voted with the approval of the government, in order to “strengthening the equity and trust among its actors”.
The goal of the legislator and the executive was to end almost free postage on most shipments to encourage consumers to go to bookstores instead of ordering online.
Online platforms vs booksellers
Online trading platforms, led by the American Amazon, demanded a status quo, denouncing the inflationary nature of this reform. Booksellers advocated, on the contrary, for even higher thresholds.
The government chose a middle path and in February obtained the approval of the European Commission for this unique device in the world.
In the book market, France stands out for having been the first country in the world, in 1981, to pass a law that imposes a single price on new books, among other measures to guarantee the sustainability of bookstores. This law has been copied in other countries.
According to the Syndicat de la Librairie Française, this has made it possible to maintain one of the densest networks of independent bookstores in the world, with 3,500 of them selling “almost one in two books”.
Source: BFM TV
