Open for Business – Amazon Ireland Poses Threat to Book Stores

In March 2025, Amazon Ireland launched to enhance the Irish user experience, and it may be at the cost of local small businesses.

Bookstores like Kenny’s, located on Tuam Road, are landmarks in the city for tourists and locals. They pride themselves on the small-town shopping experience that upholds community and connection through books, reading, and writing. However, with the introduction of Amazon IE, businesses “are now competing with this huge corporation, right on their doorstep,” says Sarah Kenny, spokesperson for Kenny’s.

Kenny’s Bookshop took to social media, encouraging customers to remain loyal and see the value of the small business shopping experience with captions like “better than any algorithm” and “support local, not the billionaires”. Something poignant for their 16,000 followers to see.

The store celebrated its 30th anniversary in October. RTE coverage emphasized that it was one of the first online bookstores in the world, “beating Amazon to the punch by a year.”

Until recently, Amazon users in Ireland were tethered to the UK domain or other European countries, but with that came increased shipping costs, prices, and conversion fees. This had direct effects on consumer habits in Galway as one shopper says, “It was easier for me to go into town and find what I needed than to order online because the cost wasn’t worth it.”

Amazon IE costs €6.99 per month compared to the £8.99 (€10.75) if customers purchase membership through Amazon UK. It offers free one-day delivery, Amazon Video, and exclusive offers from partners as well as a ‘Brands of Ireland’ page to “see how entrepreneurs are reaching new heights by selling on Amazon”, as the website says. This is sponsored by Enterprise Ireland and consists of brands like Barry’s Tea and Ella & Jo.

Sarah says, “There is nearly always an Irish retailer offering an alternative, and often a cheaper and better service…. Shopping local and directly with your Irish retailer will get you personalised customer service, keep the money circulating locally and within Ireland, help keep physical shops open in our towns, and support the Irish retailer who has been here for a lot longer.”

This comes at a time when commercial and business real estate vacancies are at an all-time high in Galway city, indicating a decrease in physical consumerism and the loss of small businesses.

Taoiseach Michael Martin says, “This expansion by Amazon will give 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.

What is not on the menu with the Ireland subscription is Amazon Kindle, the online reading platform that allows you to download books directly to your device, and bookstores see that as a saving grace. Though on discussion platforms like Reddit, the conversation surrounding the new service mentions the Kindle feature at least 3 times in the comments, indicating people are waiting for it.

While customers transition to the easier site, they may be opting for convenience rather than connection. Business owners anxiously wait to see what their customers are going to do next.