Amazon summit insight into what operating in New Zealand could look like

US retail giant Amazon has hosted its first Australian Seller Summer offering a glimpse of what operating Down Under could look like for businesses.

The event in Sydney, attended by business owners both large and small, was a partnership between the Australian Retailers Association and the SME Association of Australia.

Hundreds gathered to hear how Amazon Marketplace could be used to help businesses scale.

Amazon Australia country manager Rocco Braeuniger said the retailer had held the event to educate business owners on how they could take their products to a global audience.

"We are excited to work with many thousands of Australian businesses to help them reach more than 300 million customers around the world and to grow their business," Braeuniger said.

Amazon Marketplace, an e-commerce platform owned by Amazon.com enables third-party sellers to sell new or used products alongside Amazon's regular offerings, launched in 2000.

Sales from Amazon Marketplace now represent over 50 per cent of all items sold globally on Amazon.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the Australian Retailers Association, said practical advice discussed at the event had been "extremely" insightful for retailers and businesses in attendance.

"Amazon's entry into Australia provides a great opportunity for local retailers to grow their customer base and increase sales," Zimmerman said.

"It's time to embrace change and get excited about the future."

Retail consultant Chris Wilkinson said a number of New Zealand retailers had attended the event, including some well-known retail chains.

"The Summit was the first opportunity for New Zealand businesses to see the collective interest from across the retail and wholesale sector in participation," Wilkinson said. "Unlike many of the large retail chains, Amazon is agile and can be responsive through leveraging technology and the resources of its overseas fulfilment solutions.

"To be successful going forward, big retailers need to emulate this kind of culture and adaptability within their own organisations if they are to be successful."