Five Socially Conscious Online Shopping Sites
Online customers are becoming more aware of where their purchases come from. They want personalized shopping experiences, unique products they can’t find anywhere else, and they prefer to shop on sites that are environmentally-friendly.
There are many options when it comes time to shop online. This article will highlight our top non Amazon websites that offer an extensive selection of products that are eco-friendly and have fair trade practices.
Rakuten
Rakuten is the most popular eCommerce marketplace in Japan. In 2019, its gross merchandise sales surpassed $37 billion. This makes it a huge online marketplace by international standards. Most Americans are familiar with Rakuten through its Ebates brand, a shopping rewards platform that offers cash back on more than 2,500 brands and stores. However, most of the company’s other brands and services aren’t as well-known in North America.
Rakuten offers a range of products and features that can help businesses to draw and keep customers. Free shipping and return policies as well as mobile-friendly sites are just a few of the features. In addition, Rakuten offers a variety of advertising options to get potential buyers to consider purchasing. These advertising options are available to both local and national retail stores.
Another feature of Rakuten is its vast inventory, which makes it a fantastic option for small and medium-sized companies. Its catalog includes a broad range of products such as food, clothing and toys. This helps businesses increase their profits and increases loyalty. In addition, it has a variety of payment options that include PayPal.
To make use of Rakuten users need to first sign up for an account for free Rakuten account and connect their credit card. Then, they can earn cash back by shopping through affiliate links on the platform. Additionally, users can install a browser extension which alerts users to cash back opportunities as they browse the internet. The company also selects one store every day to give double cash back for 24 hours. Cash back is accumulated for three months, and then paid out quarterly through PayPal. Recommending friends to the site is another way to earn referral bonuses. These bonuses are a great incentive to shop on the site.
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace that connects small crafters, artists and designers with customers looking to buy unique, handmade or vintage items. Etsy offers a variety of products including jewelry, clothing and home decor. It accepts credit cards, Etsy gift certificates and various shipping methods.
It has a significant customer base and offers a variety of tools for vendors to market their products. Its emphasis on vintage and handcrafted products attracts a segment of devoted shoppers. Its secure platform and buyer protection policies encourage buyers to trust the site. It also provides sellers with access to a network of fellow sellers who are able to provide support and advice.
The platform provides a variety of search and shopping features to help customers find their perfect product. Users can filter items using its search function based on location, price range, and material. It also lets users save items, shops and searches to return to later. Etsy also provides a range of educational resources to aid sellers in growing their businesses.
Scammers use the Etsy platform to steal customer information and also to steal money. They can create fake listings or shop names, and they frequently provide incorrect or incomplete descriptions of their items. They also try to fool customers by using fake shipping addresses or offering non-reversible payment methods.
Etsy has its own drawbacks, even though it is an excellent option for small-scale independent sellers. The complicated algorithm of the platform can have a major impact on sales and search results and any modifications to the algorithm are often made without notice. Its limited customization and layout options could be limiting for certain sellers.
Made Trade
Made Trade is a store online that provides a range of sustainable and ethical home goods and fashion products. Made Trade offers only top-quality ethically-made products and provides an explanation of the ways in which each product is sustainable. They offer an assortment of traditional and vegan clothes shoes, Precision Measurement Kitchen Cup accessories, and home decor pieces.
Made Trade was founded in 2018 by Cayley Pater and Andy Ives, two entrepreneurs with a passion for sustainability and fair trade. Their aim was to create one-stop shopping for the finest created, ethically and sustainably sourced products.
The goal of the company is to make shopping conscious simple, and their well-curated online store allows for shoppers to find the best sustainable home items as well as wardrobe staples and accessories to live their lives. Their products are all made from earth-friendly materials and they strive to ensure that their workers receive a fair wage and have safe working conditions.
In addition to sourcing sustainable and ethical products, Made Trade also supports women-owned businesses and social enterprises. In fact the majority of their suppliers are women-owned. The company has also been certified climate neutral, demonstrating its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Made Trade carries only USA made products, which means they adhere to the highest ethical standards and adhere to responsible sourcing procedures. They’re committed to ensuring that their employees receive a fair and living wage, work under safe and healthy conditions, and focus on sustainable growth for their business. They also make use of recycled and upcycled materials along with mineral and plant dyes that are more beneficial to the environment than chemical dyes. Made Trade is committed to protecting animals and will not sell products that have been tested on animals.
Better World Books
Better World Books is a socially conscious online bookseller that acquires used books from bookstores, libraries and durable kitchen Cutting board other members of the community and sells them in an effort to raise money for literacy initiatives. The company donates the books it can’t sell to literacy organizations or other causes. Better World Books is an for-profit Certified B Corporation that creates value for its stakeholders in terms of social, economic and environmental impact.
The company has a global presence, offering a variety of shipping options and payment methods. Customers can choose from millions of new and used titles. The company also runs frequent promotions on the site. These are available in the Deals & Offers section of the website. They are also sent via email and text to customers.
Better World Books is a socially responsible book seller that promotes the development of literacy and sustainability. Better World Books has partnerships with nonprofit organizations, like the Internet Archive, to digitise and preserve books that could otherwise be lost or destroyed. It is also one of the few online bookstores offering an extensive range of ebooks and audiobooks.
Better World Books has several programs that assist libraries and students find and purchase the most appropriate books for their needs. Its library collection program provides free shipping and returns, while its textbook collection program lets students to lease or purchase textbooks at a low cost. In addition, it offers numerous other educational resources available for students, such as its student guide to learning. Better World Books is an excellent alternative to Amazon, especially for librarians and students who are looking for high-quality titles at a fair price. It also offers a variety of international titles that will draw readers from all over the globe.
Overstock
Overstock is an online retailer of closeout furniture, home decor and other products. Its inventory comes from big-box retailers who are unable to sell their products, or from suppliers trying to sell off excess inventory. It also buys directly from manufacturers. The company’s customers can get high-quality goods at low costs.
Overstock offers a variety of ways to shop. One of it is a mobile application that lets customers visualize the furniture they will find in their home. Additionally, it has an enhanced reality feature that lets customers see 3D renderings of a variety of items, including sectional sofas and memory foam mattresses. This way, buyers can be confident they’ve chosen the best product to meet their needs and avoid the hassle of returning.
Making sure that the inventory level is correct is essential to a successful e-commerce business. A low inventory level can result in a loss of sales. On the other the other hand, a high inventory level can hinder innovation and hamper market access. Tyco Retail Solutions conducted a recent study that revealed that overstocking costs retailers billions in lost revenue each year.
Although overstocks are a frequent event, there are ways to prevent them. A warehouse management system allows you to monitor inventory and order at the appropriate time. A ship-to-customer program can help you cut warehouse and storage costs, while also allowing quicker shipping and returns.
Another way to prevent overstock is to utilize an online listing tool that will automatically sync inventory across different marketplace channels. Shopping Cart Elite’s multichannel listing tool, for example, can manage listings across Overstock and other marketplaces on one dashboard. This tool will help you save time by removing the need to manually enter each listing option.