While Amazon Australia’s hotly anticipated November 24 launch turned out to be a false alarm, the retailer has officially opened its doors to Australia with the site going live this morning.
Best described as an online shopping mall, Australians have been awaiting the arrival of Amazon’s Australian marketplace for close to two years. The current site covers 23 categories including books, computers, music, clothing, shoes, beauty and baby products.
In a statement, Amazon Australia country manager Rocco Braeuniger said: “Focusing on customers and the long-term are key principles in Amazon’s approach to retailing.
“By concentrating on providing a great shopping experience and by constantly innovating on behalf of customers, we hope to earn the trust and the custom of Australian shoppers in the years to come.”
If Braeuniger is correct, the formula for a one-stop-shop for consumers will hopefully prove to be just as fruitful for Amazon Australia as its US and European counterparts – who made $USD136 billion in revenue last year alone.
While the launch may have some retailers sweating, Australian Retailers Association (ARA) executive director, Russell Zimmerman, has said that Amazon is a “great opportunity” for local retailers, with online market sales accounting for more than seven percent of Australian sales.
“With over 300 million active users already on Amazon’s Marketplace, the majority of Australian retailers view Amazon’s platform as a supplementary channel to their current retail offering.
“We encourage retailers across Australia to embrace change, and meet the demands of both consumers and the 24-hour market place."
