Book: zero postage for independent booksellers

The government gives a breath of fresh air to independent bookstores condemned to close due to the health crisis.

After a final meeting on Thursday morning, Bercy and rue de Valois announced that from that day on, the shipping costs for sending books will be fully covered by the State, throughout the duration of the confinement.

Concretely, the Post office agreed to reduce its price for a shipment within a department from 4.5 euros to 2 euros.

For a shipment further from the catchment area of ​​the bookstore, La Poste will keep its Colissimo rate.

But in all cases, booksellers can ask the State to compensate almost in full the shipping costs.

He will only have to pay 1 cent!

"This is excellent news for independent bookstores who will be able to fight on equal terms with Amazon" affirms Guillaume Husson, president of the French Bookstore Union (SLF).

"Since the administrative closure, booksellers are mobilizing and redoubling their activity to ensure the collection of books ordered online, or to send them by post" he assures.

The formula of clik & collect which represents only between 10% and 20% of the turnover of a bookstore could thus be strongly doped to reach 30% to 35% estimates the president of the SLF.

It's better than nothing, but it won't fully compensate for the expected loss of revenue.

The SLF is campaigning with the government so that aid for shipping costs is extended until the end of 2020, or better, that it be made permanent.

It is the spirit of the request formulated by Michèle Benbunan, Managing Director of Editis, which militates in this direction.

“The publishing world comes out with new things every week.

We must create a reflex among readers to order books very regularly without being penalized by shipping costs, ”she explains.