By having an Australian-based Amazon distribution centre, delivery times and possibly costs, will also be curtailed - not good news for a retail sector feeling the pinch from online sales.

It is understood representatives of the global giant are preparing to visit in coming months to tour prospective sites down the eastern seaboard with the potential to lease an existing property, or sign up as a pre-committed tenant for a greenfields property.

In the past two years Goodman Group has built nine warehouses, covering about 700,000 square metres, for Amazon, mainly across Europe, and will no doubt be talking to the group if it enters Australia in a significant way.

One agent said the idea of Amazon ''kicking tyres'' in Australia made good sense, given the internet is accounting for more than 10 per cent of retail sales in the country.

In the US, online shopping, or e-tailing, is closer to 20 per cent and rising. That means goods bought on the internet need to be stored and then distributed and while courier services such as DHL and Australia Post can deliver within 24 hours, having a local presence for Amazon is considered more cost-efficient.