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Greek Retailers Call on EU to Accelerate Fee on Low-Value E-Commerce Parcels

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Greek retailers have urged the European Union to implement earlier than planned a €2 ($2.30) handling fee on low-value e-commerce packages entering the bloc, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters.

The EU had announced in May plans to end the duty-free treatment for consignments valued at €150 or less and impose the new fee starting in 2028, aiming to address the surge of online goods imports, primarily from Asia.

In the letter addressed to EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, Stavros Kafounis, president of the Hellenic Confederation of Commerce, requested the fee be applied no later than 2026.

EU customs handled around 4.6 billion low-value parcels in 2024, with 91% originating from China, a figure that doubled from 2023. Approximately 20% of Greek e-commerce sales revenue goes to Chinese platforms, a share expected to grow sharply in the coming years.

Kafounis emphasized that the rapid expansion of major Chinese e-commerce platforms has distorted fair competition within the EU retail market.

Under the proposal, the €2 fee would be charged to online retailers rather than consumers. The measure still requires approval from EU member states and the European Parliament.

Amazon Extends Prime Day to Four Days from July 8 to 11

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Amazon.com has announced that its annual Prime Day sales event will be extended to four days this year, running from July 8 through July 11, doubling the two-day length of last year’s event.

Jamil Ghani, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide Prime, explained the extension is a response to member feedback requesting more time to shop the deals.

The longer Prime Day comes amid uncertainty in the U.S. retail market over tariffs affecting prices and product availability. According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. shoppers spent $14.2 billion during Prime Day 2024, marking an 11% increase year-over-year.

Amazon faces stiff competition from other major retailers such as Walmart, Target, and ByteDance’s TikTok Shop, which are all launching early sales events targeting back-to-school and back-to-college shoppers with personal electronics, apparel, and home goods.

To attract younger consumers, Amazon is also offering discounted Prime memberships for customers aged 18 to 24, alongside other benefits. Prime memberships generally cost $14.99 per month or $139 per year.

Amazon Cuts Jobs in Books Division Amid Ongoing Restructuring Efforts

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Amazon has implemented another round of job cuts, this time targeting its books division, including its Goodreads review platform and Kindle operations. The company confirmed on Thursday that fewer than 100 employees were affected as part of an ongoing effort to enhance efficiency and better align with its evolving business strategy.

In a statement, an Amazon spokesperson explained, “As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently, and to better align with our business roadmap, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the Books organization.”

These latest cuts are part of a broader trend of targeted layoffs at Amazon over the past year. The company has previously trimmed positions across several units, including its devices and services division, the Wondery podcast business, stores, and communications teams. The job reductions reflect CEO Andy Jassy’s broader initiative to streamline Amazon’s organizational structure, which has included efforts to minimize bureaucracy by reducing layers of management.

Despite the cuts, Amazon has shown modest workforce growth this year, adding approximately 4,000 jobs in the first quarter compared to the final quarter of 2024, according to a recent company disclosure. However, the overall pace of hiring remains cautious as Amazon continues to navigate a shifting economic environment and seeks to balance growth with cost control.

The job reductions were first reported by Business Insider and come as Amazon’s stock closed 0.3% higher on Thursday. However, shares remain down 5.6% year-to-date, reflecting broader market pressures and investor concerns about the tech sector’s growth trajectory.

Amazon’s books business, long a core component of its original e-commerce operations, remains significant but is facing shifting consumer habits and increased competition across both physical and digital reading platforms. The company’s ongoing restructuring highlights its attempt to adapt to changing market dynamics while optimizing operations across all business units.