Amazon has officially launched in Australia. It's a moment retailers in Australia have expected and now that it's finally here they are out of excuses to be ready. There will be plenty of complainers, saying Amazon's vast resources and lower costs give it an unfair advantage.

Those who think they can't compete probably won't. Aussie retailers have lots of advantages over the American online juggernaut - they just have to take some time to see them and take advantage.

Amazon has finally launched its full online retail service in Australia. This means that you can now buy everything from electronics to video games without paying exorbitant international shipping fees. We had questions about Amazon pre-launch and most of them have been answered with the site going live early December 5.

Here's everything you need to know about the behemoth's entry into the Land Down Under.

Amazon is potentially days away from launching its online retail service in Australia. This means that you will soon be able to buy everything from food to electronics without paying exorbitant international shipping fees. As the launch inches closer, more and more questions are being answered about Amazon’s arrival in the Great Southern Land.

We’ve rounded up everything you need to know.

With Amazon officially launching in Australia on Thursday, local retailers are being forced to lift their game. We have seen some large businesses already change their strategies over recent months but that shift has accelerated with one major retailer adding same-day delivery to their service.

They have arrived.

Melbourne's Dandenong South is a whole lot busier now that online retail behemoth Amazon has opened its first Australian fulfillment centre.

Last week, we asked our readers what excited them most about the launch of Amazon shopping in Australia. The choices were: Cheaper prices, more variety, faster shipping and forcing improvements to local retail. The results are now in, and the ranking might surprise you - especially if you work in retail.

If you were in any doubt about the level of business acumen possessed by the leaders of many of Australia's largest retailers then the last week or so will have confirmed your expectations. Despite what many retailers think, Amazon's big advantage is not price - it's service. But events of the last week seem to have confirmed that Australian retailers are clueless when it comes to reacting to a changing market.

Amazon is coming. We've heard all about how it's going to be an Australian retail killer. But if you're a competitor on a much, much smaller scale, what can you do to protect yourself against wholesale abandonment of local business?