Pickup points are unhappy with the new Ozon service fee

New Ozon service fee (MOEX: OZON) will affect approximately half of the pickup point. This data is provided by the Association of E-Commerce Market Participants based on the results of a survey. In mid-March 2024, the marketplace announced that for pick-up points with a turnover of more than 2 million rubles. A new fee will be introduced in April. At the same time, the site clarified that it will be calculated individually and will affect only 10% of Ozon’s partners. However, based on the results of a survey in which 600 pick-up point owners took part, it turned out that 50% of them will have to pay 20-70 thousand rubles. per month.

This rate was calculated for them by the calculator in their personal account on the marketplace. According to the specialized association, such a fee will deprive entrepreneurs of 30-40% of their net profit. Ozon’s partners have already prepared an appeal to the FAS, says Alexander Efimov, co-chairman of the Association of E-Commerce Market Participants for Legal Protection: “There could be some kind of sampling error within 5-10% only due to the fact that usually such forms are not signed by those who are confident that it doesn’t affect them. But in any case, we are also inclined to believe that our colleagues from Ozon did not quite correctly calculate how many pickup points this would affect. We have already transferred this data to the company and are waiting for feedback from them.

At the same time, if the question were raised in court, the judge would first of all ask the question of what people pay here for, what confirms that you provided these services to them. If this is not the case, then it is illegal in any case, even if it concerns only one partner. Data collection was carried out simultaneously with the signing of the draft appeal to the FAS of Russia. This is an initiative of the pickup points themselves. But we hope that Ozon will be able to reach an agreement with the owners of the delivery points. We are looking forward to negotiations. Because the antimonopoly service will still look into it. It would be appropriate to meet first before submitting any applications.”

As Ozon told Kommersant FM, a meeting with the dissatisfied owners of the pickup point is scheduled for March 27. At the same time, the marketplace insists that the data on the number of partners who will be affected by the innovations and the size of the fee itself were inflated. Data from social networks is not indicative, notes the head of external communications of the service, Anastasia Fomicheva: “We have more than 20 thousand owners of delivery points. For 90% of them the fee will be low and amount to 1 rub. per month.

The collection amount will be higher for a small part of the most profitable and mature points. In case of maximum collection, their remuneration will be at the level of 3-4% of turnover, and such points will still remain profitable. The results of the chat survey do not reflect the real impact of the collection on the network of collection points. 600 people answered the questions, despite the fact that we have more than 20 thousand partners in total; in addition, it is not a fact that all participants in the chats and survey are active agents.”

In Moscow and St. Petersburg, the threshold for charging a fee will be higher – 5-7 million rubles. In addition, Ozon partners will still have the opportunity to avoid deductions, says marketplace expert Artem Bobtsov: “Probably, the truth is closer to Ozon’s numbers. Firstly, you need to count by different months. If we count on December turnover, probably yes, the losses will be higher, and if on January turnover, then they will be minimal. We calculated for our network, our service fee averages several percent per year.

But if someone’s points have been open for a long time, with high turnover, then, probably, the service fee will be quite large. But at the same time, it can be avoided if you purchase or open other items that do not have a large turnover. If you have three points, and one of them is subject to a service fee, but the other two are not, then your average turnover is calculated for three points, and, as a rule, there is no service fee in such a picture. Part of the idea is for the networks to expand.

Ozon itself explained the introduction of this fee by saying that the company is investing heavily in development, logistics, launching new warehouses, attracting new couriers, drivers, purchasing vehicles, and so on. But, in fact, Ozon has several tens of thousands of points, and the majority of them are silent, because this service fee will not affect them, and those who are affected express their dissatisfaction have the right to do so. Ozon does not close itself off from discussions. In principle, there is still time until April 1, and if the delivery points really have some compelling arguments, they can convey them. But I think that in general everything will depend on the position of the FAS.”

Now Ozon distribution points receive a fixed 5% of the point’s turnover without any deductions. The size of the new service fee will depend on the average rental costs and income of the pickup point, as well as the population density of the city where it is located.

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Ulyana Gorelova