In our edition of November 17, Anne Martelle, president of the Syndicat de la librairie française (SLF), which co-directs with her sister, Françoise Gaudefroy, the Librairie Martelle in Amiens pleads in favor of a rapid reopening, because the months of November and December represent a quarter of their income.
She says it bluntly: booksellers are on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
“Booksellers feel a great injustice. What they are experiencing is neither justified nor fair, she
says.
Closing bookstores is even contrary to the values of the Republic.
Without books, there is no transmission of knowledge, no knowledge.
I confess to you that discouragement and anger await us.
The whole profession is aware of the priority given to health, but we have taken our steps to ensure the best possible reception for our customers.
To date, that's three and a half months of operating losses.
The bookstore is the least profitable business in France, we are going through an extremely dangerous situation.
You know from January to July, the bookstore is in deficit, it tries to make up for it at the end of the year, so you can imagine the state of mind we find ourselves in… There is a lot of anxiety.
"
Read also: In Cannes, formal notice to close its brand, a bookseller denounces "disproportionate intimidation measures"
Philippe Touron, director of the Le Divan bookstore, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, also launched a cry from the heart via a video posted on his Facebook page.
“Click & Collect is 40% of income for 100% of the staff.
It is not a solution, it is not viable ”
, he denounces.
Before adding that this system only benefits books that are talked about a lot or that are marketed.
He explains the injustice to which bookstores are victims:
“We do not ask the customers of a supermarket not to touch the products, why would we ask a customer of a bookstore not to touch the books.
In addition, gloves are available to readers! ”
Click & Collect is an extremely time-consuming logistics business.
Booksellers prefer to spend their time advising and interacting with customers.
The petition launched by François Busnel with the Syndicat de la librairie française for the reopening of bookstores has exceeded 209,000 signatories.
Many French people think that the book is essential to their life.
And that we do not contaminate it more than elsewhere.