Amazon launches Haul in UK in response to Shein and Temu

While the French Parliament is about to vote on the anti-fast-fashion bill, and the EU plans to tax small parcels inbound from China, Amazon is gearing up to join the fray in Europe. The US group is trialling in the UK Amazon Haul, a site launched in the US at the end of 2024 as a response to Shein and Temu.

Haul is offering UK consumers several tens of thousands of products priced below £20, the majority of them actually below £10, and some with prices as low as £1. Delivery costs £2.99, and is free on orders from £15.

Fashion and beauty are heavily represented within the assortment on offer, being five of the nine categories available on Amazon Haul, which is a mobile-only site. Besides womenswear, menswear and beauty, Haul also features sportswear and accessories. The range includes plenty of tops and skirts at £5, dresses at £7, and trousers at £13.

“This is another way to offer low prices on a wide selection of products,” said John Boumphrey, country manager UK at Amazon, adding that “now more than ever we know our customers are looking to save, and we’re excited to provide more options through the shopping app they already know and love.”

Just as Shein says it’s “democratising fashion”, Amazon is justifying Haul with giving consumers access to a wider range of products. Amazon Haul’s low prices stem from Chinese producers selling directly on the site, using the US group’s own warehouses on the eastern coast of China.

Deploying Haul in Europe could also be a cunning way for Amazon to circumvent the new tariffs imposed by the US administration on the Chinese products sold on the low-cost site, for which Europe could be an alternative outlet.

Last year, Amazon generated revenue of $638 billion, up 11%, and its net income increased by 95% to reach $59.2 billion.