Consumers in Ireland will soon be able to buy from a dedicated Irish Amazon store which will help shoppers avoid delivery delays and extra customs charges.
The news that many Irish shoppers have long been waiting for has finally arrived!
Amazon has announced that it’s to launch a dedicated Irish website sometime next year, which it says will enhance the retail experience for new and existing customers.
Ever since Amazon started selling online, Irish shoppers have had to use Amazon stores in other countries - most commonly the UK which was the de facto Irish site. However the German Amazon store has also been popular, though many products often aren't available for delivery to Ireland.
But ever since the UK left the EU, and with it came the imposition of new customs duty charges and VAT costs, the calls for an Irish Amazon site have grown louder.
Work towards an Irish site began in 2022 when Amazon built its first Irish ‘fulfilment centre’ in Dublin, which now employs around 500 people and stocks hundreds of thousands of products.
And now today Amazon has taken a step further by finally announcing that Amazon.ie will launch sometime in 2025.
What does this mean for consumers?
The launch of the new website will have several benefits for Irish users of Amazon. These include:
- Faster delivery including more same day delivery options
- Easier returns
- More Irish products to choose from and a more localised shopping experience
- No extra currency conversion fees or customs duty charges
- Clearer, local pricing without having to worry about extra fees and charges being tagged on
- The creation of new jobs
According to Amazon, over 1,000 small and medium-sized Irish enterprises sell with the company already, generating over €150 million in export sales in 2022 alone. And this will hopefully grow over the coming years following the launch of Amazon.ie.
The launch of an Irish Amazon store will also force other retailers here to up their game, particularly around delivery times, which can only be a good thing for consumers.
The launch of Amazon.ie will be great news for Irish customers and we're looking forward to opening its virtual doors in 2025. This underscores our continued commitment to Ireland, and will bring a wide selection of great value products with fast delivery to Irish customers, as well as provide great opportunities for small and medium-sized Irish businesses to reach a bigger audience at home and abroad.
John Boumphrey, Ireland and UK country manager at Amazon
Amazon Prime
For the time being Amazon has yet to comment on whether subscribers to Amazon Prime will be moved over to an Amazon.ie account or what the price would be.
Amazon Prime offers free, priority delivery on a host of products ordered through Amazon, as well as access to Amazon Music and Prime Video, Amazon’s popular streaming service.
Irish subscribers are currently charged in sterling with the price £8.95 a month at present. Being charged in sterling means the price is subject to currency fluctuations and a currency conversion fee. So a fixed euro price would be welcomed by some.
A threat to local high streets?
While some may welcome Amazon's further commitment to Ireland, others might lament the impact it could have on local shops and high streets.
Amazon has also come in for criticism in many countries for how it treats its workers with tales of long shifts, mediocre pay, and employees being denied simple things like toilet breaks in some of its distribution and fulfilment centres.
Regardless of your views on Amazon, it's also important to remember that it isn't always the cheapest place to buy something. Although it offers super competitive prices on a multitude of products, local stores can still sometimes be better value. And buying local also means you won't have to worry about delivery delays or delivery charges either.
