Consumer demand drove Amazon’s decision to launch in Hebrew.
By United with Israel Staff
This week, Amazon launched its site in Hebrew. This is the eighth language option made by the retail giant.
Speakers of the holy tongue can now search, get product listings and descriptions, and receive customer support. In addition, for a limited time, purchases over $49 are eligible for free international shipping to Israel. Some 50 million items are included in the promotion.
Amazon said in a statement that the Hebrew “shopping experience” targets both Israelis and Hebrew-speakers abroad. It is available on the site’s desktop, mobile browser and mobile app iterations.
Shoppers may also choose the New Israeli Shekel (NIS) as their currency to be able to “see clear pricing, shipping costs, and duty and tax estimates, with Amazon coordinating customs clearance on behalf of the customer, so there are no surprises at the time of purchase or delivery. Returning items back to Amazon is now easier with the launch of prepaid return labels,” according to the company’s statement.
Out of 6,500 spoken languages in the world, Hebrew joins English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese, among others, in which shoppers can browse Amazon.
In September, Amazon made a limited launch for customers in Israel, due to the lack of Hebrew on its site. At that time, it declined to set up a local logistics center.
It did, however, enable Israeli companies to sell their products directly to Israeli consumers without going through retail stores. Israeli merchants, who wished to list their products on Amazon, had to supply them directly to consumers from their own warehouses.
There are expectations that Amazon’s penetration into the Israeli market will boost the country’s economy. People are hopeful that joining Amazon will expand the country’s global reach and help local retailers provide their goods to consumers, especially those who cannot afford brick and mortar shops.
