In an effort to compete with fast fashion retailers, Amazon has launched its very own version of a budget virtual marketplace called Amazon Haul, giving us yet another reason to avoid shopping with the Jeff Bezos-owned conglomerate.
From today, users of the Amazon app will be able to access categories of products at prices $25 and under. With marketplaces like Temu and Shein growing in popularity in Australia, Amazon hopes to give customers an “ultra affordable” experience, which “will give customers more choice in how they shop by offering access to a wide selection of products at lower prices”.
“Australians seek out value and convenience when they shop online, and we’re excited to provide more options through the shopping app they already know and love,” said Amit Mahto, Australia Country Manager of Amazon Marketplace.
According to retail consultant Trent Rigby, Amazon Haul will be stiff competition for its competitors in two areas: fulfilment and customer service.
“Temu, Shein and Ali typically ship directly from Chinese manufacturers, whereas Amazon can leverage its established fulfilment infrastructure,” Rigby said, per The Sydney Morning Herald.
“That means Haul could, in theory, offer faster delivery, better customer service and stronger product guarantees — addressing three major pain points for consumers with these low-cost marketplaces.”
However, while Amazon is entering this super-cheap market with established trust and expectations from customers, it’ll be interesting to see whether it can compete with the likes of Temu, Shein and AliExpress in price.
Earlier this year, a report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that Temu was the most-used online retailer in Australia. Plus, according to consumer analytics platform Fonto, Temu is one of the fastest-growing consumer retail brands of the year.
While the cost-of-living pressures are seeing audiences flock to super-cheap retailers, it doesn’t necessarily mean this solution is a good thing. Thanks to dynamic pricing, low-cost production and a digital-first approach, websites like Temu encourage users to “shop like a billionaire”.
Although shopping for cheaply priced objects might scratch an itch to have the latest trending item, it only fuels the growing issue of over-consumption and overproduction.
According to The Australia Institute, more than 300,000 tonnes of clothing are either sent to landfill or exported from Australia. Then, add on the extra environmental impact of packaging and air-freight deliveries that international online-only retailers have, and you’ve got a hefty environmental impact on your hands.
“Our fashion system increasingly favours convenience and speed over quality and ethics. Amazon Haul is just another retailer jumping on this, adding to the growth of social shopping (in-app purchasing). The name says enough: haul culture encourages overconsumption and rejects mindful consumption,” sustainability advocate, content creator and co-host of the Culture Club podcast, Maggie Zhou, told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“We are importing such humongous volumes of cheaply made, unethically produced clothes — on average, we each buy 56 new items per year. Australia’s fashion industry is suffering tremendously because of this. Not only are local businesses and makers competing against these ultra fast fashion companies, but we are also left to deal with this textile waste.”
That’s not the only issue. Amazon has faced allegations of tax evasion and has previously come under fire on multiple occasions for exploitation and bad working conditions. Considering Amazon’s chief executive and founder, Jeff Bezos, is the world’s richest man, it feels … rich.
The worst bit? With more extremely cheap online retailers like Amazon Haul making fast fashion more accessible than ever before, chances are things are only going to get worse.
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