With Hebrew survey, Amazon hints at Israel entry

Polls targeting Israeli consumers appear to confirm earlier reports that internet retailer is looking to open a local shipping center

A new online survey conducted by Amazon.com hints lends credence to reports that the internet retail giant is looking to establish a greater presence in Israel.

The survey, which significantly is being conducted in Hebrew, seeks the views of Israelis regarding their desire to sell their wares on the platform and various aspects of doing business in Israel, Globes reported. The survey follows only months after a similar poll targeting Israeli consumers.

The polls highlight Amazon’s interest in expanding its retail footprint in Israel and seem to confirm earlier reports that the company is looking to open a local shipping center. In November, the Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist reported that Amazon was negotiating for warehouse space in the central Israeli city of Modiin and that if the negotiations were successful, it would then launch a Hebrew language version of its website.

Israelis have been turning increasingly to the internet as an alternative to shopping in stores. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Israel’s cost of living is among the highest in the developed world.

Israelis averaged two online orders per second during 2017, according to data from the Israel Postal Company, with the nationwide total coming to 61 million packages, 15 percent more than in 2016. Clothing and shoes, houseware, accessories, gadgets, vitamins and cosmetics topped the Israeli shopping list.

Amazon has already started establishing itself in Israel. Late last year, the company announced that it would open research and development groups in Haifa and Tel Aviv. Besides leasing space in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Sarona Tower, it also pre-leased an entire 12,000-square meter building currently under construction at MATAM, a technology park that also houses Google, Yahoo, Intel, Microsoft and other local giants. In the meantime, Amazon is building temporary offices on an external parking lot of MATAM.

In early 2015 Amazon purchased the Israeli cloud computing company Annapurna Labs.

Jessica Steinberg contributed to this report.