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Amazon hasrolled outits solvent to the discounted , blue - cost storefront of Temu and Shein . TheAmazon Haulstore , currently useable on the wandering app or nomadic entanglement internet browser exclusively , offers similar mass - produce , discounted item , most of which ship from China . It ’s a passing from Amazon ’s long - launch repute as a powerhouse of speedy livery time since even Amazon ca n’t boil down the time it takes to get these oversea goods .
The landing page for Amazon Haul is reminiscent of Shein and Temu even in its excogitation : Items appear in grids , rather than Amazon ’s distinctive inclination , and transportation times and star military rating are n’t visible unless you tap an item . Some items are labeled with rocket ship emojis that monish that this $ 4.99 iPhone 16 Pro case is “ selling fast ! ” Or , you might see a fire emoji announce that the price for a three - pack of $ 2.89 mesh wash bags is “ crazy depleted . ” Like its competitors , Amazon Haul also sell clothing ( $ 16 for a pair of men ’s golf pants , or $ 4.99 for 80s - style women ’s branch warmers ) . In a “ Staples ” section , you’re able to come up an assortment of … sponges , resistance band , hoodies , Si baking mats , and air sock .
“ While Amazon continues to pop the question over 300 million point with fast , costless deliverance for Prime member [ … ] we also hear from customer that sometimes they would love to rat radical - low - priced products even if some of them take one to two hebdomad to get in , ” Amazonwrotein a web log post .
Temu and Shein have been subject to wide criticism over theirenvironmental impact , a byproduct of their general transportation , and the waste do by fast fashion . Both company have also been subject to consumer tribute probe in the European Union , where regulator are inquire their possible usage ofaddictive design patternsandillegal products .
Despite the tilt surrounding them , these low - cost retailers remain unbelievably pop among Gen Z. concord to enquiry from app intelligence agency firmAppfigures , the most pop app among U.S. substance abuser ages 18 to 24 was Temu , with almost 42 million downloads in that demographic between January and October 2024 . For Shein , that estimate is about 14.7 million downloads , though it ’s possible that the difference in download numbers is that stark because Gen zed users have already downloaded Shein , which has been around longer than Temu .
One danger for Shein and Temu is that consumer may not feel well-to-do make purchase from unknown marketer that could potentially be shoddy ; consumers have more existing trust in Amazon , but the troupe is working with standardized , mostly China - base marketer of mass - grow goods . However , Amazon claims that it screens trafficker ahead of clip , and if customer require to return their leverage , they can do so for free within 15 days as long as the detail is over $ 3 .
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It ’s a dubious clip for Amazon to invest in this commercial enterprise model , given that chairperson - elect Donald Trump has advise leverage a60 % taxonomic category imported Chinese goods . This duty programme is n’t set in stone , though — it ’s vulgar for politicians to shift their campaign platforms after they ’ve secure a winnings .
However , the popularity of Chinese e - Department of Commerce shipments has draw in bipartizan attention . The Biden government activity has alreadyproposed congressional actionto crack down on what it calls “ significant increased revilement ” by Chinese e - commerce companies of the “ de minimis ” exception . The de minimis immunity allows cargo valued under $ 800 to enter the U.S. obligation free , which helps retail merchant like Temu and Shein maintain such low margins .
