Amazon launches Prime in Australia

amazon11Amazon on Tuesday launched its membership program, Amazon Prime, in Australia, offering free two-day delivery to nearly 90 per cent of Australians for an annual fee of $59.

This is significantly less than the $119 fee for Amazon Prime in the US.

Amazon Australia’s country manager Rocco Braeuniger noted the company was “thrilled” to introduce Prime six months after launching a local retail offering in Australia.

“We have been working hard to expand selection, ensure customers get great value, and improve the Amazon shopping experience for Australians. With the addition of Prime, customers can now enjoy the most convenient way to shop and take advantage of new and expanding benefits from Amazon,” he said.

In a press release, Amazon said its Prime program will bring free two-business-day delivery to 90 per cent of Australians, with more cities, towns and suburbs being added over time.

It is currently available to members in Australian capital cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth, as well as regional cities, such as Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo, Gold Coast, Gosford, Newcastle, Shepparton–Mooroopna, Toowoomba, Wagga Wagga and more.

Prime members in more remote or rural locations will receive free expedited shipping in as fast as four or five days.

There is no minimum purchase to qualify for free delivery, however, it is only available on ‘Prime-eligible’ products.

Amazon said there are Prime-eligible products across all 23 shopping categories on its local site, including clothing  and accessories, electronics, books, toys, consumables, and beauty.

Eligible products at launch include items from brands such as Blackmores, Bonds, Sol-Sana, Breville, Bose, L’Oreal, Tommy Hilfiger, Nintendo, Disney, Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Huggies.

Notably, Prime members in Australia also have access to more than four million products on Amazon in the US through the local Australian site and free international delivery on orders over $49.

This comes after Amazon announced it will stop shipping orders from its US site to Australian addresses in order to avoid having to comply with the new GST laws.

“We hope that Australians will love free two-business -day delivery on products from Amazon Australia and free international delivery on products from Amazon US, all available to customers on Amazon.com.au,” Amazon’s vice president of Prime International, Jamil Ghani, said.

“We are really proud to bring Australians the most extensive set of Prime benefits at launch for any country – ever. This is just the beginning for Prime in Australia, as we will keep making Prime better, adding even more selection and benefits.”

Prime members in Australia also gain access to Amazon’s award-winning Prime Original television shows, as well as other popular movies and shows with Prime Video, over 1000 e-books with Prime Reading, benefits for gamers with Twitch Prime.

Amazon Prime has more than 100 million paid members around the world.

You have 7 articles remaining. Unlock 15 free articles a month, it’s free.