Amazon offers free shipping for items under $10

PanARMENIAN.Net - Amazon.com Inc. is introducing free shipping on thousands of popular, smaller items -- makeup, mobile phone accessories, earplugs -- in its Web store, without requiring a minimum order, Bloomberg reports.

The new initiative applies to all customers, including those not enrolled in Amazon Prime, the annual membership program that includes two-day shipping, the company said on Tuesday, June 2. Amazon is using the free shipping program to target cost-conscious shoppers, a group that EBay Inc. is courting.

Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos has focused on increasing the value of the $99-a-year Prime membership, adding same-day delivery in big cities, video streaming and music. By offering free shipping, the Seattle-based online retailer will be able to target a wider pool of customers and market its services, including Prime membership.

“Maybe the thinking is they can break even on these transactions and that’s all they really need to do,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. “That fits the Bezos playbook.”

The new offer gives online shoppers an opportunity to order inexpensive goods one at a time without worrying that shipping costs are more than the price of the item or feeling compelled to buy additional products to meet a free-shipping threshold. The service covers items that weigh 8 ounces (230 grams) or less, which usually cost no more than $10.

Amazon started the program on a trial basis 13 weeks ago.