The situation: The US closure of the de minimis exemption—and similar moves worldwide—hasn’t slowed Amazon’s push to counter Shein and Temu through its low-cost standalone apps, Amazon Haul and its clone, Amazon Bazaar.

• Bazaar last week expanded into 14 more markets, and the two apps now operate in 25 markets since Haul launched in the US in November 2024.
• The retailer marked the app’s first anniversary with an unannounced two-day sale on November 10 and 11, coinciding with Veterans Day in the US and Singles Day in China.

Why is this happening? Even as Haul expands, the platform continues to look like a defensive move to keep shoppers from drifting to Temu and Shein by offering similar ultra-cheap goods. Yet the effort seems tentative.

• Case in point: On November 9, Amazon began promoting its Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday events, set to start November 20, across its homepage and marketing channels. However, it gave no advance notice of Haul’s “special two-day shopping event” and left it off the homepage, even during the sale.
• Haul was launched as a separate app, but Amazon has since made it slightly easier to find by giving it a dedicated tab within the main Amazon app and website. Still, without promotion, it’s easy for consumers unfamiliar with the brand to simply miss it.

Our take: It’s striking that Amazon continues to invest in Haul at a time when the company’s cost-cutting efforts have led to significant layoffs and a major push to automate its warehouse operations.

Haul’s expansion and its unannounced two-day sale show Amazon wants to defend its turf against Shein and Temu. Yet the effort seems more like a hedge than a true growth bet. The sale’s quiet rollout suggests Amazon is testing the low-cost model without fully committing, maintaining a presence in the bargain space while protecting its core brand.

For now, Haul looks less like a breakout business than a signal that Amazon won’t cede the value segment, even as its focus remains elsewhere.

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