Amazon set for soft launch ahead of Black Friday sales

Amazon finally looks like switching on operations in Australia after an internal email to its marketplace vendors was leaked.

Obtained by Lifehacker, it told sellers to be ready to go online for 2pm AEST on Thursday, just in time for the Black Friday shopping frenzy.

While it is not a full launch, it is thought that as many as 500 retailers will be up and running, although the volume and nature of the products on sale is not yet know.  

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Numerous technology-related products have been listed on the Australian Amazon site already, including laptops and electronic cables. Such products may be heavily discounted amid talk that the US ecommerce giant aims to generate an immediate footprint in terms of sales.

Customers in Australian can already order products from oversees, but the establishment of locally-based warehouses will greatly reduce shipping costs and turnaround times, something which other big retailers are responding to.

In terms of real estate, Amazon has a nine-storey office in Sydney’s financial district and said in August it had chosen a site in Melbourne to house a distribution warehouse. The east coast is undoubtedly a focal point for the company, unsurprising given around 80% of Australians are settled there.