French platform combines carpooling with cross-border price arbitrage in the EU
5 hours ago
- #carpooling
- #EU borders
- #price arbitrage
- New French platform Carklop combines carpooling with cross-border price arbitrage for cheaper cigarettes and alcohol in the EU.
- Carklop takes a 15% commission on rides and was created by entrepreneur Philippe Poulard, noting significant price differences in tobacco between France and Germany.
- Example savings: A round trip to Germany with three passengers saves each person 379.5 euros on 33 packs of tobacco, with a carpooling cost of 11.5 euros per person.
- Traditional tobacco shops and the SNTL have criticized the platform, calling it a tool for facilitating smuggling and considering legal action.
- EU quotas allow adults to bring back limited quantities of tobacco and alcohol across borders, highlighting price differences and entrepreneurial exploitation.