Amazon reveals plans for Perth fulfilment centre
Retail behemoth Amazon has stepped up its offering in Western Australia with a new fulfilment centre unveiled in Perth that will boost its last mile delivery capacity, putting traditional shopping under more pressure.
The company, which surged into the Australian retail market almost two years ago, has been taking ground off bricks-and-mortar retailers that had been hoping for some respite from its expansion.
But Amazon has rejected claims by its department store rivals that the Australian retail sector is in a recession, insisting that its business is booming amid record take-up rates for its platform and its streaming service Amazon Prime.
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Amazon on Tuesday said it was opening a fulfilment centre in Perth with a view to enhancing customer experience on the west coast. It’s a move that could depress retail landlords that have said there are signs of recovery in WA as millions are poured into expanding shopping centres.
The complex, planned to begin operations in late 2019, is in the Perth Airport Business Precinct and will enable faster delivery over the last mile to WA customers.
Amazon Australia, director operations, Craig Fuller, says the expansion represents the investment and development of its growth strategy in Australia, following a steady and progressive increase in customer demand.
“This new facility builds on the capabilities of our first two fulfilment centres in Melbourne and Sydney, allowing us to continue to fulfil our commitment to fast and reliable deliveries for customers across the country,” he says.
The fulfilment centre in Perth, along with existing buildings in Sydney and Melbourne, will allow Amazon to handle current and future customer demand and speed up delivery to customers across the country.
The US company opened its first fulfilment centre in Australia, located in Dandenong South, Melbourne in December 2017, followed by a second fulfilment centre, located in Moorebank, Sydney in August last year.
Amazon.com.au launched in Australia in late 2017 and has grown to offer customers 125 million products across 29 different categories including Amazon devices.
Amazon has launched services, such as Fulfilment By Amazon, Global Store, Prime, and in August, Amazon Launchpad, a program helping local start-ups and entrepreneurs bring products to local customers.
The company is also tipped to go into another new development by Goodman and Brickworks in Sydney’s western suburbs as it bulks up in the city.
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
