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Amazon has unveiled Haul, a not-so-subtle competitor to cheap online stores like Shein and Temu.
The beta section in the Amazon Shopping app includes electronics, accessories such as phone cases, and “lifestyle” products (like pillows or tongs) with prices at or below $20. Most items cost less than $10, Amazon says.
As with the regular store, the catalog includes a mix of products sold by Amazon itself as well third-party stores that use Amazon to fulfill their orders. Shipping is free for orders over $25, and $4 for smaller purchases. Returns are free for anything over $3 so long as they’re submitted within 15 days.
You can find the area by searching for “Haul” in the Amazon app or finding its main menu icon. You can also find it on the mobile web.
The key to the pricing, Amazon explains, is the delivery speed. Where Prime subscribers can often get their goods within a day or less, Amazon Haul orders ship within one to two weeks.
Although Amazon doesn’t mention the competition by name, it’s clear the tech giant is aiming at Temu, Shein, and other frequently China-based rivals that can offer very cheap products. This theoretically keeps customers on Amazon, particularly those worried they might be buying fakes or dangerously low-quality items from the Chinese outlets.
Whether or not it works isn’t clear. Amazon is widely considered a market leader in online shopping, and had over 37.6% of the US market in 2023. Temu has only 17% of the American budget shopping market, but 37.3% of China’s overall market share. Haul might do more to stem potential losses (particularly in the US) than to help Amazon win customers in areas where its Chinese rivals already thrive.
