Amazon.com Inc. has launched a beta version of a new, web-only shoe and handbag store. Dubbed Endless.com, the site offers more than 250 brands and 15,000 styles and colors for men, women and children. Shoppers can use existing Amazon.com accounts for placing orders. And the shoe and handbag merchant provides 24-hour-a-day customer service phone support.

With Endless.com, Amazon, No. 1 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, is going up against some significant competition. Established shoe and handbag e-retailers include Zappos.com Inc., No. 34 in the Top 500 Guide; eBags.com, No. 90; and Shoebuy.com Inc., No. 127.

Like competitors Zappos.com and Shoebuy.com, Endless.com offers free return shipping and a 110% price guarantee on items customers find cheaper elsewhere. Endless also offer free overnight shipping on all items, while Zappos and Shoebuy offer free standard shipping. Endless.com also features a countdown clock on the top of every page, which lets shoppers know order deadlines and delivery dates.

In the area of site search, Endless.com shoppers can shop by price, style, brand, size and color all at the same time or separately. For instance, shoppers can conduct a simultaneous search for gold and red ballet flats by Jessica Simpson, Steve Madden and BCBGirls in a size 8 and an 8.5.