The Schrinner Council and Amazon have been working together closely to get products made by local businesses onto the online shopping giant’s platform and in front of a national audience.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner today revealed a number of local businesses were now selling their wares through Amazon’s Australian website since the world-renowned brand opened its massive distribution facility in Brisbane last year.
Visiting the facility in Lytton, Cr Schrinner said Amazon picked Brisbane as the home for its distribution base because the city had the right economic climate and the benefits for local businesses were flowing.
“Last year at the height of the global coronavirus pandemic, Amazon launched its Brisbane operation which has the capacity to store up to 500,000 items and ship tens of thousands of packages a day,” he said.
“Since that occurred, Brisbane Economic Development Agency (BEDA) has been working to identify local businesses that make products that meet the demands of Amazon customers through the company’s data.
“This has meant local food and beverage companies impacted by the downturn have been able to diversify and reach new consumers via Amazon’s e-marketplace.”
Last year, BEDA hosted a “Meet Amazon Forum” to inform local business about how they could align with the global company’s requirements, which also helped two businesses, Sofi Spritz and East Forged, successfully launching on Amazon.
Local businesses that have taken part in BEDA’s industry growth programs that have since sold their goods on Amazon’s platform include:
- Summer Land Camels
- Ballistic Beer
- Newstead Brewing
- Australian Bone Broth Company
- Alchemy Cordials, Ozganics
- Milton Rum
- Brew Dog
- Jim’s Jerky
- Beenleigh Rum
Cr Schrinner said Amazon’s Brisbane base was also leading to local job creation with an additional 100 workers needed to help meet demand during the busy Christmas shopping period.
“Since launching its Brisbane operations, Amazon’s local workforce has grown to more than 400 employees which has been very timely for our economy as it battled the implications of the pandemic,” he said.
“Now as we hit the peak gift buying season, Amazon is currently expanding its workforce by an additional 100 workers throughout November and December.”
Amazon Australia’s Director of Operations, Mr Craig Fuller, said the company’s investment in Brisbane provided Amazon with an efficient and sustainable way of delivering products to Brisbane’s residents while providing quality local employment and career opportunities.
“Brisbane is a key strategic location to meet customer demand in Queensland. We are committed to improving delivery promises for our customers as demand continues to grow, and building infrastructure closer to where our customers and third-party sellers live enables us to do this, while creating good jobs for people in Brisbane,” Mr Fuller said.
Independent research commissioned by Amazon Australia found that Queenslanders have embraced this online shopping trend, mirroring global trends:
- More than 50 per cent having shopped online since COVID-19
- 60 per cent are new to shopping at online retailers
- 75 per cent of millennials have explored new retailers
Amazon’s Brisbane facility is around the size of two rugby league fields, has capacity to store around 500,000 items ranging from health, household and personal care products, to electronics, books, gardening equipment and pantry staples, and can ship tens of thousands of packages a day.
To keep up to date with what’s happening in Brisbane, visit www.adrianschrinner.com.au/brisbane-news.
