What's it like getting warranty issues sorted? If they put a warehouse here, would the CGA apply?

Amazon are pretty good with warranty/returns as it is.

IcI:

 

timmmay: NZ is likely too small for an Amazon warehouse. Australia's close and they get great shipping rates.

 

Behodar: As for local presence, I don't see a full warehouse any time soon, but I can imagine a smaller depot with the most popular stuff. 

 

I have to agree with @jpoc. Amazon Prime & the whole border / customs issue makes having a local warehouse important.

 

Important for Amazon or important for NZ customers? I'm just not sure Amazon would care enough about NZ given our population.

jpoc:

 

timmmay:

 

Lias:

 

BlinkyBill: So?

 

Also possibly a prelude to a move into NZ.

 

 

NZ is likely too small for an Amazon warehouse. Australia's close and they get great shipping rates.

 

 

Don't be so sure. A lot of people think that Amazon will set up a fulfilment centre (or two) in the upper north island sometime in the next year or two.

 

The Warehouse group certainly think so. That is why they went for the shipping deal with NZ Post. They ran a customer survey a couple of months ago in which they tried to gauge consumer reaction to a local Amazon fulfilment centre.

 

If Amazon still isn't a major player in Canada online(after 7 years and 7 DC's with Prime in select cities) I don't see them having a massive impact locally/in AUS in the same timeframe. 

loceff13:

 

 

 

If Amazon still isn't a major player in Canada online(after 7 years and 7 DC's with Prime in select cities) I don't see them having a massive impact locally/in AUS in the same timeframe. 

 

I suspect it will have more impact here.. Canada benefits from being next to the US in any ways, so it doesn't get the same regional pricing penalties we do. Amazon can benefit from massive buying power, lots of experience at streamlining things, and 26 billion US in cash reserves to play with, I think we will see more impact here.

Amazon know that delivery time counts. Faster deliveries mean increased sales across a wide range of products.

That is why they are opening fulfilment centers all over. The sales gain from having same day delivery in Auckland will certainly be worth their while.

This is not really an issue open for debate, Amazon have found this out from their own experience.

I hope they do open in Australia and here, and undercut the local retailers. They have been using antiquated high cost business models and gouging NZ consumers ruthlessly for far too long, and I'm happy to see the blowtorch held to local distributors and retailers. If some of them go bust because they can't or won't compete, then so be it and good riddance.

Case in point, I wanted a 128GB microSD card about two years ago (weight: less that 10 grams). The best local price I could find was $399, which they reduced to $299 when I tried to haggle. I got the same thing (two actually, and a better brand, Samsung) from Amazon for $US39 each (+$5 in shipping for both). $115 compared to $598, a massive 81% saving. Adding GST wouldn't materially change the equation.

Over the last 5-6 years I have made similar savings with:

• 50GB optical media (Aliexpress)
• Cables for my AV setup (Monoprice)
• Computer memory (Amazon)
• AV converters (Monoprice)
• ebooks (seriously, I bought a couple of ebooks from Amazon for 99 cents a few years back, the whitcoulls online store had them for $15.99, a 94% saving!)
• clothing (from the US and UK, even the UK is *much* cheaper than here)

NZ retailers have preyed on us poor consumers for long enough. As far as I'm concerned, they can either shape up or close.

Lias:

 

loceff13:

 

 

 

If Amazon still isn't a major player in Canada online(after 7 years and 7 DC's with Prime in select cities) I don't see them having a massive impact locally/in AUS in the same timeframe. 

 

 

I suspect it will have more impact here.. Canada benefits from being next to the US in any ways, so it doesn't get the same regional pricing penalties we do. Amazon can benefit from massive buying power, lots of experience at streamlining things, and 26 billion US in cash reserves to play with, I think we will see more impact here.

 

Theres no easy fix for Amazon to compete with chains here, we already have ones that get exclusive SKU's from manufacturers(so theres no competition eating margins on that specific item) and buying from the AUS or US distributor(with intent to sell to NZ) will typically have the same restrictions(ie they probably would be barred from selling Samsung AUS supply chain SKU's that are exclusive to local chains here as part of their agreement).