Amazon’s low-key launch wasn’t as monumental as the op eds had us believe – or was it?
Nearly five months on from Amazon’s Aussie launch, SEMrush’s Olga Andrienko questions if the launch was a flop, or if the retail giant is simply biding its time.
After months of wild speculation and audience anticipation, Amazon.com.au finally opened its local online store here on December 5 last year. The move put an end to the enormously high shipping fees Australians had to pay for Amazon’s international stores – but are Australians ultimately underwhelmed by Amazon’s arrival on our shores?
There was no big budget launch party, blanket TV advertising, media tours or any fanfare. The site simply went live in the early hours and that was it.
What I find odd is why they are going with the tortoise approach at all. Why launch when you aren’t ready? Instead of being seen as an improvement on what’s already here, people now associate Amazon with unfair pricing for Australians. Surely it would have been better to just wait and get it right rather than create and ugly impression that it will take time and effort to change?