Non-food online commerce has destroyed 85,000 jobs in ten years, denounces an NGO

Very small retail businesses and the clothing sector are paying a heavy price for the affirmation of distance selling, according to Friends of the Earth. Article written by Published on 03/23/2022 06:53 Updated on 03/23/2022 08:09 Reading time: 1 min. “This is the largest social plan currently underway in France”, denounces the NGO behind the study. The development of non-food online commerce is responsible for the destruction of 85,000 jobs between 2009 and 2019 and threatens nature with its “warehouses larger than large shopping centers”, accuses the association Les Amis de la Terre on Wednesday March 23. . According to Les Amis de la Terre, which took over the methodology of the firm Kavala Capital to update the previous study covering the period 2009-2018 (PDF document), 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 businesses in the retail sector and the clothing sector are paying a heavy price for the affirmation of distance selling, with 7,600 and 4,800 jobs lost respectively. “For every job created in an online sales company with 50 or more employees, almost two were destroyed in the smallest companies in 2019.” The authors of the study are also worried on the one hand about a strong Covid-19 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. “Emmanuel Macron’s five-year term has resulted in incomprehensible choices. Tax gifts, administrative and political support have enabled massive and rapid implementation. However, e-commerce is destroying jobs at high speed”, deplores a door- word of the NGO. “The government favors uberization, 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 Friends of the Earth. Share: Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share by email Share link