On October 22, Amazon quietly launched a beta version of a budget shopping platform in Japan called Amazon Haul. Don’t underestimate this “beta version”—it carries Amazon’s well-thought-out strategic intentions for the Japanese market.
What Exactly Is Amazon Haul?
Amazon Haul comes down to two core keywords: low prices + discounts.
First, the product range: The platform aggregates hundreds of thousands of items, all priced under 1,000 Japanese yen . Its categories are consumer-friendly, covering daily essentials like fashion apparel, home goods, and daily consumables—think socks for a few dozen yen or storage boxes for a few hundred yen, all items Japanese consumers buy regularly.
What’s even more appealing is its “tiered discount” system: Spend 2,000 yen in a single order, and you get an immediate 20% off; spend 3,000 yen , and the discount jumps to 30% off. In short, the more you buy, the more you save—a major draw for consumers who like to stock up on daily necessities.
Why Is Amazon Launching a “Budget Mall” in Japan?
1. Targeting Japanese Consumers’ “Value-for-Money Demand”
While Japan has strong consumer purchasing power, locals are highly sensitive to “affordability.” For daily consumables especially, there’s no need to pay premium prices for big brands—affordable products with good value are far more popular. Local platforms like Rakuten and Mercari have long focused on budget segments, so Amazon’s launch of Haul is essentially filling the gap in its own budget category to capture these price-sensitive users.
2. Using “Low-Price Essentials” to Acquire New Users and Boost Repeat Purchases
Low-priced items have a low entry barrier, making it easy to attract consumers who haven’t previously bought daily essentials on Amazon. What’s more, essentials like tissues and toiletries have high repeat purchase rates—if consumers find the platform “cost-effective and convenient,” they’ll likely return regularly. Over time, they may even shift from “buying low-priced items” to “purchasing across more categories”—that’s Amazon’s long-term goal here.
What Impact Will It Have on Consumers and the Market?
For Consumers: A Win for Budget Shopping
For average consumers, this is definitely good news—they now have an extra channel to “stock up on essentials at low prices.” No more hopping between platforms to compare prices; one platform offers hundreds of thousands of low-cost essential items, plus stacked discounts. It’s both convenient and cost-saving.
For Japan’s E-Commerce Market: Fiercer Competition in the Mid-to-Low End
This move is likely to intensify competition in the mid-to-low-end e-commerce segment. Local platforms previously dominated the budget space, but now Amazon is entering the fray. Leveraging its logistics advantages (such as local FBA warehouses in Japan) and supply chain strength, Amazon could potentially combine “low prices + fast delivery”—a significant source of pressure for other platforms.
Of course, this is just the beta version. Amazon will likely make adjustments based on user feedback later—for example, adding more categories, optimizing discount thresholds, or launching customized products for specific groups (like students or housewives). These developments are worth keeping an eye on.
Why Amazon Haul Deserves Attention
In short, Amazon Haul’s beta launch in Japan isn’t just a simple “cheap goods sale”—it’s a targeted move by Amazon to expand in the Japanese market. Using low-priced essentials to break into the market, Amazon can both capture users and complete its product ecosystem. For cross-border sellers, it’s also wise to follow updates: If the official version opens for seller onboarding, it could be a chance for small and medium-sized sellers to “stand out through high sales volume.”
