Is Amazon Coming to New Zealand In 2026?

Hey friend! If you live in New Zealand, you‘ve probably been wondering when Amazon will fully arrive and launch operations in your country.

I‘ve got good news and bad news for you.

The good news is that Amazon already ships tons of products to New Zealand addresses from its Australian website. So Kiwis can already buy from Amazon!

But the bad news is that Amazon has no official plans yet to build warehouses or open a headquarters in New Zealand itself.

I know – that‘s a bummer. It would be nice to have Amazon set up right in your backyard. But don‘t worry, in this post I‘ll explain everything you need to know about the current status of Amazon in New Zealand.

Shopping on Amazon Australia from NZ

Let‘s start with the good – you can already order a ton of stuff on Amazon from New Zealand!

Amazon opened up Amazon.com.au for New Zealanders to shop in 2021. So if you go to their Australian website, most products can now be shipped directly to your address in New Zealand.

This gives Kiwis access to a huge selection of products. Amazon Australia has over 60 million products listed in categories like:

• Books – fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, children‘s books, and more
• Electronics – phones, laptops, headphones, smart home devices
• Home items – kitchenware, furniture, decor, appliances big and small
• Toys & games – educational toys, board games, video games
• Fashion – clothing, shoes, accessories, luggage
• Beauty – makeup, skincare, hair products
• Groceries – pantry items, snacks, beverages
• And so much more!

Anything you‘d normally buy at a store in New Zealand, you‘ll likely find on Amazon Australia at competitive prices.

Compared to other popular NZ retailers, Amazon often has the largest product selection and some of the lowest prices. So it‘s a great option for deal hunting Kiwis!

Now let‘s talk about…

Shipping From Amazon Australia to New Zealand

Since Amazon doesn‘t have any warehouses or operations within New Zealand yet, all orders from Amazon Australia are shipped from fulfillment centers in Australia to New Zealand addresses.

Here are the key details on Amazon Australia‘s shipping to New Zealand currently:

• Transit time for non-Prime members: 3 to 5 business days for standard shipping from Australia to New Zealand
• Transit time for Prime members: 2 to 4 business days using faster priority shipping
• Shipping costs for non-Prime members: Starts at AU$2.99 for standard delivery with additional charges per kg
• Shipping costs for Prime members: Free priority shipping to NZ with Prime
• Return shipping: Prepaid labels provided in package or free return dropoff at DHL Access Points

The shipping time isn‘t super fast, but 2-5 days to get your order from Australia to New Zealand isn‘t bad.

The best part is Amazon Australia provides free return shipping back to Australia if you need to send something back. So easy returns are a major perk.

To compare, if you order from Amazon‘s US website, you‘d be looking at 7 to 10 days for standard shipping from America to New Zealand. That‘s quite a bit slower than using Amazon Australia!

Here‘s a quick table to show average delivery times from Amazon‘s different sites:

Shipping From	Non-Prime Time	Prime Time
Amazon Australia	3 – 5 days	2 – 4 days
Amazon US	7 – 10 days	4 – 6 days
Amazon UK	5 – 7 days	3 – 5 days

So while Amazon Australia isn‘t as fast as if Amazon had fulfillment centers right in New Zealand, it‘s faster than their other international sites.

Does Amazon Offer Prime In New Zealand?

Now, for the really good news – Amazon Prime is available in New Zealand!

That means Kiwis can sign up for an Amazon Prime membership on Amazon.com.au and get:

• Fast free delivery from Australia to NZ in 2 to 4 days
• Access to Prime Video to watch popular movies and shows
• Ad-free music streaming with Prime Music
• Over 1,000 ebooks and magazines included with Prime Reading
• Free games and loot with Prime Gaming
• Lots of other Prime perks!

Prime normally costs AU$6.99 per month in Australia. But Amazon is offering Kiwi‘s a special introductory rate of only AU$2.99 per month for the first 6 months.

After that, you‘ll pay the normal AU$6.99 monthly fee. But you can cancel anytime if you decide Prime isn‘t for you.

Getting Amazon Prime in New Zealand is awesome. The fast free shipping from Australia alone makes it worthwhile for avid Amazon shoppers.

Plus you gain access to Prime Video, Music, Reading and more entertainment perks. For less than $3/month to start, Prime gives Kiwis a ton of value.

Over 10% of Kiwi households already subscribe to Amazon Prime according to surveys. And that number will likely grow as more New Zealanders realize all the benefits Prime offers.

Does Amazon Have Any Warehouses or Offices in New Zealand?

Now for the not so good news…

While Amazon ships to New Zealand from Australia, the company currently has no local warehouses, fulfillment centers, or corporate offices located in New Zealand.

All operations are still confined within Australia at the moment. So Amazon has no physical presence or facilities set up specifically for the New Zealand market.

There were rumors in 2018 that Amazon was looking to lease warehouse space around Auckland. However, nothing official ever materialized.

Some analysts speculate Amazon is still evaluating options for breaking into the New Zealand market on a bigger scale:

“We believe Amazon are currently considering New Zealand as the next step in their Australian expansion. However the complexity of operating in Australia across its highly populated but fragmented geography appears to be delaying Amazon’s expansion into New Zealand.” – Tim Dudding, Kiwi property investor

So for now, Kiwis are limited to shopping on Amazon Australia as their main option for buying from Amazon locally.

