Five Socially Conscious Online Shopping Sites

Online shopping sites like amazon consumers are becoming more aware of where their purchases originate. 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 to shop online. This article will cover our top non Amazon sites that offer a carefully curated selection of fair trade, eco-friendly and fair trade practices.

Rakuten

Rakuten is the most well-known eCommerce marketplace in Japan. Its gross merchandise sales in 2019 surpassed $37 billion. It is a huge online marketplace according to international standards. Rakuten is most familiar to Americans through its Ebates brand. This shopping rewards platform 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.

In addition to providing an array of products, Rakuten has many features that help businesses draw and keep customers. This includes free shipping, return policies, and an accessible mobile 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.

The vast inventory available at Rakuten is a further reason that makes it a fantastic choice for small- and medium-sized businesses. The catalog contains a wide number of products, including food, clothing, and toys. This can help companies grow their revenue and create loyalty. Additionally, it offers a variety of payment methods which include PayPal.

To make use of Rakuten users need to create an account for free on the site and then connect their credit card. Then, they can earn cashback by shopping through affiliate links on the platform. Additionally, users can download a browser extension which alerts them to cash back opportunities while they browse the web. The company also picks a store every day to give double cash back for 24 hours. Cash back is earned over a period of three months before being is paid out every quarter via PayPal. You can also earn referral bonuses by referring friends to the site. These bonuses are an excellent incentive to shop on the site.

Etsy

Etsy is a global marketplace that lets small-scale, independent crafters, designers, and artists can connect with customers who want to purchase unique, handcrafted or vintage items. The site features a wide assortment of goods including clothing, jewelry as well as home decor and art. It accepts credit cards, Etsy gift certificates and various shipping methods.

It has a large customer base and offers numerous tools to help sellers market their products. Its focus on vintage and handmade goods attracts a niche of devoted shoppers. The website's secure platform and its policies for protecting buyers encourage buyers to trust it. It also provides sellers with access to a network of fellow sellers who are able to provide assistance and support.

The platform also offers various tools for shopping and searching to help shoppers find the perfect product. Its search function lets users filter items by price range material, location, and price. It can also be used to save items, shops, and searches to revisit later. Etsy also offers a variety of educational tools to assist sellers in growing their businesses.

Scammers utilize the Etsy platform to steal customer data and also to steal money. They may use fake shop names or listings and post their items with faulty or incomplete descriptions. They also attempt to deceive people by using fraudulent shipping addresses or by offering non-reversible payment options.

While Etsy is an excellent option for small, independent sellers, it has a few disadvantages. The platform's complex algorithm can have a significant effect on search results and sales, and changes to the algorithm are usually made without warning. Some sellers may feel that the platform's limited layout options and customization options to be restrictive.

Made Trade

Made Trade is an online store that features a selection of eco-friendly and sustainable household items and fashion items. The company curates only high-quality ethically-made products and gives a description of how each product is sustainable. They offer a variety of vegan and heritage clothing and accessories and furniture pieces.

Cayley Pater is a passionate environmentalist and Andy Ives founded Made Trade in 2018. Both entrepreneurs are passionate about fair trade and sustainability. Their goal was to create a one-stop shop for exceptionalally designed, sustainably and ethically sourced products.

The company's goal is to make shopping mindfully easy, and their beautifully curated online store makes it easy for shoppers to find the most sustainable home products clothing staples, accessories and wardrobe essentials to live their lives. The products they sell are made from earth-friendly materials and they make every effort to ensure that their designers are paid a living wage and have 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 owned by women. The company is also certified as climate neutral. This demonstrates its commitment to sustainability.

Made Trade carries only USA produced products, which means they adhere to the highest ethical standards and use responsible sourcing procedures. They're committed to ensuring that their makers are paid an adequate and reasonable wage, work under safe and healthy conditions, and prioritize sustainable growth for their business. They also employ recycled and upcycled materials, as in addition to mineral and plant-based dyes that are more beneficial for the environment than chemical dyes. In addition to these eco-friendly practices Made Trade is dedicated to protecting animals by not selling any products that are tested on animals.

Better World Books

Better World Books, a socially conscious online bookshop collects used books from libraries, bookstores and from other community members and sells them to raise funds for literacy programs. The company donates the books it can't sell to literacy programs or other causes. Better World Books is an for-profit Certified B Corporation that creates value for its customers in terms of economic, social and environmental impact.

The company is a global player and offers a variety shipping options and payment methods. Customers can select from millions of used and new titles, and the company often offers special promotions on its best website to buy supplies. These are listed in the Deals & Offers section of the website. They are also delivered via text or email to customers.

Better World Books is a socially responsible book seller that also supports the growth of literacy and sustainability. The company has partnerships with non-profit organizations, like 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 a large collection of ebooks and audiobooks.

Better World Books has several programs to help libraries and students find and purchase the most appropriate books for their requirements. Its library collection program provides free shipping and returns, while its textbook collection program allows students to lease or purchase 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 leading alternative to Amazon for students and librarians seeking high-quality books at a reasonable cost. It also has a wide range of international titles to appeal to readers everywhere.

Overstock

Overstock is a retailer of closeout items including furniture, home décor and other products. Its inventory comes from big-box stores that no longer offer the items they used or from suppliers seeking to clear out excess inventory. It also buys directly from manufacturers. Customers can purchase high-quality items for low prices.

Overstock offers a variety of ways to shop. One of the most popular is a mobile app that lets shoppers visualize how furniture would look in their home. It also comes with an Augmented Reality feature that lets customers see 3D renderings of a variety of items, including sectional sofas and memory foam mattresses. So, buyers can be sure they've picked the right product for their needs and avoid the hassle of returning.

Making sure that the inventory level is correct is critical to an e-commerce business. Insufficient stock can lead to losses in sales, while excessive inventory can tie up capital and may prevent new products from reaching the market. Tyco Retail Solutions conducted a recent study that revealed that the overstocking of retailers results in billions of dollars in lost revenue each year.

Overstocked items are not uncommon however there are ways to prevent them. One option is to utilize an inventory management system that allows you to keep track of the level of inventory and order at the appropriate time. Another option is to invest in a ship-to-customer system, which can reduce storage and warehouse space costs while allowing you to offer faster delivery and return options.

A listing tool that can automatically sync inventory across multiple channels is an additional method to avoid having an overstock. Shopping Cart Elite's multichannel listing tool for example, can manage listings across Overstock and other marketplaces from one dashboard. This tool can help you save time by removing the need to manually enter each listing option.