Amazon UK has launched a grocery store, complete with listings for beer and spirits. Now just as Amazon was called the death of the local bookshop, is this the death not only of the local grocer but also the smaller companies doing e-retailing? After all, why spend money getting your own website store up and running when you can just be listed in Amazon?

It’s going to be interesting to watch because if you’re a small drinks label then why spend money and time in creating an online store that meets all the requirements when you can just offer an Amazon one click and you’re done button? Also, Amazon is hardly a fad. It’s one of the best-known online stores with PR gaffes and security breaches rare. It’s as trusted as any main street store. Also, it has a number of delivery options, letting it compete with the likes of Tesco and Waitrose/Occado – in fact it has one up on Occado as it will deliver in Scotland (Occado is England and Wales only).

The only unknown element is what requirements you have to have for Amazon to stock you. It may not be cost-effective for every brand to be there if the discounting is too high. Having said that, even then you could have a small presence on Amazon and then lead back to your main store for more items.

I think in the long-run though we’ll see brands joining on. After all, what would you think of an author if you couldn’t get their books on Amazon?

Of course what’s really going to be fun is seeing the book suggestions next to drinks – “If you like Charlie Stross, you’ll like this whisky…” and so on. And how long until someone puts varied drinks into their wish lists?