As a savvy online shopper, you’re likely aware that prices on Amazon can vary significantly depending on your location. But did you know that you can potentially save money by taking advantage of price differences across European Amazon stores? In this article, we’ll explore the possibilities and limitations of shopping on Amazon across Europe, and provide you with practical tips on how to make the most of this strategy. Namely, this includes Hagglezon and despite this awkward intro, it’s not even sponsored.
Understanding Amazon’s European Presence
Amazon has a significant presence in Europe, with dedicated stores in several countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. Each store has its own pricing, inventory, and shipping policies, which can result in varying prices for the same item. Additionally, Amazon has a single European marketplace, which allows sellers to list their products across multiple countries.
2025 will see the Irish Amazon website launch, leaving many wondering if Ireland’s new Amazon website will bring deals or headaches over working out where to get the best value.
Can You Shop on Amazon Across Europe?
In theory, there’s nothing stopping you from shopping on Amazon across Europe, as long as you’re willing to navigate the potential complexities of international shipping and customs. However, the practicality of this approach depends on several factors, including your location, the item you’re purchasing, and the shipping costs involved.
The European Union has been pushing a single digital market for a long time. However, there are practical issues here. For example, Ireland is an island – this make deliveries here tougher and more expensive, despite the EU’s best efforts. Looking at Holyhead one more time.
Generally, the EU expects that Amazon, with the exception of local laws on taxes etc, would sell the same product in different EU markets for the same price. Not doing so is against the EU’s single market concept.
There is one way to ensure you are nearly always getting the best deal.
Using Price Comparison Tools
To make the most of Amazon’s European price differences, you can use price comparison tools like Hagglezon.com. This website allows you to search for items across multiple European Amazon stores, including the UK, Germany, France, and Spain. By comparing prices, you can often find significant savings on the items you want.
I quickly checked a non-Amazon eInk reader there and between Italy and Spain, there was a €10 swing. Not much, but it’s something.
Now, it’s not always an ironclad saving. It’s essential to consider the shipping costs and customs implications. Sometimes the transport costs from the EU can be lower than the UK tariffs, making it worth comparing prices across different stores. However, customs and VAT on imports should be accurately calculated by Amazon UK for any items sold to an Irish address.
So what can we expect from Amazon’s new Irish store in 2025?
Amazon’s Irish Market
Interestingly, Amazon UK is still the primary store intended to cover the Irish market, despite the launch of a new fulfillment center in Ireland. This means that Irish customers can access some, but not all, benefits of Prime, as well as an Irish version of Prime Video on their UK subscription.
But this is changing in 2025.
Amazon.ie will launch in 2025, providing a dedicated platform for Irish businesses to grow locally and internationally. Irish businesses can now register to sell globally through the site. The store will offer a localised shopping experience with over 100 million products, including more from Irish SMEs, competitive prices, and fast delivery and returns, supported by a partnership with An Post.
More than 1,000 Irish SMEs currently sell over 5.5 million products on Amazon, generating €170 million in export sales in 2023, including €100 million outside the EU, and supporting over 2,500 Irish jobs. Globally, over 60% of Amazon’s sales come from independent sellers, primarily SMEs.
All in all, whether we like Amazon or not, lots of people shop there. Amazon is swallowing up online spend before the company even has an Irish presence. Expect that to grow even more now that Amazon has a proper focus on Ireland.
Shopping on Amazon can lead to great deals, even if you go across Europe. But keep your wits about you and use as many tools as you can to make sure you’re keeping ahead of the pricing curve. It might even make buying PC parts here in Ireland a little easier, but I honestly feel that we’re still not going to have powerbanks available to buy.
This article was created with the support of Goosed.ie’s in-house AI-assisted writing tool, designed to aid our writers, not replace them. While the tool offers outlines and context, all content is crafted and edited by the Goosed team.
