Is Amazon's big online sale a fail?

Amazon launched down under in December, and at midday yesterday the online store kicked off its first ever Amazon Prime sale, which runs until midnight tonight. 

But of the 467 deals across 23 categories offered on the website, many are simply random. For example, Kleenex flushable wipes, toilet paper, Veet hair removal starter kit, and a pole pruner chain – whatever that is.

While some of these products are necessary, they're not necessarily items to get overly excited about.

Retail expert Paula Bogaz, a senior strategist at Retail Oasis, says Amazon is still struggling to find its feet.

"I think they're still really working on getting their range right, that's why you're getting that strange collection of products that don't necessarily make sense," Ms Bogaz told A Current Affair.

It'll be a long time before we consider the online store a one-stop-shop.

"Australians are all really used to buying their groceries through more traditional channels, we're all really used to our supermarket brands," Ms Bogaz said.

While there are certainly bizarre products on offer, there are some good deals too.

We found a Phillips All In One Cooker on offer for 46 percent off. It's $179 on Amazon and $259.95 on eBay.

Amazon is offering 25 percent off a Phillips electric toothbrush, now $42. The same product is $17 more at Harvey Norman.

Get 40 percent off the Amazon Echo Dot, now $39, or pay $78 at Officeworks.

"I would expect them to try and approach the Aussie market with cheaper pricing, more sales days wouldn't surprise me either, maybe even drop their subscription price on Prime, just to get people more comfortable shopping online and grow from there," finance expert Patrick Liddy, Head of Foreign Exchange at Worldfirst, told A Current Affair.

He believes the US juggernaut is slowly but steadily gaining traction in our market.

"They're already the third-largest company by clicks on their online website for purchasing in Australia, but I suspect Amazon would have hoped it would have been a little bit bigger, a little bit louder to say the least," he said.

You would think so, but the company's response has been very positive.

"We have been humbled by the response from Prime members to Prime Day in Australia, with demand exceeding our expectations, and sales surpassing Boxing Day on the first day," Amazon Australia manager Rocco Braeuniger told A Current Affair.

While Aussie shoppers may not be convinced by the sale, some other retailers are making sure their customers remain loyal. Ebay has responded with 25 percent off electronics until Wednesday, and Kogan.com is currently offering free shipping.

"I think what Amazon needs to do is to spend a little more time researching what Aussies want and then understanding the process concerns and security concerns, because once Australians are happy with how to buy online, and the advantages of buying on Amazon, the sky is the limit," Mr Liddy said.

But if you are in the market for those flushable wipes or the toilet paper I mentioned earlier, well they're now 20 percent off.