Amazon Marketplace has long been a central part of the e-commerce landscape in many countries around the world. Until recently, though, Australia – often a leading player in online commerce – wasn’t among them. But finally, earlier this month, the country came in from the cold – and now sellers Down Under are listing millions of items across twenty categories.
To consumers in countries where Amazon Marketplace already operates, the deal is familiar: categories include Books, Music, Clothing, Consumer Electronic, Beauty, and Amazon Devices.
Australia’s relatively small population is spread over a vast area, making logistics more challenging than in Europe – but the company is offering next-day delivery on orders that they fulfill in certain regions, as well as free shipping on eligible orders over AUD49.
Rocco Braeuniger, Amazon’s country manager for Australia, said that “focusing on customers and the long-term are key principles in Amazon’s approach to retailing,” and that “by concentrating on providing a great shopping experience and by constantly innovating on behalf of customers,” the company hopes “to earn the trust and the custom of Australian shoppers in the years to come.”
Sellers large and small
The arrival of Amazon Marketplace in Australia is likely to mean that more small and medium-sized Australian and international brands become available via Amazon’s platform there. Globally, Amazon sells about half its total units via Marketplace sellers.
Adam Mills, founder and CTO of Australian tech company KoalaSafe, which has traded on Amazon Marketplace internationally for the past two years, said of the move that “small businesses and retailers across the country should be excited.”
“While it can be a challenge to ensure potential customers find your website, Amazon already has hundreds of millions of customers around the world searching for new products,” he went on, adding that he thinks that “the visibility and access Amazon provides is an enormous opportunity for all businesses.”
Amazon says that globally, more than 100,000 small businesses achieve turnovers in excess of $100,000 via its platform – and that between them, they employ more than 600,000 people in support of their activities on Amazon Marketplace.
Fulfilment by Amazon
As we’ve noted previously, Amazon places a strong emphasis on its ability to fulfil orders made with third-party sellers via its marketplace, along with the added consistency this brings. In Australia, orders fulfilled by Amazon will go through the company's new fulfillment center at Dandenong South.
Braeuniger has said that “over time,” the company would “create thousands of new jobs and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Australia,” the outcome of this, he claimed, being “an ever-improving customer experience driven by the regular introduction of new products and services.”
As we’d expect from a leading marketplace player, customers can access Amazon’s marketplace in Australia via a number of convenient means including desktop and mobile websites, and an app. These also let customers track their orders and access a full array of customer services.
Extra perks and inducements
To go along with the marketplace launch in Australia, Amazon has also expanded its Prime Video and Twitch Prime services to the region, giving customers who pay a monthly subscription access to a growing catalogue of original content. Amazon has lately been investing heavily in original TV production, and sees this as an important way of distinguishing itself from its competitors.
