Amazon Australia is set to launch ‘really soon’, but will it be as good as the US?

AMAZON could launch in Australia within days, but what will actually be sold on the site — and will it be as good as it is in the US?

Will Amazon follow through on all the hype.

SHOPAHOLICS are eagerly awaiting the launch of Amazon Australia, but what can we actually buy once the site is up and running — and will it be as good as the US version?

Amazon has remained notoriously tight-lipped about an official launch date, although Amazon Australia CEO Roco Braeuniger confirmed it would be “really really soon”.

Most local retail experts believe the launch will happen before the Black Friday sales on November 24.

So far, the company has also refused to disclose what will be sold on the website, although we do know that 500 sellers will be trading through Amazon Marketplace from day one.

Yesterday, Lifehacker revealed Amazon would be selling specific items including Sony Xperia phones, Dell computers and accessories, Bose products, LEGO Star Wars and Marvel superheroes sets and Calvin Klein underwear from the moment it launched Down Under.

Queensland University of Technology retail expert Dr Gary Mortimer said he predicted that electronics, clothing and sporting goods would be on offer immediately.

“It’s hard to tell [what will be sold] but I suspect what they will have on offer will be very similar to eBay today with categories and tabs like sporting goods, automotive, definitely clothing for ladies, children and men, electronics, sporting goods, footwear and accessories, homewares and furniture possibly, dry goods and bespoke ingredients and foods,” he said.

So can we expect the Australian version to mirror the US site? According to Mr Mortimer, the answer is complicated.

“Amazon is commencing operations in Victoria … then I think over the next couple of years it will be a slow burn,” he said.

“As for what they’ll offer here in Australia, Amazon will open Marketplace which is a very similar platform to eBay … eBay today has changed a lot from when it launched, it started selling second-hand products from home, and now 80 per cent of products sold are new products from small to medium businesses based in Taiwan or China.

“Compared with what happens in the States, Amazon has been in the US since 1995 and in that time it has established a number of different models [including the Amazon Prime subscription service and Amazon Fresh grocery service]. I wouldn’t expect that to take place in Australia for a long time — initially it will focus on establishing centres for distribution and logistics.”

Mr Mortimer said Amazon’s decision to keep Australians in the dark about the launch date and products was “smart but risky” as it kept interest high, but risked potential backlash and fear.

He said that despite early predictions that the launch of Amazon Australia would hurt the local retail industry, it could actually benefit both shoppers and sellers.

“I don’t think Amazon is going to decimate retail, I think it will be good for retail and small retailers with no online presence,” he said.

“I don’t think we’re going to see supermarkets and shopping centres close.”

While online shoppers are expected to embrace the new site, Mr Mortimer said it was unlikely to attract people who were not already frequent online shoppers.