Amazon Haul also arrives in Italy, the new service of the American giant designed to compete with the low cost e-commerce portals such as Temu and Shein. The concept is simple: a multicest online store where each product has a price between 1 and 20 euros.
After the launch in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, Haul arrives in our country with an integrated interface on the main Amazon website, making the family’s family’s purchasing experience for users.
Low prices, but with the trust of the brand
While Shein and, above all, Temu have conquered large slices of the market with an endless offer of economic products, have often had to face criticism on the quality of the articles and the security of user data. With Haul, Amazon tries to offer an alternative that plays on the same Low Cost Card, but within a digital environment that inspires immediate confidence: Amazon’s main site.
The interface is a hybrid between known elements and novelties. We find the classic categories such as woman, man, home and electronics, presented with a young visual language and emoticon (like the symbol of fire for the “hot offers”). However, the inspiration from Eastern competitors is evident: on the page of each product, a section of recommended items invites the impulsive purchase with a “+” button to add them directly to the cart.
How the progressive discount works
The heart of Haul’s strategy is the quantity discount, a mechanism made famous by Temu to encourage fuller trolleys:
- 5% discount for orders over 30 euros;
- 10% discount for orders over 50 euros.
Given the low prices (mostly below 20 euros), the user is driven to add products not strictly necessary to reach the next discount threshold. Compared to competitors, however, the experience is more “clean”: no intrusive mini-game, continuous pop-ups or mechanisms that require to invite friends to get discounts.
Access, shipments and delivery times
Haul access is immediate for those who already have an Amazon account, without the need for further recordings. You can access directly from the dedicated site or looking for “haul” in the main search bar. Shipping is free for orders over 15 euros; Below this threshold, the cost is 3.50 euros.
A point of attention concerns the delivery times: unlike the Amazon Prime speed, Haul shipments can take up to two weeks, thus aligning with the typical times of direct competition.
The challenge to Temu and Shein is open
Amazon responds to the global ascent of Temu and Shein with the Italian launch of Haul, his low cost marketplace. The context is clear: the rivals, with their very low prices and an impulsive purchase model similar to a social feed, have eroded market shares at the Seattle giant, especially among young people.
Haul is the strategic counter -move. It focuses on the same superered economic products (2-20 euros), but tries to stand out on reliability. The purchase environment is the family of Amazon, with verified reviews, made simple and a less invasive experience than pop-ups and competitors games.
The question is if this “sober” approach will suffice to convince an audience accustomed to the exterminated offer and unbeatable prices of Chinese rivals. With Haul, Amazon reports that he no longer wants to take away from this challenge, partially moving the focus from the only war of prices to the values of trust and integrated ecosystem. Italy thus becomes a crucial test bench for this new strategy, in a market where Temu and Shein are growing quickly.
