The move means that Amazon Prime customers in Ireland, who currently subscribe to Amazon.co.uk, can now opt for the dedicated Irish service or remain with the current amazon.co.uk version.

The cost of Prime, which includes access to Amazon Prime Video and online photo storage, for Irish subscribers has been cut to €6.99 per month compared to £8.99 (€11) per month with the old system. Current customers who switch will receive a refund within three to five days, according to Amazon.

However, there’s a sting in the tail for families and readers — Amazon has removed the ‘family sharing’ facility, meaning those who use it will need to remain on the higher-priced amazon.co.uk or pay for a second or even third individual amazon.ie Prime account, increasing the household’s monthly cost. The tech giant has also removed Prime Reading as a benefit for Amazon.ie users.

Amazon says that those who want those services can stay with, or resubscribe to amazon.co.uk at the higher price.

Irish users’ purchase histories will also not be available for those switching to amazon.ie — to see these items, users will be required to login separately to amazon.co.uk.

Amazon operates one login for all of its services.

While the web version of Amazon.ie works automatically, the app needs to be manually updated by going into a user’s profile and picking the new option of an Ireland country flag. The app may then need to be updated separately in the app store.

Audible and Kindle, two large Amazon-powered services, do not appear to be included in the switch from .co.uk to .ie, with the Audible app continuing to designate .co.uk as the option for Irish users. The same goes for Blink, another Amazon sub-brand with thousands of Irish customers. Ring, the company’s smart doorbell system, is now offered as a euro-currency subscription.

“We have been building towards this moment since the launch of our Fulfilment Centre in Dublin in 2022, and we can’t wait to write the next chapter of our story in Ireland,” said Alison Dunn, Ireland country manager at Amazon.

The move should mean more one-day delivery service around Ireland as well as a wider range of products free from customs charges or trade restrictions.

Amazon also says that it will open a dedicated ‘Brands of Ireland’ page that features Irish consumer brands such as Barry’s Tea, Bewley’s and Ella & Jo. However, that section of the site is currently selling some items at a considerable markup, including Barry’s ‘Master Blend’ teabags at almost €7 per box, compared to under €5 in most Irish high street shops.

The launch of an Irish Amazon.ie store has been in development since the tech and retail giant established its first Irish ‘fulfilment centre’ in Dublin in 2022, with hundreds of thousands of products stocked.

Amazon says that the launch of Amazon.ie will allow for quicker delivery and returns, helped by a five-year agreement struck between An Post and Amazon last year aimed at more efficient deliveries and returns.

The new store should also cut out custom charges sometimes imposed on products currently bought from the UK.

The company has not said how many people in Ireland are Amazon Prime members, although it is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.

Amazon’s country manager for UK and Ireland, John Boumphrey, previously said that the launch of Amazon.ie would lead to a rise in the amount of products available and sales growth.

Amazon says that Irish customers can currently shop among 100m products on its website.

Amazon says that over 1,000 small and medium sized Irish businesses currently sell more than 5.5 million products on Amazon, with home, beauty, grocery, and health and personal care the most popular categories.

It also says that more than 60pc of sales on Amazon stores globally are from independent sellers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses.

The company claims that in 2023, Irish SMEs selling on Amazon recorded over €170 million in export sales, with over half of those in export sales outside the EU.

Today’s News in 90 seconds – 18th March 2025

“Those SMEs have also gone on to create more than 2,500 Irish jobs to support their businesses on Amazon,” the company claims.

However, some Irish retailers say that it’s unaffordable for them to use Amazon’s marketplace and that the tech giant’s new Irish service is a threat to their businesses.

“The retailers who can use Amazon Marketplace are few and far between because Amazon takes such a high margin,” said Jean McCabe, CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland, which has 2,000 small retail members.

“Very few of our members could afford it.”

Ms McCabe owns a high street clothes shop, Willow, in Ennis, Co Clare, and also sells online.

“There’s a real nervousness around the logistical capabilities of amazon.ie,” she said, adding that while a lot of local retailers feel like they can compete on a product and price perspective, Amazon’s shorter deliveries around Ireland are formidable.

Ms McCabe also said that Amazon has built-in tactical advantages for product strategy.

“Historically the data that Amazon captures from the products sold is used to determine what products they’re going to manufacture themselves,” she says.

She said that Irish consumers need to make a connection between the survival of their high streets and how they shop.

“There isn’t a whole lot we can do to stop Amazon,” she says. “But customers can be proactive. The insolvency rate among retailers was huge last year and it’s been a poor year so far in 2025. In the last 18 months, we’ve seen an increase in the closure rate. If you don’t want store closures on your high street, visit the shops there.”

A spokesperson for Retail Ireland, a division of Ibec that claims to represent Irish retailers, declined to comment.

Amazon says that it employs around 6,500 people in Cork, Dublin and Drogheda from data engineers, operations management and finance. A major data centre operator here, the giant says that it has invested more than €22bn in Ireland since 2004, with €17bn of that occurring since 2020.