Just one month after launching Prime in Australia, Amazon has announced that its much anticipated Prime Day shopping event will also include Amazon Australia.
It will start at 12 pm AEST on July 16 and end at midnight on July 17 with deals offered exclusively for Prime members. It is set to be its biggest event yet, extending from 30 hours in 2017 to 36 hours this year (technically making it Prime Day-and-a-half!) to take into account the different time zones of the countries involved. Australia, Singapore, Netherlands and Luxembourg are new to Prime Day this year, joining the U.S., U.K., Spain, Mexico, Japan, India, Italy, Germany, France, China, Canada, Belgium and Austria.
“Having just launched Prime in Australia, we are delighted that Australian members can now enjoy the unparalleled combination of shopping and entertainment benefits that Prime gives them,” said Rocco Braeuniger, Country Manager of Amazon Australia. “We hope that Prime Day will provide them with even more value.”
In its third year since launching, Amazon Prime Day 2017 drove an all-time sales record for Amazon, with sales up 60% from the prior year. Last year, more new customers joined Prime than on any single day in Amazon history and tens of millions of customers shopped or purchased through the Amazon app, with orders more than doubling compared to the previous year. This year is set to be even bigger.
While Amazon Australia is obviously new to the market, Prime Day will be an exciting opportunity for retailers and consumers alike. Consumers who may not have previously considered joining as Prime members now have an added incentive, with access to a host of exclusive deals. Similarly, retailers who had previously not considered becoming Prime eligible also have an added incentive, with access to a new pool of loyal and eager shoppers.
To maximise the full potential of Amazon Prime Day, you’ll need to have the following strategies in place:
- Competitive pricing: Fine-tuning your pricing strategy with tools like repricers and automated price managers can help ensure you’ll beat competitors on product costs while still protecting your profit margins
- Fully optimised product content: Following best practices for keywords, titles, descriptions and images is one of the best ways to ensure your promotions and products will stand out
Australian consumers can join Prime for free on a 30-day trial. The introductory price is currently $4.99 per month or $59 per year until January 2019 when the monthly membership will to increase to $6.99.
It’s important for retailers who are taking part in this inaugural Prime Day in Australia to ensure they are adequately prepared. For more about Prime and what it means for retailers, check out our latest blog post here.
To find out more about Prime Day and how you can leverage Prime for marketplace success, contact us today.