Amazon, the renowned online retailer, is poised to establish a new webstore focused on the Irish market, with plans for Amazon.ie to go live in the following year. Although an exact commencement date and job projections are yet to be disclosed, it is predicted that a retail team will be stationed in Dublin.
Amazon boasts a workforce of approximately 500 at its Dublin fulfillment centre, and an additional 6,000 across Cork (housing a customer service function), Dublin, and Drogheda where staff fulfil roles in data engineering, operations management, and finance.
The introduction of the Irish-centric online store will enable Amazon’s customers in the region to receive their goods quicker and avoid potential additional customs fees that could have been incurred when purchasing from the UK or US. The new store is reported to offer a broad range of products, with a particular focus on items originating from Ireland, and is designed to simplify returns for consumers based in Ireland.
John Boumphrey, the Ireland and UK country manager at Amazon, assured that the establishment of the new store is indicative of Amazon’s ongoing commitment to Ireland and represents a logical progression for the company. He commented, “We have been serving customers in Ireland ever since our first European stores opened, and we have noticed a steady increase over time.”
The development follows the inauguration of Amazon’s inaugural fulfilment centre in Ireland in 2022, which successfully addressed many of the delivery challenges posed by the Brexit process. Previously, Irish customers had been steered toward Amazon UK for goods and services, amid which was Amazon’s Prime delivery service. However, since the formalisation of Brexit, a number of smaller merchants using the Amazon platform ceased their deliveries to Ireland.
In preparation for the new webstore’s launch and to expedite deliveries and returns, Amazon recently formed a five-year partnership with Ireland’s national postal service, An Post. The collaboration will be reinforced by the Ballycoolin delivery station and the Baldonnell fulfilment centre.
Amazon’s new Irish store also has the potential to attract more Irish vendors to collaborate with the company. As per Amazon’s data, over 1,000 small to medium-sized Irish businesses are current sellers on Amazon, generating an impressive export sales figure of up to €150 million in 2022.