With underwhelming launch day bargains, Australians might be slow to jump on the Amazon bandwagon until the retail giant delivers the full package.

The day of reckoning has arrived for Australian retail but Amazon's long-awaited local launch went off with a whimper rather than a bang. Perusing the Australian store you'll find little to get excited about, with a quick Google search revealing local rivals which can often match if not undercut Amazon on both price and delivery times.

So after all the hype, is this as good as it gets? Perhaps so in terms of price tags, at least for now, but to focus purely on pricing is to miss the big picture. Amazon's true value for shoppers isn't just pricing, it's convenience, but unfortunately Australia is still missing the best parts of the Amazon ecosystem.

Free express shipping

Amazon Prime won't be available in Australia until the middle of next year, and the retail giant is still tight-lipped on the details, but it's likely to be a serious game-changer. Of course paying around $100 per year for free shipping is only a sweet deal if you'd make the most of it, so Amazon would likely become your first port of call for online shopping.

There's less need to shop around for a bargain once you take shipping out of the equation. Amazon also becomes more attractive for those small purchases that you need in a hurry. Australian retailers are fighting back with services like Australia Post's Shipster also offering free delivery.

Hands-free shopping

The talkative Alexa smart assistant is another key missing piece of the Amazon puzzle. Once Alexa is available to Australians early next year we'll be able to buy Amazon's tiny Echo speakers, designed to sit on the kitchen bench, plus we'll be able to use Alexa with a wide-range of third party gear from smart speakers to smart fridges.

Smart speakers have a myriad of uses, but the combination of Alexa and a cheap Echo Dot speaker makes online shopping easier than ever. Whether you run out of detergent while washing the dishes or use the last sandwich bag while making lunches, you can quickly add these items to your shopping list without needing to turn on your computer or even reach for the smartphone in your pocket.

Once AmazonFresh arrives in Australia you'll even be able to add milk and bread to the list – knowing they'll magically arrive on your doorstep, perhaps within a few hours if Amazon Prime Now makes it to our shored.

Then there's the tiny programmable Echo Button, which you can stick in the bathroom for when you need to quickly add essentials like toilet paper to your shopping list.

Free music

Along with the arrival of Alexa next year we should see the Amazon Music subscription service to rival Google, Apple and Spotify. In the US, Amazon throws in Amazon Music and Video for free with a Prime subscription – which makes it a no-brainer whether you come for the shipping and stay for the streaming music, or vice versa.

Once you're drinking the Amazon Kool-Aid, the retail giant expects that you won't bother shopping around on price because it will be a hassle to shop anywhere else.

When you look at the big picture, Amazon's value proposition is its entire ecosystem – if you just focus on pricing then perhaps you can't see this forest for the trees.