big question marks ??????????, page-79

Many ppl, like Stargate above, are spot on. The Australian experience for Amazon is not going to be anything like their experience in the USA. (which, btw, still have very vibrant retailers that are direct competitors with Amazon - heeeeelllooooo!).

Amazon will provide robust competition, that's about all. Our vast unpopulated area and distance between population centres means each distribution centre services far less ppl than in the USA or Europe. Our high labour, fuel, and infrastructure costs add up to a more expensive product than most Amazonians imagine. All this is true, of course for all networked retailers (MTS, Coles, WOW, etc etc), BUT they grew up on it, so its built into their distribution model and DNA.

Amazon will bleed a lot to deliver cheap to Oz for a couple of years. They'll probably do some damage, but nothing like the Armageddon that Henny Pennies predict.

In the meantime: I've been in and out of API several times. Its coming to look like its getting back in time. Maybe a drift below $1.40? Might miss it, but!