Amazon.ie celebrates first birthday as tennis loving Irish shoppers surprise retailer in best way

Happy birthday to Amazon.ie which turned one year old last week.

In a LinkedIn post, Alison Dunn, Country Manager at Amazon Ireland, said: "One year of Amazon.ie. What a journey. A year ago, we launched with a simple goal: to better serve Irish customers. Twelve months on, I’m still learning something new about this country and its customers every day, and I love that."

"This past year, Irish customers have surprised us in the best way. Instant photography film becoming a favourite. Dehumidifiers flying off the shelves in Galway (fair enough). A love of tennis balls in Limerick. And Cork, a county of book lovers, with Kindle devices and bestselling titles among its top purchases. I love these insights. They say a lot about how and why customers are choosing Amazon.ie for everyday needs."

She added that customers have embraced Irish brands, including Spotlight Oral Care, Tayto, All Real Nutrition and Juspy. Irish SMEs sold more than seven million products on Amazon last year, more than ten items every minute, reaching customers in over 150 countries and generating €180 million in export sales.

Dunn added: "We’ve had some fun along the way too. Working with Aisling Bea to teach Alexa some proper Irish sayings was a personal highlight. Now Alexa knows what the craic is, and I’m getting there myself (most of the time). But we’re only getting started. Year two is about building on what we’ve learned and getting better. Better selection. Faster delivery. More support for Irish businesses. More reasons for customers to choose Amazon.ie."

"To every customer who placed an order, every Irish business that partnered with us, and every team member across our fulfilment and logistics network, thank you. Truly. Here’s to year two. We’ll keep listening, keep learning, and keep working to earn your trust every day."

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Online retail will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.