Amazon was one of the first companies to lead the online shopping revolution, making it easier than ever for consumers to buy almost any product and have it delivered right to their doorstep. But since Shein entered the e-commerce market in 2015, the two have found themselves in direct competition, fighting for the same audience.
The Chinese e-commerce giant has been gradually reducing Amazon’s global market share by offering a wide range of products at extremely low prices. Amazon has attempted to counter this by launching Amazon Haul in 2024, a new affordable shopping experience that includes thousands of items, many of which cost less than $20. Regardless, Shein’s rapid growth has continued.
However, Shein’s momentum now faces new obstacles. With the Trump administration’s elimination of the de minimis exception and the introduction of new tariffs on China, the loophole that allows goods valued at less than $800 to enter the United States without certain tariffs has been closed.
(In U.S. law, the de minimis rule was originally designed to avoid the administrative burden of collecting customs duties when the cost of enforcing them exceeded the revenue collected,” according to Congress.gov.)
These changes have raised Shein’s costs, leading to rising prices despite the company’s efforts to absorb expenses through its implemented “all-inclusive pricing,” which provides customers with a final total up front and avoids surprise fees.
Still, Shein reported a 20% increase in global revenue to $37 billion for the full year 2024. However, its pre-tax profits fell 13% to $1.3 billion, down from $1.5 billion in 2023, according to Business of Fashion.
Over the years, Amazon has borrowed ideas from Shein to remain competitive. Now the roles are being reversed. Shein is taking a page from Amazon’s early playbook by launching a product category that helped Amazon become a multibillion-dollar business three decades ago.
Shein enters the US book market with a new partnership.Shutterstock
Shein has partnered with Alibris to launch an online bookstore in its US store, offering more than 100,000 titles across multiple genres, including affordable textbooks for students.
Alibris is a California-based online marketplace for independent sellers of new, used, and rare books, music, and movies, with an inventory of over 200 million items from thousands of sellers worldwide.
“The average Shein customer reads one to three books a month; this is not a trend, it’s a lifestyle,” Shein general manager and head of Marketplace US George Chang said in a press release. “We are excited to support our customers’ love of reading and learning by partnering with Alibris to offer a wide variety of books to our first-time buyers.”
Because Alibris operates nationally, this partnership provides Shein with a US distribution center for this new category, allowing for faster deliveries, lower shipping costs and potentially improved margins.
Customers can now access the Alibris store directly through the Shein website.
The timing of Shein’s entry into the book space is significant. The cost of attending a four-year college in the United States has more than doubled since the beginning of the 21st century, with a compound annual tuition growth rate of 4.04%, according to the Education Data Initiative (EDI).
Today, the average in-state student at a four-year public institution, who lives on campus, spends about $27,146 per academic year. Tuition alone averages $9,750 for in-state students and $28,386 for out-of-state students.
When accounting for student loan interest and lost potential income, the total long-term cost of earning a bachelor’s degree can exceed $500,000, EDI shared.
While textbooks only represent a small part of that expense, they remain a significant financial burden for many. Students at public four-year universities spend an average of $1,220 a year on textbooks and supplies.
Shein’s decision to offer affordable textbooks through its US store won’t solve the student debt crisis, but it does introduce a more affordable option to a market dominated by academic publishers and high-priced university bookstores. In an economy marked by rising prices and persistent inflation, even small savings can make a big difference for students already struggling to make ends meet.
Despite growing competition, Amazon (AMZN) remains the leading e-commerce giant, far surpassing Shein in revenue, product variety, and global infrastructure. Amazon customers can buy everything from groceries and everyday items to cars, while Shein still focuses primarily on fast-fashion clothing, accessories and home goods.
Both companies have their own warehouses and distribution centers, but Amazon’s global footprint is significantly larger. The company’s multichannel fulfillment network is the largest in the world, with 150 fulfillment centers in the U.S. and 200 worldwide, according to Amazon.
“Sourcing will be the key issue, so while transfer across other countries, assembly in other states or warehousing elsewhere might work, blanket tariffs will still apply,” said Ananda Chakravarty, research vice president of retail merchandising and marketing analytics strategies at IDC. “Low prices are always a race to the bottom and become a war of attrition. This will suffocate all parties, and those with the most recklessness will win.”
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According to Amazon’s fiscal 2024 earnings report, net revenue increased 11% to $638 billion compared to the previous year, and the North America segment increased 10%. Unlike Shein, Amazon’s pretax profits rose nearly 86% to $68.6 billion.
“A significant competitive advantage for Amazon can be attributed to its strong infrastructure and ability to quickly adapt to market changes,” said David Biernbaum, a consumer products retail business consultant. “Unlike smaller retailers, Amazon is able to absorb some of the costs related to tariffs and pass savings on to consumers as a result of its efficient supply chain. Additionally, its strong customer service and reliable delivery options may encourage consumers to switch from Temu and Shein, particularly if these brands struggle to maintain their low prices.”
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This story was originally reported by TheStreet on November 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.