According to reports, Amazon is about to make its debut in the South East Asia region with the launch of Amazon Singapore. There’s no fixed date but it seems that the timeframe will be weeks rather than months. The launch had previously been expected during the first quarter of the year and has since been delayed.
Apparently the launch in Singapore will include Amazon Prime, Amazon Prime Now faster delivery and Amazon’s usual retail and marketplace services will be available to the five million Singaporean citizens. It’s not the biggest market in the region but it does represent a significant advance for Amazon in South East Asia. Google reports that it was worth $5.5 billion in 2015 but will grow dramatically to $87.8 billion by 2025 with a potential market of 600 million consumers.
Amazon already has successful marketplaces in India and Japan in Asia. But South East Asia, where biggest market is Indonesia, is seen as a place which will see explosive growth in the years to come. Alibaba has also staked a claim to the region with investment in marketplace Lazada, delivery firm SingPost and payments company Ascend Money. There are reports that Amazon’s next move will be Indonesi, which is the world’s fourth most populous country.
Another much anticipated Amazon launch is that of Amazon Australia, which has been on the cards for many months but hasn’t yet been confirmed. The firm has reportedly been seeking headquarters and warehouse space in Australia’s biggest cities.
