Amazon’s new ‘Haul’ discount section is like a crummy Temu

• Amazon just launched Haul, a section of the app that sells cheap stuff.
• It is a move to stave off competition from Temu and others.
• I was excited to shop! But the selection is…disappointing.

Let me just say that I’m not too good at Temu — I find it a guilty pleasure and have bought fun things from there. So I came to Amazon’s new Temu-like offering – called Haul – with an open mind.

Unfortunately, I have to say: It is the one Temu version of Temu.

(Not familiar with the sick burn? Calling something “Temu” has become a common insult in modern Internet slang—it’s the cheap imitation of the real thing. As in: “Ava Max is Temu Lady Gaga.”)

This week, Amazon launched Drag as a section on its app. (It’s not on the browser.) It sells ultra-cheap items shipped directly from China — all for under $20. It is Amazon’s attempt to compete with cheap e-commerce apps like Temu, Shein and TikTok Shop.

Like I said: It is Temu.

The problem is the product selection, which doesn’t really differ from Temu – or even much from what Amazon already sells on its regular site. Sometimes the prices are actually a little higher on Haul than on Amazon itself.

On Haul, I found categories of things I’ve seen on Chinese e-commerce sites since the Wish app launched during the Obama administration: makeup sponges, phone cases, workout leggings, small kitchen items, hair accessories, and cheap jewelry.

There is a section for sweaters, and yes, they appear to be sweaters.

There are many similarities to the aesthetic of clothing retailer Shein: oversized, fluffy sweaters modeled over tight jeans by women with long blonde hair Utah curls. But Shein has much trendier items and a much wider selection.

Some of the household items on Haul aren’t exciting — and are redundant with regular Amazon: A 6-pack of silicone reusable food storage lids on Haul was $3.99. There is a similar item on regular Amazon with two-day shipping for $3.97. (Because items on Haul come directly from China – and not a US warehouse – shipping is slower, with an estimated delivery time of 1 to 2 weeks.)

I recognized other familiar items, like a replacement silicone band for an Apple Watch, priced at $5.49. A few months ago I bought an almost identical version on Amazon for about $10. Sure, I’d be happy to save a few bucks, but the availability of a cheap Apple Watch band isn’t new or exciting.

I’ll leave it up to you how you feel about Temu. There’s certainly plenty to consider when shopping there, like concerns over forced labor that were discussed in a congressional report last year. And there is the general issue of overconsumption. (Young people are teasing their Gen X and Boomer parents to become “Temu victims”.)

But after spending quite a bit of time at Temu and hearing directly from many of our readers about what they buy there, something that makes it stand out is that it has all kinds of quirky things you didn’t know you needed. When you open the app, you won’t see the same cheap rubber phone cord clamps you see everywhere else – you’ll find weird, new, cheap goodies. In my opinion, Temu’s biggest strength is its variety of new products – not just the bargain bucket prices.

A representative for Amazon told Business Insider that they plan to expand Haul’s product lineup in the coming weeks. It’s in “beta” mode right now, so maybe it’ll feel fresher and more interesting soon. But right now it just feels like a kind of crummy version of Temu to me.