The development of non-food e-commerce is responsible for the
"largest social plan in progress in France"
, with 85,000 jobs destroyed in ten years and threatens nature with its
"warehouses larger than large shopping centers"
, accuse Wednesday March 23 Friends of the Earth.
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The net balance of jobs destroyed in France between 2009 and 2019 due to the impact of non-food e-commerce stands at 85,000 jobs lost, including 3,800 in 2019, the last year for which data is available.
“
It is the largest social plan currently in progress in France”
, denounces in a press release the NGO which took over the methodology of the cabinet Kavala Capital to update the previous study relating to the period 2009-2018.
According to Friends of the Earth, 122,400 jobs have been directly destroyed in ten years in the retail trade due to the development of online sales.
The wholesale trade has limited the breakage.
Very small retail businesses (7,600 jobs lost) and the clothing sector (4,800) are paying a heavy price for the affirmation of distance selling.
"For each job created in an online sales company with 50 or more employees, nearly two were destroyed in the smallest companies in 2019"
, deplores the NGO.
“A VAT fraud of 5 billion euros per year”
“Until then, the
“digitalization”
of the major physical retail chains generated job creations, because the new online activity was added to the existing in-store activity.
Now that their online activity is developed, these brands are closing their stores and laying off their employees to face competition from the major players in online sales”
, analyzes Étienne Coubard, spokesperson for Friends of the Earth.
The authors of the study are also worried on the one hand about a strong Covid effect when the data for the years 2020 and 2021 will be available, and on the other hand about a spread of social damage to the food trade, with the rise of "dark stores" and other online grocery stores.
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"Emmanuel Macron's five-year term has resulted in incomprehensible choices. Tax giveaways, administrative and political support have enabled massive and rapid implementation. However, e-commerce is destroying jobs at high speed”
, still judges Étienne Coubard.
“The Government favors uberisation, short contracts and temporary work.
In the midst of a purchasing power crisis, in addition to destroying jobs, online sales create precarious jobs below the poverty line
,” conclude Les Amis de la Terre, who also accuse e-commerce of being responsible.
"of a VAT fraud of 5 billion euros per year"
.
The NGO criticizes in passing the proliferation of logistics sites:
"E-commerce will continue to concrete fields to build warehouses larger than the largest shopping centers in France"
.