Five Socially Conscious Online Shopping Sites
Online consumers 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.
Thankfully, there are plenty of options to choose from when you shop online. This article will discuss some of our most-loved non-Amazon websites that offer carefully curated selection of products and environmentally friendly, fair trade practices.
Rakuten
Rakuten is the largest eCommerce marketplace in Japan. Its gross merchandise sales in 2019 exceeded $37 billion. It is a massive online marketplace in the international sense. The majority of Americans are familiar with Rakuten through its Ebates brand as a shopping rewards platform that offers cash back at more than 2,500 brands and stores. However, most of the Rakuten’s other brands and services aren’t as well-known in North America.
In addition to providing various products, Rakuten has many features that can help businesses draw and keep customers. This includes free shipping, return policies and a mobile-friendly website. In addition, Rakuten offers a variety of advertising options to reach potential buyers. These advertising options are available to both national and local retailers.
Another benefit of Rakuten is its extensive selection of products, which makes it a fantastic option for small and medium-sized businesses. Its catalog includes a broad variety of items, including food, clothes, and toys. This helps companies increase their revenue and build loyalty. In addition, it has an array of payment options, including PayPal.
To utilize Rakuten, users must create an account for free on the site and then connect their credit card. They can then earn cash by shopping via the platform’s affiliate link. Alternatively, users can install a browser extension that will alert users to cash back opportunities while they browse the web. The company also selects a store each day to provide double cashback throughout the day. Cash back is earned over three months and is paid quarterly via PayPal. You can also earn referral bonus by referring friends to the site. These bonuses are a great incentive to browse the site.
Etsy
Etsy is a global marketplace where small, independent crafters, designers, and artists meet with customers looking to purchase unique, hand-crafted, or vintage items. The site has a broad variety of products that include clothing, jewelry as well as home decor and art. It also offers a variety of shipping options and accepts various payment options, including credit cards and Etsy gift cards.
It has a huge customer base and provides a range of tools for vendors to sell their goods. Its focus on handmade and vintage goods draws a niche audience of dedicated customers. Its secure platform and buyer protection policies encourage buyers to trust the site. It also gives sellers access to a community that includes other sellers who are willing to provide assistance and guidance.
The platform provides a variety of shopping and search features to assist customers in finding their ideal product. Users can filter products using its search function by location or price range, as well as material. It allows users to save shops, items, and searches to return to later. In addition, Etsy has a number of educational resources available to its sellers to assist them in growing their business.
Scammers utilize the Etsy platform to steal customer information and also to steal money. They may create fake shop names, listings, and post their items with inaccurate or insufficient descriptions. They may also use fraudulent shipping addresses or offer non-reversible payment methods to entice people.
Etsy has its drawbacks however, and it’s an excellent choice for small-scale independent sellers. The algorithm used by the platform is complicated and can have a significant impact on the results of searches and sales. Modifications to the algorithm are usually made without warning. The limited layout and customization options could be limiting for some sellers.
Made Trade
Made Trade is an online store that offers a variety of ethical and sustainable home and fashion products. The company curates only high-quality, ethically made products and provides an explanation of how each product is sustainable. They have a variety of vegan and heritage clothing, Capezio White Tap Dance Shoes, accessories and home décor items.
Made Trade was founded in 2018 by Cayley Pater and Andy Ives, two entrepreneurs with an interest in sustainability and fair trade. Their aim was to create an online store that offers the best created, ethically and sustainably produced products.
The company’s goal is to make conscious buying easy. Their well-curated online shop allows customers to find the most sustainable home items as well as wardrobe essentials and accessories that fit their lifestyles. The products they sell are made with earth-friendly materials, and they make every effort to ensure that their designers earn a decent wage and are provided with safe working conditions.
Made Trade supports social enterprises and women-owned businesses, in addition to ethical and sustainable products. In fact the majority of their suppliers are women-owned. The company is also certified as climate neutral. This is a sign of their commitment to environmental responsibility.
Made Trade only sells products made in the USA This means that they adhere to the highest ethical standards and adhere to responsible methods of sourcing. They are committed to ensuring that their workers receive an adequate and reasonable wage, work under safe and healthy conditions, and prioritize sustainable growth for their business. They also use upcycled and recycled materials, as well as mineral and plant dyes that are better for 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, a socially-conscious online bookstore collects used books from libraries, bookstores and from other members of the community, and sells them to raise funds for literacy programs. The company also donates books that are not able to be sold to literacy programs and other causes. Better World Books is a for-profit, Certified B Corporation business that generates economic, social and environmental value for its shareholders.
The company is a global player, and offers a variety of shipping options and payment options. Customers can select from millions of used and new titles, and the company frequently offers sitewide special promotions. These are posted on the Deals & Offers page of the website, and are sent to customers via email and text.
Better World Books is a socially responsible book retailer that also supports the growth of literacy and sustainability. It has partnerships with nonprofit organizations, such as the Internet Archive, to digitise and preserve books that could otherwise be lost or destroyed. It is also among the few online bookstores that offers the largest selection of audiobooks and ebooks.
Better World Books has several programs to help libraries and students find and purchase the best books for their needs. Its library collection program provides free shipping and returns, and its textbook collection program allows students to rent or buy textbooks at a reasonable cost. It also offers a variety of educational resources for students, including its guide to studying. Better World Books is a top alternative to Amazon for students and librarians seeking top-quality books at a reasonable price. It also has a wide range of international titles to attract readers from all over the world.
Overstock
Overstock is a retailer of closeout items including furniture, home décor and other items. The inventory it sells comes from big-box retailers that are unable to sell their products or from suppliers looking to clear their surplus stock. It also purchases directly from manufacturers. The company’s customers can get high-quality goods at low costs.
Overstock offers various ways to shop, including a mobile app that lets shoppers visualize how furniture will appear in their home. It also has an augmented reality feature that lets shoppers see 3D renderings of thousands of furniture items like sectional sofas and memory foam mattresses. Customers can be assured that they’ve picked the right product for their needs, and avoid hassles of returning it.
Inventory management is crucial to the success of an ecommerce business. A lack of stock results in losses in sales, while excessive stock can bind capital and may prevent new products from making it to the market. Tyco Retail Solutions conducted a recent study which found that excessive stocking can cost retailers billions in lost revenue each year.
Overstocks are common however there are ways to avoid them. A warehouse management system lets you monitor inventory and order at the right time. A ship-to-customer program can help you cut down on warehouse and storage costs, as well as allowing faster delivery and returns.
Another way to prevent overstock is to utilize an online listing tool that will automatically sync inventory across multiple marketplace channels. Shopping Cart Elite’s multichannel listing tool for example, Capezio Junior Tyette Tap Shoe can manage listings across Overstock and other marketplaces from one dashboard. This tool will reduce time by eliminating the need to manually input each listing option.
