- Title: Taking on Alibaba, Amazon launches Prime Now in Singapore
- Date: 27th July 2017
- Summary: VARIOUS OF ORDER BEING PLACED ON AMAZON PRIME ON SMARTPHONE APP
- Embargoed: 10th August 2017 08:29
- Keywords: Amazon Prime Singapore e-commerce Chinese rival Alibaba phone app two-hour delivery
- Location: SINGAPORE
- City: SINGAPORE
- Country: Singapore
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA0026RHSJT1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Amazon.com Inc launched its two-hour delivery service in Singapore on Thursday (July 27), marking the e-commerce giant's push into populous Southeast Asia and its first head-on battle with its Chinese rival, Alibaba Group Holding.
While Amazon delivers to Singapore, higher-end services such as Prime services which include access to the company's video-streaming service, were not available. In Asia, Amazon has largely side-stepped China and focused on India. But its arrival in Singapore, a tiny but wealthy English-speaking city state of just over 5 million people, has been hotly anticipated as a gateway to a Southeast Asian region of 600 million, where currently only a fraction of sales are conducted online.
Industry executives are preparing for a battle of titans. Alibaba owns Southeast Asia-focused Lazada, and spent an extra $1 billion to boost its stake to 83 percent last month.
Amazon's Prime Now is Amazon's express delivery service, which launched in New York City in December 2014 and has since expanded to several other major U.S. cities, as well as European cities such as London, Berlin, Milan, and Madrid. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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