BRISBANE - [AAP] Amazon claims its Australian online store's launch was its biggest ever international opening with tens of thousands of shoppers visiting the site in one day.

A statement from the e-commerce giant said first day orders on Amazon.com.au were higher than for any other launch day in the company's history.

And, orders were placed across all of its 23 categories in the 24 hours after it launched on Tuesday, it said.

"We are thankful to Australian customers for making this a landmark day in Amazon history," Amazon Australia country manager Rocco Braeuniger said.

"From early in the day, we experienced visitor numbers that far exceeded our expectations."

Amazon launched in the US in 1994 and in the UK in 1998 when online shopping was just gaining traction.

Its most recent launches include Singapore and Mexico in 2013 and the Netherlands in 2014.

Its launch in Australia, which mainly consisted of third party sellers and a limited selection of Amazon products, has been described by shoppers and retail analysts as underwhelming.

Citi and Morgan Stanley analysts said the discounts were not as heavy as expected and the product range was patchy and lacked market leading brands across a number of categories.

Mr Rocco said that in the long term the offering will expand with an ever-increasing selection of products at low prices.

 

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