Five Socially Conscious Online Shopping Sites

Online consumers are becoming more conscious 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 a variety of options when it comes to shop online. This article will discuss our favorite non Amazon sites that offer an extensive selection of products of fair trade, eco-friendly and fair trade practices.

Rakuten

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

Rakuten offers a range of products and features that help businesses draw and keep customers. This includes free shipping, return policy, and an accessible mobile website. Additionally, Rakuten offers a variety of advertising options to reach potential buyers. These advertising options are available to both local and national retail stores.

The vast inventory available at Rakuten is another feature that makes it a fantastic option for small and medium-sized business. The catalog offers a wide assortment of products, including clothing, food, and toys. This helps businesses increase their revenue and build loyalty. Additionally, it provides a variety of payment methods which include PayPal.

To be able to utilize Rakuten users need to create an account free on the site and connect their credit card. Then they can earn cashback by shopping through the platform's affiliate links. Alternatively, users can download an extension for their browser that alerts them to cash back opportunities when they browse the internet. The company also selects a store each day to provide double cashback throughout the day. Cash back is accumulated over three months and is paid out quarterly through PayPal. You can also earn referral bonuses by referring friends to the site. These bonuses are a great incentive to shop on the site.

Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace that connects small-scale artisans artists, designers and artists with buyers who are looking to purchase unique, hand-crafted or vintage items. The site has a broad variety of products, including jewelry, clothing home decor, clothing, and art. It accepts credit cards, Etsy gift certificates and a range of shipping methods.

It has a significant customer base and provides a range of tools to help vendors promote their products. Its emphasis on vintage and handcrafted goods attracts a niche of devoted shoppers. The website's secure platform and its policies to protect buyers ensure that buyers can be confident in it. It also gives sellers access to a network of other sellers who are willing to offer support and advice.

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

Scammers make use of the Etsy platform to steal customer information and also to steal money. They may create fake listings or shop names and they often list faulty or incomplete descriptions of their products. They can also make use of fraudulent shipping addresses or offer non-reversible payment methods to entice people.

Although Etsy is a great choice for small-scale, independent sellers, it has a few disadvantages. The complex algorithm used by the platform can have a significant effect on search results and sales and any modifications to the algorithm are usually made without warning. Its limited layout and customization options could be limiting for some sellers.

Made Trade

Made Trade is an online store that has a range of ethical and sustainable home goods and fashion items. The company curates high-quality, ethically produced products and explains why each product is sustainable. They have a range of vegan and heritage clothing and accessories, as well as home décor pieces.

Cayley Pater who is a committed environmentalist, and Andy Ives founded Made Trade in 2018. Both entrepreneurs are committed to fair trade and sustainable development. They wanted to create a shop which sold products that were sustainable and ethically procured, as well as beautifully made.

The goal of the company is to make shopping mindfully effortless. Their well-curated online store allows customers to find the most sustainable home items, wardrobe essentials, Distressed Floor Covering and accessories that complement their lifestyles. All of their products are made from earth-friendly materials and they make every effort to ensure that their workers earn a decent wage and have safe working conditions.

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

Made Trade only sells products made in the USA which means they adhere to the highest standards of ethics and follow ethical methods of sourcing. They're committed to ensuring their workers earn a fair salary and work in safe and healthy conditions. They also place a high value on sustainable growth. They also make use of recycled and upcycled products, as also mineral and Military Tactical Rucksack plant-based dyes, which are better 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 is a socially conscious online bookstore that acquires used books from bookstores, libraries as well as other community members, and sells them in an effort to raise money for literacy initiatives. The company donates the books it can't sell to literacy initiatives or other causes. Better World Books is a for-profit, Certified B Corporation business that creates economic, social and environmental value for its shareholders.

The company has a global presence, offering various shipping options and payment methods. Customers can choose between millions of used and new titles. The company also offers frequent promotions on the site. These are available in the Deals & Offers section of the website. They are delivered via text or email to customers.

Better World Books is a socially responsible book seller that also supports the development of literacy and sustainability. Better World Books has partnered with non-profit organizations such as the Internet Archive to digitise books that otherwise would be destroyed or lost. It is also one of the few online bookstores that offers the largest selection of audiobooks and ebooks.

Better World Books has several programs to help students and libraries find and purchase the best books to meet their requirements. The library collection program provides free shipping and returns. The collection of textbooks lets students borrow textbooks or purchase them at affordable prices. It also provides a range of educational tools for students, such as its study guide. Better World Books is an excellent alternative to Amazon particularly for librarians and students seeking quality titles at a fair price. It also offers a broad collection of international titles to appeal to readers everywhere.

Overstock

Overstock is a retailer of closeout items, including furniture, home decor and other items. The inventory is sourced from big-box stores that no more sell the items they used or from suppliers who want to get rid of excess inventory. It also buys directly from manufacturers. Customers of the company can enjoy high-quality products at low prices.

Overstock offers a variety of ways to shop and shop on the go, including a mobile application that lets shoppers imagine how furniture would appear in their home. It also has an augmented reality feature that lets shoppers view 3D renderings of thousands of things, such as sectional sofas and memory foam mattresses. Customers can be assured that they've chosen the best product for their needs, and avoid the problems of returning it.

The right inventory level is crucial to an online business. A lack of stock results in loss of sales, and too much ties up capital and may prevent new products from making it to the market. A recent study by Tyco Retail Solutions found that overstocking retailers with billions of dollars every year in lost revenue.

While overstocks are a common situation however, there are ways to stop them. A warehouse management system allows you to keep track of inventory and place orders at the right time. A ship-to-customer program can help you cut warehouse and storage costs, while also allowing for quicker shipping and returns.

A listing tool that syncs inventory across multiple channels is another way to avoid having an overstock. For example the multichannel listing tool of Shopping Cart Elite can manage listings on Overstock and other marketplaces in one dashboard. This tool will also assist you in saving time by avoiding the need to manually set each listing option one at a time.