frais livraison
Amazon / News / prices

France says stop to Amazon: end of “everything free” for online book deliveries, discover the new rules!

Regulations aimed at combating unfair competition

To restore fairness between online commerce giants and independent bookstores, France has decided to put in place new regulations concerning delivery costs for book orders. From now on, only orders over €35 will benefit from reduced delivery costs.

This regulation, which will come into force on October 7, 2023, sets a minimum amount of delivery costs at €0.01.

The impact on Amazon Prime users

Until now, Amazon Prime subscribers received free shipping on books, which was one of the main attractions of this subscription. However, with the new regulations, Amazon Prime members will now have to pay shipping costs for their book purchases.

This decision could result in a loss of subscribers for Amazon, especially after recent price increases.

The reaction of Amazon and Fnac

Faced with this measure, companies like Amazon and Fnac reacted by applying the minimum authorized delivery costs, i.e. €0.01. However, this only concerns orders over €35.

For orders under €35, a minimum delivery fee of €3 will now be required on the main online platforms. This change should make local bookstore offers more competitive compared to online purchases.

Amazon’s arguments to justify free delivery costs on books

Since the beginning of discussions on book delivery costs, Amazon has always emphasized that free deliveries contribute, at least in part, to compensate for the absence of local bookstores in certain rural areas or areas lacking this type of business.

The end of free book delivery costs could therefore have an impact on these already disadvantaged areas.

The future of independent bookstores and the book market

  • Better equity between large platforms and small local businesses: previously, giants like Amazon could put local bookstores in difficulty by offering attractive delivery costs, but this will no longer be the case with the new measure.
  • Consumers potentially more inclined to support local businesses: faced with similar delivery costs, some buyers may prefer to turn to independent booksellers rather than going through online platforms.
  • An uncertain impact on the online sale of books: this measure could encourage local commerce, but it could also encourage consumers to turn to other media (digital books, audio, etc.) or to consolidate their purchases to reach the threshold of €35 and benefit from reduced delivery costs.

In summary, the new regulations on delivery costs for book orders in France aim to protect independent bookstores and promote fairer competition. However, only time will tell us whether these measures will have a real positive impact on the book market and small local businesses.

plan essentiel
Disney+ / netflix / News / prices

Turnaround! Netflix and Disney+ subscribers will be surprised by the huge price increase! Quickly find out what awaits them…

Netflix plans to increase its premium prices

The Wall Street Journal reports that Netflix is ​​considering raising the price of its premium subscriptions, which currently start at $15.49 in the United States. However, no information has been given as to the extent of this increase or the exact date on which it will be implemented. It seems that the platform is waiting for the actors’ and writers’ strike in Hollywood to end, which could happen soon.

Several countries affected by this price increase

While waiting for the strike to end, several countries will be affected by this increase, notably the United States and Canada. In March 2022, Netflix had already increased its prices in these two countries, while in Europe, the last increase dates back to October 2021.

  • United States and Canada: these two countries will be the first to suffer this new price increase.
  • Europe: the last price increase dates back to October 2021.

Removal of the Essential plan in North America

Separately, Netflix removed the Essential plan in North America this summer, forcing customers to choose between an ad-supported option or premium subscriptions. We can hope that this Essential plan remains available in France for €8.99, but its lifespan could be compromised if the platform increases its prices.

Disney+ is also changing its pricing structure

The American video-on-demand giant is not the only one to revise its prices upwards. From December 1, Disney+ will offer a new price list in France. This maintains the Standard subscription at €8.99, but certain features such as 4K quality or Dolby Atmos audio will disappear.

Consequences of these increases on subscribers and the streaming market

These price increases risk dissatisfying subscribers, who will have to pay more without benefiting from new features in return. It is also possible that other streaming services will follow suit and increase their prices, amid increasingly fierce competition between platforms.

  • Subscribers: they will have to face increasing costs without benefiting from new features.
  • Streaming services: they could follow this upward trend and increase their prices in turn.

Areas for improvement to justify price increases

In order to make these new increases acceptable to subscribers, Netflix and Disney+ could propose concrete improvements in terms of content, accessibility or usability. Here are some suggestions:

  • Content: expand the catalog with new exclusive films and series, offer more local productions.
  • Accessibility: facilitate access to content for visually and hearing impaired people, add new subtitling and dubbing languages.
  • Ergonomics: improve navigation on platforms, promote personalized recommendations, develop sharing features between friends.

These price increases are part of a context of fierce competition in the streaming market, where each player must stand out to retain and attract subscribers. Future announcements from Netflix and Disney+ will therefore be closely scrutinized by users, who will undoubtedly wait for solid justifications for these additional costs.