By Haleluya Hadero | The Associated Press
Amazon has launched a low-cost online storefront featuring electronics, apparel and other products priced at under $20, an effort to compete with discount retailers that have increasingly encroached on the e-commerce giant’s turf.
In a blog post on Wednesday, the company said the new Amazon Haul storefront will mostly feature products that cost less than $10 and offer free delivery on orders over $25. Amazon plans to ship the products to US customers from a warehouse it operates in China, according to documentation the company provided to sellers. Amazon said Haul orders could arrive within one to two weeks.
Many of the available products on the storefront Wednesday resembled the types of items typically found on Shein and Temu , the China-founded e-commerce platforms that have grown in popularity in recent years.
Shein’s core customers are young women enticed by the low-cost apparel sold on the site. Temu offers clothing, accessories, kitchen gadgets and a broad array of other products for bargain-hungry shoppers.
Temu and Shein often get criticism over the environmental impact of the ultra-fast fashion business model the two companies follow. They have also faced scrutiny from legislators and regulators in the US and abroad over other issues, including some of the products on their platforms.