Prime is still inexpensive compared to what it costs the company.

Nearly 43% increase in France, 38.6% in Italy and Spain, 30.3% in Germany and 20% in the United Kingdom: in relative value, the increase in the annual price of the Prime subscription is spectacular , in any case much higher than the price inflation observed in the countries concerned.

It will come into effect on September 15.

The group informed its subscribers by e-mail from 1 a.m. on Tuesday, some users on Twitter not failing to wonder if the purpose was to go unnoticed.

He explains to AFP having to deal with an "increase in shipping costs", in particular with the rise in the prices of fuel, energy and even packaging.

It had already increased its prices in the United States in February, from 12.99 to 14.99 dollars per month and from 119 to 139 dollars per year.

In Europe, prices will increase in France from 5.99 to 6.99 euros per month and from 49 to 69.90 euros per year.

In the United Kingdom, from 7.99 to 8.99 pounds (about 10.6 euros) and from 79 to 95 pounds (about 112 euros).

In Germany, from 7.99 to 8.99 euros and from 69 to 89.9 euros.

In Spain and Italy, from 3.99 to 4.99 euros per month and from 36 to 49.90 euros per year.

Subscribers to the offer for students, Amazon Prime Student, have also reported on social networks a price increase, from 2.99 to 3.49 euros per month and from 24 to 34.95 euros per month. year.

Such a price increase may come as a surprise, in a context where the generalized inflation in the cost of energy, fuel and foodstuffs has made customers even more sensitive to prices, and where purchasing power has since long months the first concern of the French.

- "Crisis profiteer" -

The group has been taxed as a "crisis profiteer" by the Attac association on Twitter, and a handful of subscribers have said they intend to unsubscribe, which will be all the easier since the group has drastically simplified the beginning July the "opt-out" procedure, after an intervention by the European Commission and a complaint from several consumer associations.

The company in France was confident: "from what we have seen in the United States, there has been no opt-out phenomenon (disengagement, editor's note) because we are bringing more and more services via Prime and that this service still allows consumers to achieve extremely significant savings."

In mid-June, financial analysts at JP Morgan bank estimated that the overall value of "all the services making up the Prime offer taken separately would cost around $1,100 a year" to American consumers, i.e. 8 times more than what is actually theirs. invoice.

Note that the American bank "does and seeks to do business with the company", hence a risk of "conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of the report".

In any event, the program is a vital cog in the business of Amazon, which has made it a powerful driver of consumer loyalty and invests heavily in attracting and nurturing those subscribers.

Delivering a certain number of references in one day is "difficult and expensive at first, while we build the infrastructure" to ramp up, explained in his last letter to his shareholders the boss of the American giant Andy Jassy.

"But we think our over 200 million Prime members...will love it."

Once loyal, they spend twice as much on average as non-members, estimated in 2021 Foxintelligence, which measures the online purchases of a panel of European consumers.

And will probably look twice before unsubscribing.

© 2022 AFP