Amazon has recently launched a new online storefront called Amazon Haul, featuring a variety of products priced under $20. The storefront primarily offers items costing less than $10 and provides free delivery on orders over $25. These products will be shipped to U.S. customers from a warehouse in China, with expected delivery times of one to two weeks.
The products available on Amazon Haul resemble those found on popular Chinese e-commerce platforms like Shein and Temu. Shein caters to young women with affordable apparel, while Temu offers a wide range of products, including clothing, accessories, and kitchen gadgets, at bargain prices.
Both Shein and Temu have faced criticism for their fast fashion business models and have been scrutinized by regulators for various issues. In contrast, Amazon's new storefront features unbranded products such as phone cases, hairbrushes, and dresses at very low prices, emphasizing value for customers.
Amazon's Vice President of Worldwide Selling Partner Services highlighted the importance of offering ultra-low priced products to customers and expressed a commitment to refining and expanding the Amazon Haul experience based on customer feedback.
However, importing goods from China may become more expensive for Amazon due to recent government actions. The Biden administration's crackdown on cheap Chinese products and proposed tariffs could impact prices for consumers who shop on platforms like Shein and Temu.
In other news, Amazon announced the shutdown of its free, ad-supported streaming service Freevee. The company will integrate Freevee content into Prime Video, which will now include ads for Prime members who opt not to pay extra to avoid them. This move aims to simplify the viewing experience for customers, with all Freevee content on Prime Video labeled 'Watch for Free' for easy access by both Prime and non-Prime members.
Amazon assures that there will be no change to the content available for Prime members, and a wide selection of free streaming content will remain accessible to non-Prime members.
