If the comments on our coverage of the launch yesterday are anything to go by, Amazon Australia failed to excite many people. Amazon Australia however is quite happy with it saying the Australian Retail Launch is the ‘Biggest Opening Day Ever for Amazon’.
Amazon Australia switched on the lights and threw open the doors yesterday morning, offering millions of items across 23 categories including Books, Music, Clothing & Accessories, Consumer Electronics, Kitchenware and more. Across these categories, Amazon saw Tens of thousands of customers visited the website during the first 24 hours, with orders placed across all 23 categories.
Rocco Braeuniger, Country Manager of Amazon Australia said of the launch
We are thankful to Australian customers for making this a landmark day in Amazon history. From early in the day, we experienced visitor numbers that far exceeded our expectations.
The launch also allowed Amazon Marketplace sellers to get a taste of what’s to come allowing them to sell their wares through the Amazon Australia site.
The so-called ‘Amazon effect’ wasn’t really present at launch as many of you pointed out, but Amazon will continue to expand their offerings, expanding their product selections and hopefully driving down prices. Mr Braeuniger further said
Yesterday was day one for our retail offering in Australia. We will be working hard today and in the long term to continue to enhance our offering and to provide customers with an ever-increasing selection of products at low prices.
There doesn’t seem to be much to offer at this stage in the Amazon range. It’s still cheaper to import some goods to Australia from the US version of the site, and with Amazon Prime still not ready until mid-next year and the Alexa powered Echo line of product missing-in-action until next year as well, it’s a very quiet launch for now.
At this stage, it’s a matter of wait and see, Amazon may grow in scope and the much hoped for discounts on goods may eventually appear but for now it’s well worth shopping around local sellers in Australia before committing to buy from Amazon.
