Online retailer Amazon is set to target the Australian market for consumer electronics products with the global retailer set to offer US pricing for hundreds of consumer electronics goods currently sold in Australian retail stores at considerably higher prices than what Amazon sell them for.
Yesterday the Company launched their highly popular Kindle electronic reader in Australia at the US price of $279 or ( A$312 ). They are also tipped, to be set to market hundreds of other products that can be purchased online Vs purchasing in an Australian store at prices which are sometimes 90% more than the price quoted at amazon.com.
Australia is one of around 100 countries outside the USA being offered the Kindle service for the first time, CEO Jeff Bezos, announced. Bezos, has also told analysts that he is looking to grow Amazon revenues by attracting overseas business to his US web site Amazon.com.
One vendor in Australia, who sells a well known brand of consumer electronic good's has told ChannelNews that they have already made enquiries of their overseas parent about restricting the sale of online products into Australia from sites like Amazon because of significant pricing differences.
They said that if US retailers do start targeting Australia that it will "significantly" affect the profit margin of Australian consumer electronics retailers.
The vendor said that their inquiry of their overseas parent was made t after a complaint from a leading retailer.
Amazon.com's Kindle2 e-reader will be available in Australia for the first time from October 19 complete with a local version of the Whispernet service that delivers electronic books to the reader inside a claimed 60 seconds where 3G reception is available.
