Five Socially Conscious Online Shopping Sites
Online shoppers are becoming more conscientious of where their purchases originate 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 plenty of choices to choose from when shopping online. This article will highlight 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 most favored eCommerce marketplace in Japan. Its gross merchandise sales in 2019 surpassed $37 billion. It is a massive online marketplace in the international sense. Rakuten is most well-known to Americans through its Ebates brand. The Ebates shopping rewards platform gives cash back on more than 2,500 brands and stores. Most of the other brands and services that Rakuten offers aren’t as well known in North America.
In addition to providing a wide range of products, Rakuten has many features that allow businesses to attract and retain customers. This includes free shipping, return policy, 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.
Another advantage of Rakuten is its extensive selection of products, which makes it a fantastic option for small and medium-sized companies. Its catalog includes a broad assortment of products, such as food, clothing and toys. This assists businesses in increasing their revenues and increases loyalty. In addition, it has an array of payment methods that include PayPal.
To be able to utilize Rakuten, users must create an account for free on the site and connect their credit card. They can then earn cashback by shopping through affiliate links on the platform. Alternatively, users can install a browser extension that will alert users to cash back offers while they browse the web. The company also selects one store every day to offer double cashback for 24 hours. Cash back is earned over three months and is paid out quarterly through PayPal. You can also earn referral bonuses by inviting friends to the site. These bonuses are a great incentive to browse the site.
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace that connects small-scale artisans, artists and designers with buyers looking to purchase unique, hand-crafted or vintage products. The site offers a variety of products including jewelry, clothes, and home decor. It also offers a variety of shipping options and accepts a variety of payment methods including credit cards as well as Etsy gift cards.
It has a large clientele and offers a variety of tools to help vendors promote their products. Its emphasis on handmade and vintage goods draws an exclusive group of shoppers. The site’s secure platform as well as its policies to protect buyers encourage buyers to be confident in it. Sellers are also provided with access to a network of fellow sellers who can offer support and guidance.
The platform also offers a variety of tools for shopping and searching to help customers find the perfect product. Users can filter products using its search function based on location, price range, and material. Users can also save searches, items and shops to revisit later. Etsy also offers a variety of educational tools to assist sellers in growing their businesses.
Scammers profit from the Etsy platform in order to steal money and customer information. They may create fake shop online google pay names or listings, and list their items with incorrect or inaccurate descriptions. They also attempt to deceive people by using fraudulent shipping addresses or offering non-reversible payment options.
Etsy has its own drawbacks however, it is an excellent option for small independent sellers. The complicated algorithm of the platform can have a significant effect on sales and search results and any changes to the algorithm are often implemented without warning. Its limited layout and customization options can also be limiting for certain sellers.
Made Trade
Made Trade is an online store that features a selection of ethical and sustainable household items and fashion items. Made Trade only offers high-quality ethically produced products and provides an explanation of how each product is sustainable. They provide a range of heritage and vegan clothing shoes, accessories, and home decor items.
Cayley Pater, a sustainability enthusiast and Andy Ives founded Made Trade in 2018. Both entrepreneurs are committed to fair trade and sustainable development. They wanted to create a store which sold products that were ethically and sustainably sourced, as well as beautiful made.
The company’s goal is to make conscious buying effortless. Their beautifully curated online store lets customers discover the most sustainable home products as well as wardrobe essentials and accessories that fit their lifestyles. The products of the company are made using eco-friendly materials, and they ensure that their makers earn a decent living and are also in secure working conditions.
In addition to sourcing sustainable and ethical products, Made Trade also supports social enterprises and women-owned businesses. In fact the majority of their suppliers are women-owned. The company has also been certified climate neutral, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability.
Made Trade offers only USA made products, which means that they adhere to strict ethical standards and follow responsible sourcing processes. They’re committed to ensuring that their employees are paid a fair and living wage, and work in safe and healthy conditions, and prioritize sustainable growth for their business. They also use recycled and upcycled materials as well as mineral and plant dyes that are better 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 have been tested on animals.
Better World Books
Better World Books, a socially-conscious online bookseller collects used books from bookstores, libraries, and from other members of the community, and sells them to raise funds for literacy programs. The company also donates books that cannot be sold to literacy programs and 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 is a global player, and offers a range of shipping options and payment methods. Customers can select from millions of new and used titles, and the company often offers special promotions on its website. These are listed on the Deals & Offers page of the website. They are also sent to customers via email and text.
In addition to being a socially conscious book seller, Better World Books also promotes sustainability and literacy initiatives. Better World Books has partnerships with nonprofit organizations, such as the Internet Archive, to digitise and preserve books that may otherwise be lost or destroyed. Additionally, it is one of the only online bookstores that offers a wide selection of ebooks and audiobooks.
Better World Books offers several programs that help students and libraries locate the most popular books and then purchase them. Its library collection program offers free shipping and returns. The collection of textbooks allows students to borrow textbooks or purchase them at a reasonable price. It also offers a variety of educational tools for students, including its guide to studying. Better World Books is an excellent alternative to Amazon, especially for librarians and students who want top-quality books at a fair price. It also offers a variety of international titles that will appeal to readers around the world.
Overstock
Overstock is an online retailer of closeout furniture, home decor, and other products. Its inventory comes from big box stores that no more sell the items they used to or from suppliers seeking to get rid of surplus stock. It also buys directly from manufacturers. Customers of the company can enjoy high-quality goods at low costs.
Overstock provides a variety of ways to shop. One of it is a mobile application that lets customers visualize how furniture will look in their home. It also has an Augmented Reality feature that lets shoppers view 3D renderings of a variety of things, such as sectional sofas and memory foam mattresses. This way, buyers are able to be sure that they have chosen the Best Online Shop product for their needs and get rid of the hassle of returning.
Inventory management is crucial to the success of an online business. Insufficient stock can lead to loss of sales, and excessive inventory can tie up capital and may prevent new products from reaching the market. Tyco Retail Solutions conducted a recent study which found that overstocking costs retailers billions in lost revenue every year.
Although overstocks are a frequent situation, there are ways to stop them from happening. One way is to use a warehouse management system that enables you to keep track of the level of inventory and order at the appropriate time. Another option is to consider a ship-to-customer system, which can reduce storage and warehouse space costs while providing speedier shipping and return options.
Another method to avoid overstock is to utilize an inventory tool that can automatically sync inventory across different marketplace channels. For example, the multichannel listing tool of Shopping Cart Elite can manage listings on Overstock and other marketplaces in a single dashboard. This tool can also assist you in saving time by avoiding the need to manually create each listing option one at a time.