Amazon’s new ‘$10-and-under’ collection comes with free shipping for all

(Reuters)

If you’re addicted to online shopping and love a bargain, then Amazon’s latest venture may, to be frank, have your credit card running for cover.

In a bid to ensure you shop even more with Amazon and make the ecommerce giant even more giant, the company has quietly launched a new section on its sprawling site that pulls together a bunch of products for $10 or under — with free shipping. And you don’t even have to be a Prime member to take advantage.

To peruse the products, you can scroll down a seemingly never-ending page of goodies comprising clothes, scarves, hats, sunglasses, phone cases, tools, toys, and plenty more besides.

Sections at the top of the main page let you drill down and include women, men, electronics, gifts, home decor, household, watches, and the curiously titled “hello 2018!” that seems to be geared toward New Year’s resolutions (think sports gear) while also offering other stuff like calendars and “Happy New Year” decorations (maybe good for 2019?).

So what else will you find in this intriguing $10-or-under collection? Well, a quick look reveals everything from games and cushions to earphones and water bottles. Oh, and there’s a “Star Wars Rogue 1 Empire Bi-fold Wallet,” too. Price: $10.

There’s also an unsettlingly large number of attention-grabbing bow ties, as well as a “Painless Learning human body placemat” so you can learn about your muscular and skeletal systems between dinner and dessert.

Look, we’re not saying it’s full of great stuff, but there might be something among the clutter that’ll make a nice (and cheap) gift for someone you don’t care too much about. And if you’re running low on bow ties, you’re definitely sorted.

It’s not clear why Amazon has launched the new section, though TechCrunch, which spotted its unannounced arrival this week, suggests it could be part of an effort to take on budget shopping apps like Wish, which has become a big hit with online shoppers since its launch in 2010.

Amazon’s new shopping section has its own web page and is also included as part of the latest Amazon app update for iOS and Android. You’ll find it under “All Programs” in the app’s main navigation.