The move will increase competition against peers such as Alibaba Group Holding and Sea Ltd.

In a significant development that sees Amazon.com Inc upping its competition against rivals such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd’s Lazada and Sea Ltd’s Shopee, the U.S. e-commerce giant stated it has launched a bigger local store and marketplace in Singapore.

Although Amazon.com had launched local online shopping in Singapore more than two years ago, its initial local selection, which focused on household essentials and groceries, had not been as wide as those offered by rivals.

“With Amazon.sg, we want to provide what customers have been asking us for: the ability for everyone to shop on desktop and mobile, more local and international selection from Amazon and trusted sellers, paired with fast and reliable delivery,” said Henry Low, Amazon Singapore country manager, in a statement.

Amazon also stated, it will allow small and medium-sized businesses to offer their products to online shoppers with Amazon.sg.

Although tiny in size, Singapore has a high-value market with a population of just 5.7 million. It is often seen as a launching pad for consumer-focused companies into much bigger Southeast Asian markets such as India and Indonesia.