BY NOW it should be self-evident that the poisoned chalice of modern living is easier access to consumer goods on the one hand and the homogenisation of choice on the other. Walk down any high street in any medium-sized town or city, and you’ll likely be confronted by row upon row of boarded-up shops and restaurants, cafes and bars, travel agents and bookstores.
It’s no secret that the reason small businesses continue to suffer is because they can’t afford to absorb the costs associated with soaring interest rates, currency fluctuations, rising fuel prices and the uncertainty caused by trade wars in the United States. In short, the behemoth of late capitalism ironically makes it less tenable than ever to run your own business; unless, of course, you’re one of the few with a pre-existing stranglehold on certain aspects of the market.
As society becomes more atomised and each of us is drawn ever further down the rabbit hole of conducting all our business online, the only winners are multinationals. The Irish Times reports that one euro in every ten spent online already goes to Amazon and with a captive audience that large – dwarfing that of any homegrown Irish retailer – it is likely that this number will only increase exponentially.
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the introduction of Amazon.ie this week as ‘good news for all’ while Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said that it will ‘enhance customer experience’ and provide a springboard for Irish businesses to hawk their wares online. Only part of this is true.
While Amazon employs 6,500 people across the island and has invested some $22 billion in the development of new data centres since 2004, reports about the company’s aggressive union busting activity, its alleged mistreatment of warehouse employees, its anti-competitive price-gouging and its investment in surveillance technology and AI should be deeply worrying to a discerning consumer public.
As the dissolution of commerce continues apace among small retailers, it’s worth taking another look at your local bookshop or department store before clicking ‘buy’ on Amazon’s shiny new portal. Your hometown high street may thank you for it.
See More: Amazon, Amazon.ie, Small Business
