Is the Amazon Grinch going to spoil this Christmas for Australian retailers?

A report this week from analysts at Citi has added to the mounting evidence that Amazon is close to hitting the start button on its Australian operations as early as next month - sending yet another shudder down the spines of already jittery retailers and their investors.

Sure, Amazon should be a concern for retailers, but it doesn't explain the current weakness in retail spending - the antidote to which is an end to our sluggish wage growth.

The Citi report only added to the negative news on the sector this week from the Australian Bureau of Statistics - that the value of retail sales didn't rise at all in July and year-on-year are now running at a meagre 3.6 per cent.