Amazon is focusing on the popularity of low-cost shopping destinations. The company has launched a new standalone app called Amazon Bazaar, initially available in a few select locations. Most products on the app are priced under $10, with some as low as $2.
Amazon Bazaar will first roll out — on Android and iOS — in 14 additional destinations, with more to follow in the months ahead. The app is now available in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Nigeria. In the US, the low-cost e-commerce service is called Haul. It will give the company an opportunity to compete with the likes of Shein and Temu.
Shoppers can browse fashion, home goods and lifestyle products, with most items under $10. Customers can use their existing Amazon credentials while enjoying Amazon’s convenience. Orders that reach the local minimum purchase amount qualify for free delivery, with a standard delivery charge for smaller orders.
“Amazon Bazaar’s expansion is an important step in Amazon’s international growth,” D.A. Davidson & Co analyst Gil Luria told Reuters. “Amazon has only entered a market when it believed it could scale up to a level where it delights consumers and builds a profitable business.”
Amazon said products on Amazon Bazaar are shipped directly from the company’s global fulfilment centres to destinations and delivered to shoppers via its network of service partners.
Meanwhile, Shein and Temu have expanded beyond the US. Shein now operates in more than 160 countries, including the US, Brazil, Ireland and southern China. Temu ships to at least 70 countries.
Shipments take around two weeks or less, returns are free within 15 days of receipt, and Amazon offers multilingual customer support. Amazon launched Haul in the US last year and has since expanded the in-app service to Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and Australia.