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HEALTH

The French town where local businesses are creating an alternative to Amazon

During lockdown, hundreds of small business owners in a small town in western France gathered on a 100 percent local e-commerce platform with a double objective: staying afloat and fighting giants such as Amazon.

Published: 16 July 2020 15:44 CEST
The French town where local businesses are creating an alternative to Amazon
Angers, in western France, is the first city in the country to have its own online marketplace. Photo: AFP

Retail shops were hit hard by coronavirus – many were forced to close during the lockdown and even after they reopened many consumers turned to online shopping.

So more than 200 local businesses in the town of Angers decided to launch their own e-commerce platform to try and keep their stores afloat.

The project to create a local online marketplace in Angers had been in the pipeline for a couple of years already but everything accelerated when lockdown hit, according to the town’s official website.

Many shops had to close during lockdown in France. Photo: AFP

Angers shopping launched on April 20th and has made Angers the first city in France to have its own online marketplace.

Created by the Paris-based tech startup Wishibam in collaboration with Angers French Tech, the CCI Maine-et-Loire and the association “les Vitrines d’Angers”, it gave the opportunity to hundreds of local Angers business vendors to sell their products while their physical shops were closed.

Angers shopping also has the ambition of being ethical, environmentally friendly and human-focused, in sharp contrast to Amazon which has particularly been criticised in France.

French activists protest against Amazon on the Pont-du-Gard bridge in southern France on June 17, 2020. Photo: AFP. 

In fact at the beginning of lockdown, Amazon had to face several strikes and demonstrations by warehouse workers who complained about overcrowding and a lack of hand sanitiser.

The Versailles Court of Appeals in France then upheld a previous lower court decision banning Amazon from delivering non-essential items in the country during the covid-19 crisis.

Still, challenging Amazon won’t be easy as it amounts for 22 per cent of all online spending in France, with about 45 per cent of the population buying from it at least once a year, according to Kantar Insights France.

And even with the end of lockdown, online shopping remains a good alternative for small business owners who, for the most part, can only allow a few masked customers into their shop at once. 

By Olivia Sorrel-Dejerine

 

Member comments

  1. Angevin(e)s will be indignant to see their beautiful city (pop 150K plus) described as a ‘small town.’ Only a Parisian …

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HEALTH

French health authorities warn of risk of ‘epidemic’ from mosquito-borne disease

French health authorities have sounded the alarm about the 'fairly high risk' of an epidemic of mosquito-borne illnesses in the next five years in France.

Published: 17 September 2024 10:58 CEST
French health authorities warn of risk of 'epidemic' from mosquito-borne disease

ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail), the French body for environment and health safety – published a report on Friday finding that France is at a ‘fairly high risk’ of epidemics linked to tiger mosquitoes.

Tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) are known for their ability to carry dangerous diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika virus. These diseases can be dangerous, but deaths are rare in countries where people have access to good healthcare.

So far, the insect has been detected in 78 of France’s 95 mainland départements – gradually spreading north as global temperatures warm.

READ MORE: MAP: Tiger mosquitoes reach northern France

ANSES wrote in their report that “in the next five years, an epidemic of mosquito-borne illnesses has a probability between 6 and 7, on a scale of 0 to 9.”

In terms of when the ‘epidemic’ level is reached, one of the two coordinators of the study, Émeline Barrès, explained in the report: “We talk about an epidemic when it is not possible to link all the infected people to one single outbreak.

“This means that the transmissions are beyond the control system.”

ANSES also added that “the emergence of an epidemic depends on a number of factors.

“These include the presence of tiger mosquitoes in the country, climatic conditions favourable to their reproduction (in particular the accumulation of hot days over a given period and rainfall), the arrival of infections in people from areas where viruses are circulating, and the effectiveness of measures to combat tiger mosquitoes and the transmission of viruses.”

What would happen if there was an epidemic?

Experts expressed concerns in a number of areas.

“In the event of an epidemic, the current means to prevent and monitor mosquito-borne illnesses would become overwhelmed”, the researchers wrote.

They also referenced fears about the health system being under strain if a large number of cases were to occur over a wide area, as well as impacts on the tourism industry.

Anses also recommended that local authorities be vigilant in ensuring that under-served populations have access to information, prevention resources and care, out of concern that an epidemic could exacerbate social inequality in France.

What is the current risk?

In recent years, cases of dengue and chikungunya have increased in mainland France.

From May 1st to September 10th, France reported 1,372 imported cases (meaning they were contracted outside of mainland France) of dengue fever.

READ MORE: How serious is the threat from dengue fever in France?

Health authorities also reported 13 imported cases of chikungunya and three of (imported) Zika virus.

Imported mosquito-borne illnesses in France tend to involve people who recently visited the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe – where the such diseases are endemic.

These islands are for administrative purposes part of France – so often show up in French health data – but they are roughly 7,000km away from Paris.

As for cases contracted in mainland France, local transmission remains rare.

In 2024, there have so far been 46 reported cases of locally transmitted (indigenous) dengue fever, according to Santé Publique France. There has been one case of ‘indigenous’ chikungunya so far in 2024.

In terms of location, the majority of these local infections have occurred in southern France.

Screenshot from Santé Publique France of a map of indigenous outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses in France.

In 2023, there were nine separate outbreaks of indigenous dengue transmission were identified, one of which occurred in the Paris region. These led to 45 cases of local transmission (in mainland France).

Until recently, researchers had been unable to identify contaminated mosquitoes, despite the presence of local transmission, but in 2023, researchers managed to trap tiger mosquitoes in the Drôme département who were carrying the virus. 

What steps can people take to stop the spread of tiger mosquitoes?

Anses noted that in addition to collective action and a response from health authorities, individuals can also take steps.

These include;

  • Regularly emptying outdoor bowls or receptacles filled with water in order to prevent them from becoming mosquito breeding areas
  • Covering rainwater collectors with mosquito netting
  • Protecting yourself by wearing long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing and by using insect repellent.

READ MORE: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

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