Amazon officially launched Amazon Haul, its low-cost marketplace that ships items directly from China, to compete with Shein, Temu, and other direct-from-China marketplaces that cater to US customers.
The marketplace features items with a maximum price of $20 and shipping times of up to two weeks, which is contrary to Amazon's typical commitment of ultra-fast fulfillment times. Essentially the market decided that not all products need to be delivered same-day or next-day, and that customers are willing to wait a couple weeks to save money on non-essential items.
Dharmesh Mehta, VP of Worldwide Selling Partner Services at Amazon said:
“Amazon Haul aims to help make shopping for fashion, home, lifestyle, electronics and other products even more fun, easy and affordable, all backed by Amazon’s A-to-z product guarantee so customers can shop with confidence that the products they’re purchasing are safe, authentic and in the condition expected. It’s early days for this experience, and we’ll continue to listen to customers as we refine and expand it in the weeks and months to come.”
Amazon Haul has its own search, cart, and checkout experience separate from Amazon's primary marketplace. The majority of products are priced at $10 or less, with some as low as $1.
Customers that create larger “hauls” get additional discounts:
- 5% off orders of $50 or more
- 10% off orders of $75 and up
- Plus free returns on all purchases over $3 within 15 days of delivery at one of Amazon's more than 8,000 drop-off locations
- Orders over $25 qualify for free shipping
- Smaller orders incur a $3.99 fee
Amazon claims that all Haul items are screened for safety, authenticity, and compliance with regulations, and all purchases are backed by Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee, which offers protection for customers by covering damaged, defective, or misrepresented items.
Amazon Haul is currently exclusive to US shoppers on mobile, where Amazon said most bargain hunters tend to shop. Customers can find Amazon Haul in the Shopping app by searching “Haul” in the search bar, navigating to Amazon Haul from the main menu icon, or by going to www.amazon.com/haul on their mobile device.
The company says it plains to “refine and expand” Haul based on user feedback, but it hasn't yet shared any future expansion plans to other markets.