Dick Smith has announced on its website that the Amazon Kindle will now be available to buy in Woolworths supermarkets as well as Big W and Dick Smith stores in Australia. The Kindles are available for pre-order on Big W and Dick Smith websites.

The two models that will be made available are the 3G and WiFi and the WiFi only models. The 3G and WiFi Kindle will retail for AU$219 while the WiFi only model will cost AU$159. The prices only cost a bit more than Kindle prices on the Amazon store which are US$189 and US$139. With shipping costs Australian customers are actually paying close to the US retail price.

"E-readers are becoming very common, and we didn't want to restrict Australian customers to technology stores. Woolworths, Big W and Dick Smith are all known and trusted in Australia, so customers will feel that they can trust those stores," said Benedict Brook, Media Relations Manager of Woolworths in a statement to CNET Australia.

The Dick Smith and Big W websites also remarked that buying the Kindle locally rather than getting it directly from Amazon will save the customers from shipping and the availability of additional accessories like wall chargers and cases.

"Australian consumers haven't had the chance up till now to have a look at and feel of the Kindle, and they will also have people there to answer their questions. Buying here will be better from buying overseas, where customers may not have had the opportunity to ask questions and get feedback."

"If any reason they want to bring their Kindle back, they can also do that locally," Mr. Brook said.

Dick Smith has confirmed that the 3G model will have roaming free which allows users to download books anywhere.

The Kindles will ship on Aug. 29 2011 and will be available in Woolworths, Dick Smith, Big W and Countdown stores on Aug. 31.