Amazon begins European rollout of its Temu clone

UK will be first to get cut-price online store

Trade

Image: Amazon

Two 10s per product, never more. That’s the promise Amazon is making to UK shoppers with its new bargain corner Haul. In doing so, it will compete with Temu.

It could be a hot summer in European e-commerce, as foreign giants are plunging into the region with ferocious force.

Earlier this week, it became clear that Chinese online retailers Temu and Shein are shifting their strategic focus from the US to Europe. New figures show that they are turning up the advertising crown hard. Local budgets went up 40% last month. Whether that is a first hard bump or just a harbinger of more is not known.

Two forces are at play here. On one side is the rampant globalisation of online commerce, with local laws and regulations being flouted. On the other is restrictive US trade policies that are driving away Chinese marketplaces.

The rise of digital budget stores has meant that Temu, meanwhile, reportedly has more visitors than Amazon. And the Americans are not letting that pass them by. In November 2024, Amazon launched its digital bargain corner Haul, the international low budget competitor toward Temu.

Haul launched in the US but it was obvious that the large European market would soon follow. After all, that’s where the ousted Temu is also moving. The largest Amazon countries in Europe are Germany and England, followed by Italy, Spain and France.

England, it is now becoming clear, is the first country to launch Haul in Europe. The leadership announced that last Tuesday, without much fanfare.

“We are introducing Amazon Haul in the United Kingdom. We will offer customers thousands of products for £20 or less, most of them under £10 and some even for just £1.

“Customers can take advantage of additional discounts, including 5%off orders over £50 and 10 percent off orders over £75. Amazon Haul offers free shipping on orders over £15.”

At the same time as the UK market, the new Amazon haul also launched in Saudi Arabia.

At the end of last year, the advertising budgets of Chinese stores in America were larger than those of the country’s largest retailers. The question is what European retailers can do in return.

Emerce

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