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Will France ban some of Amazon's discounts?

According to France's minister of culture and communications, the French government is looking to ban Amazon's current combination of free delivery and a five percent discount.

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Francois Mori/AP
Aurelie Filippetti, France's minister of culture and communications, told Reuters that the government is looking to ban some of Amazon's current practices.
  • By Molly Driscoll Staff Writer

France is fed up with Amazon’s discounts and free delivery policies.

And the government wants to do something about it – according to a recent Reuters article, it's looking to introduce a law that would stop the behemoth bookseller from giving buyers both free delivery and a 5 percent discount on books.

Aurelie Filippetti, the country’s minister of culture and communications, told the news channel BFM TV that the government is planning to introduce the ban. The country has a policy of outlawing discounts on books of more than 5 percent because it’s believed smaller stores would be unable to compete.

“I'm in favor of ending the possibility of offering both free delivery and a five percent discount," Filippetti said. "We need a law, so we're going to find a legislative window to introduce one.”

She said the problem isn’t only occurring in France.

“Amazon's behavior, and the risks it poses for the survival of a whole network of book stores and the entire chain of book production, are obvious in Britain and in the United too,” Filippetti said.

Book retailers’ union spokesperson Guillaume Husson told Reuters he considers Amazon’s policies “unfair.”

“No other book retailer, whether a small or large book or even a chain, can allow itself to lose that much money,” Husson said. Amazon reportedly loses money with its combination of free delivery and a five percent discount.

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