Amazon Australia has finally launched... and it's frankly underwhelming

Speculation has been rife through the year as to when Amazon would open shop Down Under – with a soft launch notification sent to sellers just before Black Friday sending everyone into a tizzy to prepare themselves for great bargains during the big sales event – Amazon has finally launched its online marketplace in Australia. 

Just after midnight today (December 5) Amazon opened its digital doors to Aussies, expanding on its range of e-readers and ebooks to include laptops, cameras, phone accessories and plenty more, all ready to be bought right now.

At present, there are 23 categories listed on Amazon Australia’s site, and ABC News reports there's more to come in the near future (we hope).

Although the catalogue at the moment seems limited, Amazon Australia’s county manager, Rocco Braeuniger, has said that “millions” of products from Aussie retailers will be sold on the digital platform, with a long-term commitment being made to the Australian economy. 

“Over time, we will create thousands of new jobs and invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Australia,” he said.

Of course, if you've been waiting for Amazon's smart speakers to be officially sold in Australia, you'll have to wait till early next year to buy the 'Strayan version of Alexa-powered Echo range.

Delivered to the door

Amazon’s delivery speeds is one of the main selling points for the company’s popularity in other markets. The retail giant is bringing its promise of next-day delivery to Australia as well with Priority Delivery, and free delivery is available for products worth over $49.

There is, however, no news on whether or not Amazon Fresh will be delivering Aussies their groceries any time soon.

[Hero image courtesy of Flickr user Mugley]

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, Sharmishta's main priority is being TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor, looking after the day-to-day functioning of the Australian, New Zealand and Singapore editions of the site, steering everything from news and reviews to ecommerce content like deals and coupon codes. While she loves reviewing cameras and lenses when she can, she's also an avid reader and has become quite the expert on ereaders and E Ink writing tablets, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about these underrated devices. Other than her duties at TechRadar, she's also the Managing Editor of the Australian edition of Digital Camera World, and writes for Tom's Guide and T3.