Leading French supermarket chain China announced on Thursday that it would share its online retail network with shuttered bookstores and other local businesses, and expressed displeasure at Amazon's lead in the new Covid Lockdown.
The
Aftermarket Group said "sorry Amazon" with full-page newspaper ads,
saying local businesses - first-hand bookstores - would be allowed to sell
their products on its online "click and deposit" marketplace.
The
decision to declare bookstores "unnecessary" in the wake of the downturn
has caused a stir. The government countered by banning the sale of books in
supermarkets to allay unfair competition concerns.
Other
retailers have also complained about the re-closing of the lockdown,
effectively turning Amazon and other e-commerce sites into the only shopping
option for millions.
Exploitation
of EU tax laws has long fueled resentment against Amazon, which critics say
allows the United States to avoid paying taxes in France despite rising
profits.
Intermarche's
ridiculous advertising campaign even shouts at Amazon chief Jeff Bezos:
"And alas, Jeff, but we're already working on other struggling
businesses."
"We've
especially heard about the plight of small businesses and bookstores,"
Antarctica President Thierry Cotillard told AFP.
"Businesses
are being pressured to go digital, to compress and accumulate, but not everyone
is ready for it," he added.
The
French government has pledged billions of euros in aid to businesses that have
been shut down’ in the second lockdown since the Corona virus crisis began in
March.
On
Thursday, it said mail costs for free bookstores would be waived’ so they could
send directly to their clients - a legal minimum mail rate of only one percent
would apply during lockouts.
But
retailers' associations have warned that help may not be enough to keep many
small stores out of business, especially if the closure increases during the
crucial holiday season.
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