It’s day 1 for Amazon Haul — the tech giant’s answer to Temu and Shein
More stuff for less is probably not a hard sell after years of inflation.
As the mass at the center of the e-commerce universe, when Amazon makes a move, the industry usually follows. But, for once, it’s the online giant looking to catch up with its competition, with the company rolling out its new — currently mobile-only — storefront, Amazon Haul, yesterday. It offers an array of products under $20, from fashion to home goods to electronics. Items like $2.99 holiday table runners, $1.79 iPhone cases, and $7.99 quilted totes are available to be shipped directly from warehouses in China to bargain-seeking shoppers in the United States.
From Amazon’s perspective, this feels smart — directly taking on the new kids on the block Temu and Shein, which have burst onto the scene in the last few years, at a time when inflation-weary consumers are more open to finding a bargain than ever before.
Despite already holding a ~41% share of the US e-commerce market (compared to Temu and Shein’s 1% each), Amazon is clearly determined to give shoppers as few reasons as possible not to visit amazon.com — even if it means easing up on its signature same- or next-day delivery. In a statement yesterday, Amazon noted shoppers are willing to bear with “one to two weeks” if they can snag “ultralow-priced” items.
According to data from website-intelligence platform Similarweb, Amazon’s main site has had more than 22 billion hits this year — more than 10x what Shein and Temu have racked up combined.
This isn’t Amazon’s first time taking cues from competitors; the company has been accused of borrowing products or business models from online furniture retailer Wayfair, shoe brand Allbirds, and Canadian e-commerce platform Shopify — reportedly even forming task forces to monitor them, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Amazon’s timing might come with challenges: US and European regulators are cracking down on a loophole allowing imports under $800 to dodge tariffs, plus there is Trump’s proposed 60% tariff on Chinese imports.
