Online retail giant Amazon said it has invested more €22 billion in Ireland since 2004, including more than €3 billion in 2023 alone.
The company is releasing the data to mark 20 years of Amazon in Ireland.
Since opening its first office in Dublin in 2004, Amazon now employs around 6,500 people in Ireland working across a range of roles and businesses.
In 2022, Amazon opened a new warehouse and distribution centre in Dublin and next year, it will be launching a dedicated Irish website, Amazon.ie.
The company’s AWS division provides cloud services to thousands of Irish entities, including large businesses such as Ryanair, Bank of Ireland and Stripe.
“Ireland has created an environment that stimulates investment and, for us, that has meant creating jobs, boosting skills, building infrastructure and investing in the communities our employees live in and serve,” said John Boumphrey, Vice President, Amazon UK & Ireland.
Amazon said more than 1,000 Irish SMEs sold around 5.5 million products on its site in 2023.
Many smaller retailers have warned however that competition from Amazon has put them under increasing pressure.
Michael Finucane is the owner of Chapters Bookstore in Dublin.
“Amazon is a fact of the market but their presence here hasn’t been all good,” Mr Finucane said.
“Retail is more than a product on a shelf, it is about community and supporting your community.”
Mr Finucane said he tried selling books via Amazon but the fees charged by the site meant the prices he had to charge customers were too high.
“We have to compete with Amazon in ways they can’t match, like offering an experience to customers,” he said.
“There is no search engine or algorithm that can replicate the great experience of walking into a bookshop,” he added.
Issues related to workers’ rights, union recognition and staff surveillance have led to strikes and protests at Amazon facilities in the UK, US and parts of Europe.
In a statement today, the company said it is committed to investing in its employees, helping them boost skills, study for new qualifications and grow their careers.