PARIS : Sophie Fornairon's independent bookshop has survived the rise of Amazon thanks to a French law that prohibits price discounting on new books, but she says the e-commerce giant's ability to undercut on shipping still skews the market against stores like hers.
Amazon said the legislation, adopted by parliament but not yet enacted, would punish those in rural areas who cannot easily visit a bookstore and rely on delivery. In the country of Victor Hugo and Simone de Beauvoir, where local bookshops are held with special affection - they were deemed 'essential businesses' during latter COVID lockdowns - the move is the latest by the state to shield national culture against big tech firms.
Amazon's pricing strategy had resulted in the growing market share of a single operator, the Ministry of Culture said. France's bookstores are concentrated in towns and cities. Amazon said online sales of books had enabled consumers to have equal access, regardless of where they lived.
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