Amazon has opened its dedicated Irish platform – amazon.ie – to the public as the retail giant promises shoppers in Ireland access to faster deliveries, easier returns, local pricing and removal of red tape when it comes to taxes and charges.

The company had announced plans to roll out an Irish site last year and with the platform going live on Tuesday, the bulk of the purchases made on Amazon by shoppers in the State is likely to be diverted from the UK and US-based websites.

The company is also launching a “brands of Ireland” section on the platform as part of a collaboration with Enterprise Ireland.

It will see familiar brands such as Barry’s Tea, Bewley’s and Ella & Jo selling their products on the amazon.ie website.

Amazon has promised that the section will “help local businesses to achieve greater scale and success”.

This move is also likely aimed at countering criticism that an Ireland-specific Amazon platform would make it harder for local businesses to grow their customer bases in the face of competition from the biggest retailer in the world.

With the unveiling of a dedicated Irish website for Amazon, customers in the State will also be able to join its Prime service for a monthly fee of €6.99.

That will give subscribers access to faster deliveries, its television streaming service and dedicated sales events.

Amazon said customers in Ireland who already have UK Prime memberships can make the switch and automatically have their UK one cancelled.

Welcoming the announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it was “good news for all” and said it would give Irish consumers “more choice and better value, as well as help small, medium and large businesses across the country promote their own Irish and international products”.

Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said the dedicated Irish store would “enhance customer experiences in Ireland and provide a significant platform for Irish SMEs to expand their online presence and grow their business”.

He said Amazon was a “significant contributor to the Irish economy” and said “the announcement strongly underscores Amazon’s continued commitment to Ireland”.

Amazon’s country manager in Ireland, Alison Dunn, said the company was “unbelievably proud and incredibly excited” to launch amazon.ie.

“We have been building towards this moment since the launch of our fulfilment centre [warehouse] in Dublin in 2022 and we can’t wait to write the next chapter of our story in Ireland,” she said.