Just checked and it’s all up for me now as well!
Pricing looks to be basically RRP for most items so far, and all from existing bricks and mortar retailers.
Hopefully the full launch delivers something a little better than this.
What an absolute fuck up of mammoth proportions. And if they block Amazon US, there will be riots. lol
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Oh God the next Al Qaeda-style video from Gerry Harvey will be insufferable.
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Even the Amazon Basics cables are rip offs. I can get cheaper cables at Target!
Why Amazon Australia is a dud
Amazon in the US competed directly against Walmart. Walmart’s sales have stalled since 2011. The retail market in Australia is much more diverse than the Walmart “monopoly” that existed in many American towns.
I had a long look at the Amazon’s Australian website today. It’s got the appeal of an East German department store with prices that are simply not competitive.
Existing Australian retailers must be thinking how the hell did this warehouse with a third rate website get so much publicity?
The simple fact is that Amazon cannot service enormous demand from day one. It will take time for them to build capacity in their warehouses and distribution channels. As capacity increases they will drop prices to gradually build demand and market share.
The media has set some very unrealistic expectations among buyers. Amazon has kept their launch as low-key as possible to avoid exactly the response we are seeing now, they have a better idea of how their business operates and grows than local media who just enjoy whipping up a frenzy.
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Bunnings in Mt Gambier have already relocated into the old Masters site. It is now in the Marketplace centre and is attracting a lot more clientele.
You’ve summed it up well. This is what happens when Amazon is on the receiving end of literally YEARS of endless hype (that they didn’t pay for or have any influence over) for its local launch from Australian media.
Even still, I still expected a company as enormous as Amazon to have a better launch than this.
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There was one retail launch that wasn’t a overhyped flop - took a trip out to the new Decathlon warehouse out Tempe way, next to Ikea. Gotta say, it looks the goods. And the prices are pretty good too - comfy sports singlets and shirts for $7-8 a pop. Small backpacks for $4.50 (if you didn’t get to claim the free gift of one of these bags with the Decathlon logo on it). Lots of space for people to try their new equipment. Although you will need to be a member to shop there, it is free, and you’ll need a app like Stocard to store the membership barcode on it.
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news.com.au pushing Amazon Australia with a positive story, comparing current cheap deals with more expensive prices at other Australian outlets. The story is a con, because a Google search finds prices available that are far closer to the Amazon price.
Eg: From Amazon Australia -
It’s $45 retail at JB HiFi.
It’s $119 retail new at 2nds World + $9 delivery.
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The Nine News report on Monday night didn’t compare Amazon very favourably with local retail stores.
i wonder if that had anything to do with how much ad spend Nine are getting from those local retail stores? 
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Like the “hard hitting” story on the openjng of Decathlon they did on Monday and promoted non-stop all weekend?
I looked in the Amazon Australia “menswear” category.
Apart from high prices and poor variety, after about page 3, about 50% of the offerings were “women’s wear”.
They could at least get their categorisation and sorting operating properly.
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For men interested in wearing women’s clothing? 
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The Coalition for Marriage told us this would happen if the “yes” votes wins. The crosse-eyed ladies in the ads were right. They are going to make men dress as women.
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How about a broken Search Engine…
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