Amazon’s Australian Launch: New Details Revealed!



Amazon Australia has laid out its plans during a marketplace summit in Sydney. We finally have some firm details about the launch, including a delivery time promise. Here’s what you need to know!

Reminder: 2017's Craziest Online Sales Have Now Started! On Saturday, the biggest sales period of the year officially kicked off with the launch of Singles Day. But this is only the beginning. For the rest of the month, bargain hunters are going to be hit with one huge sale after another, including the massive international shopping event known as Black Friday. </p> <p>And maybe... just maybe, we'll also see the launch of Amazon Australia. My wallet is ready. Read more

The Amazons are coming! On Monday morning, Amazon Australia CEO Roco Braeuniger addressed hundreds of local businesses and entrepreneurs about the online marketplace’s impending launch. Here are the important details.

Local entrepreneurs swarming to Amazon’s ‘marketplace summit’ in Sydney this morning pic.twitter.com/DwaDkG7FxP — Patrick Hatch (@pwhatch) November 12, 2017

When is Amazon Australia’s launch date?

At the event, Braeuniger confirmed that its retail and marketplace platform would be launching “really really soon”.

Amazon announces it will launch its retail offering as well as its marketplace for third party sellers in Australia “really really soon” says country head Rocco Braeuniger – Amazon retail uses Amazon delivery for external suppliers #ausbiz — Tony Boyd (@TonyBoydAFR) November 12, 2017

So no firm date yet, but we reckon it could be as early as next week. This would also place it in prime position to capitalise on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales frenzy. (Read more here.)

How fast will Amazon goods be delivered?

According to Koala Safe representatives who spoke at the event, Amazon is aiming at a two-day turnaround in freight delivery. On the other hand, Fairfax reports that marketplace sellers will initially be responsible for delivering products to consumers, which doesn’t bode well.

How many products will Amazon sell?

In a previous announcement, Amazon stated it would be selling “hundreds of thousands of products” at launch. This seemed unusually high for a single warehouse.

Today, Braeuniger confirmed Amazon will be launching a marketplace for third parties to sell through in addition to its own warehouse offerings. In other words, many of the products available on Amazon will come in the form of sales portals to other Australian retailers, similar to how eBay works today.

Will Amazon’s international sites be blocked?

Braeuniger did not say whether Amazon’s international sites would be subject to geo-blocking to force Australian customers onto the local platform. However, he did confirm that local sellers will be given the opportunity to reach global customers. This suggests that geo-blocking will not be implemented.

What about faulty products?

As expected, Amazon will be handling returns locally, as per Australian Consumer Law. This means when something goes wrong, you will be able to contact Amazon instead of relying on the seller.

How much will it cost participating businesses?

Selling on Amazon Australia marketplace will reportedly cost AU$49.95 per month, plus six to 15% of completed sales. When you consider the customer reach Amazon provides, this sounds pretty reasonable.

Selling on Amazon Australia marketplace costs AU$49.95 monthly plus 6 to 15% of completed sales (%varies on category) #Ecommerce @Which50 — Tess Bennett (@TessBennett) November 13, 2017

As we reported yesterday, Amazon’s Australian website is quietly being populated with products in the lead-up to the launch. Amazon AU is also showing up in Google results now too. For Harvey Norman and its ilk, D-Day is fast approaching…

Amazon Australia's Website Is Now Being Populated With Items If you're getting excited for Amazon's arrival in Australia, there's a few more signs that launch is imminent. Amazon's Australian website is now being populated with some items - among other things, power boards, cables and garden gnomes have begun appearing on the site. Read more

This story is still developing. More to come!