Amazon Retail Is Coming to Australia
It’s been expected for a long time, but now it’s finally happening. Amazon is coming Down Under. Aussies are already able to use the Australian Kindle store, but now it’s time for retail.
Apparently, Amazon is actively looking for warehouse spaces to house fulfillment centers. But where its headquarters will be is still undecided.
As we reported before, some predict that Amazon might struggle in Australia. Whether or not this is the case, time will soon tell.
But there’s no reason to hold off yet. Australia is a big market, with trends of online shopping growth, this presents a great new marketplace for sellers.
Walmart Has 2 Huge Advantages That Should Terrify Amazon
Walmart isn’t pulling any punches. We’ve reported a lot on Walmart vs Amazon lately, and the former is no longer on the defence.
Analysts at Barclays recently noted how Walmart has shifted to a more aggressive strategy. The company is utilizing its two main advantages over Amazon: Its physical stores and its grocery business.
Barclays notes:
“Walmart has an omni presence – Amazon does not – and Walmart can leverage its 3,522 US Supercenter units to gain a meaningful advantage over Amazon.”
As we noted last week, Walmart now offers discounts on around 10,000 online-only items. As a seller, keep an eye on the development.
Diversifying your business is generally a good idea, and Walmart is increasingly becoming a more viable platform to increase your bottom line.
Evolution In Electronics: The Growth Of Amazon-Owned Products
Twice has an interesting piece this week about Amazon’s dominance in the electronics category. The article notes how the number of best-selling Amazon-owned products in the electronics category has steadily increased over the last six months.
In November 2016 it peaked with 35 Amazon-brand products making in the Top 100 Best Sellers list.
Many sellers know electronics is a competitive category. This is another sign that if you’re planning on selling electronics, you’d better come prepared.
But if you have a unique, quality product anything’s possible.
Britain Loses One Billion Pounds Through VAT Fraud and Error by Sellers
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-tax-amazon-ebay-idUSKBN17L1NR
Reuters reports how the United Kingdom is losing up to 1 billion pounds (or $1.28 billion) a year in value added tax due to fraud (or error) by sellers using eBay or Amazon.
The National Audit Office mentioned how the companies had “failed to remove sellers that were flouting VAT rules, even after being informed of the seller’s’ non-compliance.”
As a response, Amazon says it’s working closely with the British tax authority to ensure that all sellers on the platform conform with the law.
Sellers in the UK should be aware and be VAT compliant before putting their account at risk with the UK government being more alert with monitoring online VAT sales.
