If all goes to plan, Amazon might be the messiest tech story of 2017

If the hype is to be believed, Amazon will be targeting Australia from Sept. 2017 with extreme prejudice. "We are going to destroy the retail environment in Australia," an Amazon staff member is reported to have said, according to the Australian Financial Review. As further indication of its intentions, there were numerous reports Wednesday the company has local trademarks pending across a variety of products, including its home assistant Amazon Echo. While Australians can already shop on Amazon, spending about A$500 to A$700 million according to research published in August by Citi, international shipping rates and wait times can be a deterrent. The rumoured launch of local distribution centres could make all the difference though, and while Amazon has been coy on offering any details, it could also launch its Prime subscription that guarantees free two-day shipping as well as access to its streaming service, Prime Video.