Without fulfillment centers located in New Zealand, Amazon can‘t offer the true 1 or 2 day delivery many Prime members enjoy in bigger countries.

But next let‘s look at some reasons why having Amazon set up warehouses and operations directly in NZ would be beneficial…

The Pros of Amazon Coming to New Zealand

If and when Amazon does decide to launch fulfillment centers and corporate offices in New Zealand, it would have several advantages:

Faster Shipping Times

• Products could be shipped from NZ warehouses rather than Australia
• Prime members could potentially get 1 day or same day delivery
• All customers would see quicker delivery times overall

Lower Costs

• New Zealanders would avoid international shipping fees from Australia
• Faster shipping times also mean lower chance of returns and related costs

Economic Growth & Job Creation

• Amazon fulfillment centers would create 1000‘s of new local jobs
• Additional tax revenue for the NZ government from Amazon‘s local operations
• Opportunity for small NZ businesses to sell on a bigger scale through Amazon

Increased Product Selection

• Wider range of products could be stocked locally in NZ warehouses vs shipped from AU
• Items like fresh groceries could be offered through services like Prime Now

Enhanced Services

• Full Prime benefits like Prime Video available to more New Zealanders
• Localized support, warranties, Alexa support, and other Amazon services

Clearly Amazon expanding its physical operations into New Zealand could be a big win overall for Kiwis!

Faster shipping, more jobs and economic activity, and access to an even wider selection of products and services.

The sooner Amazon opens fulfillment centers in your country, the better, right? Well…let‘s talk about some of the potential drawbacks as well.

The Cons of Amazon Operating in New Zealand

If Amazon comes to New Zealand in full force, it won‘t be without some downsides either. Here are a few potential cons:

Competition for Local NZ Retailers

• Could take business away from popular NZ-owned chains like The Warehouse
• Small local shops may struggle to compete with Amazon‘s vast selection and low prices

Impact on Existing Jobs & Industries

• While Amazon would create new jobs, its disruption could force layoffs at competing retailers
• Bookstores, electronics shops, and other segments could lose sales to Amazon

Dependence on a Large Foreign Company

• Reliance on Amazon‘s business could give them excessive influence over NZ economy
• If Amazon pulled out in the future, it could have destabilizing effect

Overseas Profit Focus

• While Amazon would be creating jobs in NZ, profits would likely be channeled back to Amazon‘s corporate owners overseas rather than reinvested locally

Risk of Warehouse Working Conditions

• Media reports have exposed tough working conditions in some Amazon fulfillment centers
• New Zealanders would need to hold Amazon facilities to high labor standards

These are just some of the potential adverse impacts that could come from Amazon gaining a large presence in New Zealand.

Of course, other major foreign retailers like Costco and IKEA have successfully opened stores in New Zealand without too many downsides. But Amazon‘s scale does pose unique risks.

Overall though, most Kiwis seem excited about the prospect of Amazon coming to NZ based on surveys, as the benefits appear to outweigh the drawbacks for consumers.

But ultimately, whether Amazon comes to New Zealand fully or not isn‘t up to everyday Kiwis. The decision lies with Amazon‘s executives, and is based on their own internal analysis.

Will Amazon Ever Open Local Operations in New Zealand?

At the end of the day, whether Amazon decides to set up warehouses and other business operations in New Zealand comes down to the cold hard numbers.

Here are some of the key factors Amazon will evaluate:

• Size of the consumer market – Is the population of New Zealand big enough for Amazon to scale locally?

• Competitive landscape – How much market share could Amazon grab from major retailers?

• Employment factors – Is there a sufficient available workforce to staff fulfillment centers?

• Shipping logistics – Does the geography allow Amazon to offer speedy delivery?

• Business incentives – Will the NZ government offer tax breaks or other incentives to attract Amazon?

Based on this type of data, Amazon will create models to analyze if launching fulfillment infrastructure in New Zealand would be profitable enough.

They likely have teams crunching these numbers already. But so far, it seems the business case is still being finalized when it comes to on-the-ground NZ operations.

Most industry analysts seem to agree though that it‘s likely just a matter of time until Amazon does establish a significant presence in New Zealand.

Early projections estimated Amazon would arrive in New Zealand by 2020. Obviously that didn‘t happen, as 2022 has now passed.

But given how gradually Amazon has been ramping up services for Kiwis, it‘s reasonable to expect warehouses and more in NZ within the next 2-3 years if current trends continue.

Once Amazon fills gaps in Australia‘s geographical coverage, New Zealand may be the obvious next step to keep growing the business down under.

Amazon in New Zealand – Final Thoughts

Hope this breakdown gave you a good understanding of Amazon‘s current status in New Zealand and what to expect in the near future!

The Cliff‘s Notes are:

• Shopping – Kiwis can order 10+ million products on Amazon Australia with direct shipping
• Prime – Amazon Prime available with fast delivery and entertainment perks
• Warehouses – No local NZ warehouses yet, but analysts expect them eventually
• Pros of Amazon – Faster delivery, more jobs, lower costs for consumers
• Cons of Amazon – Competition for local retailers, dependence on foreign company

While Amazon hasn‘t fully committed to large-scale New Zealand operations yet, they already provide a great locally-focused shopping experience for Kiwis through the Australian site.

And an expanded physical presence within NZ seems imminent based on Amazon‘s history of global growth.

Most Kiwis are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Amazon fulfillment centers, despite some concerns. But only time will tell when Amazon decides the time is right!