Amazon rolls out Haul, in response to Shein and Temu’s low prices, in France

A year after its launch in the United States, Amazon is bringing Haul to France, its answer to Chinese rivals Shein and Temu, amid ongoing controversy over ultra-low-cost platforms.

Haul offers around thirty product categories, including clothing, footwear and cosmetics, with prices capped at €20. Amazon notes that most items are priced under €10, with ‘bargains’ starting from €1. Delivery takes up to two weeks and costs €3.50, but is free on orders of €20 or more.

“All Haul products undergo Amazon’s full suite of checks, ensuring customers receive safe items that comply with current regulations and Amazon policies”, said the U.S. group. It also noted that products can be returned to pick-up points within 14 days of delivery.

Beyond the United States, Haul had already launched in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Mexico and Australia.

The rollout in France comes amid increasingly tough rhetoric against ultra-low-cost platforms, particularly in apparel, which has been hit hard by competition from Chinese players Temu and Shein. The latter recently announced the addition of the Pimkie brand to its site, as well as the opening of points of sale at BHV Marais and in regional Galeries Lafayette stores. The eponymous group wants to prevent this.

In previous years, these fast-growing Chinese players had gradually attracted the criticism once directed at Amazon, which was also accused at the time of endangering bricks-and-mortar and online retailers through aggressive pricing, as well as delivery and returns options that smaller players found hard to match. This backlash against Amazon culminated in local opposition to the construction of logistics centres, leading to some projects being abandoned.