Five Socially Conscious Online Shopping Sites

Online customers 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.

Thankfully, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to online shopping. This article will highlight some of our most-loved non-Amazon websites that offer curated selection and eco-friendly, fair trade practices.

Rakuten

Rakuten is the biggest eCommerce marketplace in Japan. In 2019, its gross merchandise sales surpassed $37 billion. This is a massive online marketplace, even by global standards. Rakuten is most well-known to Americans through its Ebates brand. This shopping rewards platform offers cash back on more than 2,500 stores and brands. The majority of the other brands and services that Rakuten offers aren't as well-known in North America.

Rakuten provides a variety of features and products that can help businesses attract and retain customers. Free shipping and return policies as well as a mobile-friendly site are among the features. Rakuten also offers a variety of advertising options that can reach potential customers. These advertising options are available to local and national retail stores.

The vast inventory available at Rakuten is another feature that makes it a great option for small- and medium-sized business. Its catalog contains a wide variety of items, including clothing, food, and toys. This helps companies increase their revenues and build loyalty. Additionally, it provides a wide selection of payment options that include PayPal.

To use Rakuten users need to first sign up for an account free of charge Rakuten account and then link their credit card. Then, they can earn cash through shopping using the platform's affiliate link. Alternatively, users can install a browser extension which alerts them to cash back opportunities as they browse the internet. The company also picks one store each day to offer double cash back for all hours. Cash back is accrued over three months, and paid out quarterly through PayPal. The site's referral program is another way to earn referral bonuses. These bonuses are an excellent incentive to shop on the site.

Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace that connects small-scale crafters as well as artists and designers with buyers who are looking to purchase unique, handmade or vintage products. Etsy offers a variety of products including jewelry, clothes, and home decor. It also offers a variety of shipping options and accepts different payment methods including credit cards as well as Etsy gift cards.

It has a huge customer base and offers a variety of tools to help vendors sell their goods. Its emphasis on vintage and handcrafted items attracts a small group of loyal customers. The website's secure platform and its policies for protecting buyers ensure that buyers can trust it. It also provides sellers with access to a network of sellers who can provide assistance and support.

The platform also provides various tools for shopping and searching to help customers find the ideal product. Its search feature lets users filter items by price range material, location, and price. Users can also save items, searches and shops to revisit later. Etsy also provides a range of educational resources that can assist sellers in growing their businesses.

Scammers profit from the Etsy platform to steal money and customer information. They may create fake listings or shop names and they often list faulty or inaccurate descriptions of their items. They might also use fake shipping addresses or offer non-reversible payments methods to trick people.

While Etsy is a great option for small-scale, independent sellers, it has some disadvantages. The complicated algorithm of the platform can have a major impact on sales and search results, and modifications to the algorithm are frequently made without notice. Some sellers may feel that the platform's limited customization and layout options to be too restrictive.

Made Trade

Made Trade is an online store that has a range of eco-friendly and sustainable household items and fashion items. The company offers high-quality, ethically made products and explains why each item is sustainable. They have a range of clothing that is vegan and heritage and accessories, as well as furniture pieces.

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

The goal of the company is to make shopping mindfully easy. 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. All of their products are made from earth-friendly materials and they work to ensure that their makers earn a decent wage and are provided with safe working conditions.

In addition to sourcing sustainable and ethical products, Made Trade also supports social enterprises and women-owned businesses. In fact, a majority of their suppliers are owned by women. The company is also certified to be climate neutral. This demonstrates its commitment to sustainability.

Made Trade only sells products made in the USA This means that they adhere to strict ethical standards and adhere to ethical practices for sourcing. They are committed to ensuring that their workers earn a fair wage and work in safe, healthy conditions. They also place a high value on sustainable growth. They also use recycled and upcycled materials, as in addition to mineral and plant-based dyes that are more beneficial for the environment than chemical dyes. Made Trade is committed to protecting animals and does not sell any products that have been tested on animals.

Better World Books

Better World Books, a socially-conscious online bookstore collects used books from bookstores, libraries and from other community members and sells them to raise funds for literacy programs. The company also donates books that can't 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 has an international presence, providing various shipping options and payment methods. Customers can select from millions of used and eco-friendly kids lamp new titles and frequently offers sitewide special promotions. These are available in the Deals & Offers section of the website and are delivered via text or email to customers.

Better World Books is a socially responsible book retailer that also supports the development of literacy and sustainability. Better World Books has partnered with nonprofit organizations such as the Internet Archive to digitise books that would otherwise be lost or destroyed. Additionally, it is one of the few online bookstores that offers a wide selection of audiobooks and ebooks.

Better World Books has several programs to help students and libraries locate and purchase the most appropriate books to meet their requirements. Its library collection program provides free shipping and returns, and its textbook collection program allows students to rent or purchase textbooks for an affordable price. It also provides a range of educational tools for students, such as its study guide. Better World Books is an excellent alternative to Amazon especially for librarians and students who want quality titles at a reasonable price. It also offers a variety of international titles that will draw readers from all over the world.

Overstock

Overstock is an online retailer selling closeout furniture, home decor, and other items. The inventory it sells comes from big-box retailers who are unable to sell their items or from suppliers looking to clear out surplus inventory. It also purchases directly from manufacturers. Customers can buy high-quality products at a low cost.

Overstock offers many ways to shop with a mobile app that allows shoppers to imagine how furniture would appear in their homes. Additionally, it has an augmented reality feature that lets customers view 3D renderings of a variety of items, including sectional couches and memory foam mattresses. This way, buyers can be confident they've chosen the Best Natural Cat Litter product to meet their needs and get rid of the hassle of returning.

Getting the inventory level right is critical to an e-commerce business. Too little stock leads to loss of sales, and excessive inventory can tie up capital and can prevent new products from entering the market. A recent study conducted by Tyco Retail Solutions found that overstock costs retailers billions dollars every year in lost revenue.

While overstocks are a common situation however, there are ways to avoid these from happening. A warehouse management system allows you to manage inventory and order at the right time. A ship-to-customer system can help you cut storage and warehouse costs as well as allowing faster delivery and returns.

Another way to prevent overstock is to make use of an inventory tool that can automatically transfer inventory across several marketplace channels. Shopping Cart Elite's multichannel listing software, for instance, mechanix wear original Blue lets you manage listings across Overstock and other marketplaces from a single dashboard. This tool can save you time by eliminating the need to manually input each listing option.