Amazon Retail Is Finally (Physically) Coming To Australia

Amazon retail, the huge online shopping/robot making/delivery giant that until now has been but a dream to Australians, is finally coming Down Under.

Fairfax reports Amazon is already actively looking for warehouse spaces – measuring up to 93,000 square metres – to house a fulfillment centre. A fulfillment centre is basically what Amazon calls the big ol' warehouse it uses to store and ship products. There's been no decision on which city headquarters will be in, according to Fairfax.

A country manager will also be hired, as well as hundreds of other employees to flesh out the Aussie expansion.

Australians have already been able to use an Australian Kindle store on the Amazon website, which launched in 2012, and there are already almost 1000 employees in the country.

"The next step is to bring a retail offering to Australia and we are making those plans now," Amazon said in a statement.

Amazon's retail expansion will come as good news to small business owners, while existing, larger retailers will no doubt be worried by the online marketplace's effect here. Macy's, Walmart and larger stores across America have all closed hundreds of stores in the wake of Amazon's (and other online outlets') domination of the retail industry.