Electronic communications regulation authority, posts and press distribution, The arcep adjusts parameters used to establish part of the remuneration of press merchants.
The arcep has decided to reduce the thresholds used to determine the rate of the increase in turnover of each press merchant and the contributions to the public consultation which took place from June 23 to July 12, 2023 on this subject. This decision comes into force for remuneration paid as sales made from the second half of the year 2023. ARCEP decides to reduce turnover thresholds required by the various rates of turnover rates by 6 %. The remuneration of a press merchant is currently made up of a determined commission as a percentage of the amount of sales of daily newspapers and magazines made through it. It consists of basic remuneration depending on the type of point of sale and additional increases, one of which is linked to the amount of these sales : The more important press sales, The more the merchant benefits from a high increase rate.
The sale of declining newspapers
The sustainable and general drop in press turnover sold at the number (6 % per year on average between 2017 and 2021) leads to a mechanical decrease in the remuneration of press merchants. Furthermore, turnover thresholds used to determine the increase rate of each merchant who have not been revised to take into account the general drop in the press sold to the number, This situation leads the press merchants (crossing a turnover threshold) to bear not only a decrease in their remuneration linked to the volume, but also an additional decrease linked to the decrease in their increase rate. This decline involves the attractiveness of the press merchant profession. It is likely to question the extent of the coverage of the point of sale network and, in fine, the territorial continuity of the distribution of the press to which the arcep is responsible for watching. Consequently the arcep adopted, July 18, 2023, a decision lowering thresholds applicable to the increase in press merchants.
Public consultation of the sector
In addition, ARCEP questions the players in the sector on the evolution of the conditions of remuneration of the medium -term press merchants. This public consultation, Launched on June 23, is open until mid-October and aims to know the assessment of actors in the sector as to the current conditions for the remuneration of press merchants and the developments they consider necessary in the medium term.
