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A French activist blocks an Amazon center in Bayonne, in southwestern France. Image: keystone
The French call for a boycott of the Amazon
Unlike in Switzerland, most stores in neighboring France are closed. Anyone who wants to receive Christmas gifts can only do so online. Around 120 politicians, businessmen and environmental activists are now battling one of the biggest players in the online business, reports SRF.
For the second time, it has become quiet in the French capital, Paris: most of the shops are closed. Image: sda
In an online petition, they call for a boycott of Amazon. According to the tenor, the American online shipping giant should not place a single gift under the Christmas tree. Another petition even requires the digital company to pay an additional tax. “Amazon is making a profit while many small businesses are in trouble,” says economist Henri Sterdyniak.
Due to the renewed lockdown in France, Amazon was able to increase sales by 40 to 50 percent in November alone. Local merchants are upset about this. Despite generous financial support from the French state, many are facing collapse. “One unskilled job at Amazon, often low paying, destroys two higher paying jobs in smaller companies,” says economist Sterdyniak.
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