Five Socially Conscious Online Shopping Sites

Online customers are becoming more aware of the source of their purchases. 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 many choices to pick from when you shop online. This article will highlight some of our top websites that aren't Amazon, but offer a curated selection and eco-friendly fair trade practices.

Rakuten

Rakuten is the most popular eCommerce marketplace in Japan. In 2019, its gross merchandise sales surpassed $37 billion. This makes it a huge online marketplace in the world of international standards. Rakuten is most well-known to Americans through its Ebates brand. The Ebates shopping rewards platform provides 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 various products, Rakuten has many features that can help businesses attract and retain customers. They include free shipping, return policies, and an accessible mobile website. In addition, Rakuten offers a variety of advertising options to get potential buyers to consider purchasing. These advertising options are available for both national and local retailers.

Another benefit of Rakuten is its extensive range of products, making it a great option for small and medium businesses. Its catalog includes a large range of products, such as clothing, food and toys. This can help companies increase their revenues and build loyalty. It also provides a range of payment options which include PayPal.

To use Rakuten users must first create a free Rakuten account and then link their credit card. They can then earn cash back by shopping through affiliate links on the platform. Additionally, users can install a browser extension that will alert them to cash back opportunities while they browse the web. The company also selects one store every day to offer double cashback throughout the day. Cash back is earned over a period of three months before being paid out quarterly via PayPal. The site's referral program is another method to earn referral bonuses. These bonuses are a great incentive to shop through the site.

Etsy

Etsy is a marketplace that lets small, independent crafters, designers, and artists meet with customers looking to purchase unique, handcrafted, or vintage items. The site offers a wide range of items that include clothing, jewelry as well as home decor and art. It also offers a variety of shipping options and accepts a variety of payment methods, including credit cards and Etsy gift cards.

It has a large clientele and offers a variety of tools to help vendors promote their products. Its focus on handmade and vintage goods attracts an exclusive group of customers. Its secure platform and buyer protection policies entice buyers to trust the website. It also gives sellers access to a community that includes other sellers who are willing to offer assistance and guidance.

The platform also provides an array of search and shopping tools to help shoppers find the perfect product. Users can filter products using its search function by location, price range, and material. It can also be used to save shops, items, and searches to revisit later. Additionally, Etsy has a number of educational resources for sellers to aid them in expanding their businesses.

Scammers make use of the Etsy platform to steal customer information and even money. They may create fake listings or shop names and often provide inaccurate or inaccurate descriptions of their items. They also try to deceive people by using fraudulent shipping addresses or by offering non-reversible payment options.

While Etsy is a great option for small, indie sellers, there are some disadvantages. The platform's complex algorithm can have a significant effect on sales and search results and any changes to the algorithm are often made without notice. The limited layout and customization options can also be limiting for some sellers.

Made Trade

Made Trade is a store online that sells a wide range of eco-friendly and sustainable home and fashion items. The company curates only high-quality ethically produced products and provides an explanation of how each product is sustainable. They offer a variety of traditional and vegan clothing and accessories, Gift Diamond Stud Earrings as well as Car Accessories For Women for your home.

Cayley Pater, a sustainability enthusiast, and Andy Ives founded Made Trade in the year 2018. Both entrepreneurs are committed to fair trade and sustainable development. Their aim was to create one-stop shopping for the finest made, sustainably and ethically produced products.

The company's goal is to make buying mindfully effortless. Their beautifully curated online store allows customers to discover the most sustainable home products 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 makers are paid a living wage and are provided with safe working conditions.

In addition to sourcing ethical and sustainable products, Made Trade also supports social enterprises and women-owned businesses. In fact, the majority of their suppliers are owned by women. The company is also certified as climate neutral, demonstrating its commitment to environmental responsibility.

Made Trade only sells products made in the USA, which means that they adhere to the highest standards of ethics and ethical practices for sourcing. They are committed in ensuring their makers receive a living 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 materials along with mineral and plant dyes that are more beneficial to the planet than chemical dyes. In addition to these environmentally friendly practices, Made Trade is dedicated to protecting animals by not selling products that are tested on animals.

Better World Books

Better World Books is a socially conscious online bookseller that buys books that are used from bookstores, libraries and other members of the community and sells them to raise money for literacy initiatives. The company donates books it is unable to sell to literacy initiatives 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 of shipping options and payment methods. Customers can choose between millions of new and used titles. The company also offers frequent sitewide promotions. These are listed in the Deals & Offers section of the website. They are sent via text and email to customers.

In addition to being a socially conscious book seller, Better World Books also promotes sustainability and literacy initiatives. The company has partnered up with nonprofit organizations such as the Internet Archive to digitise books which would otherwise be destroyed or lost. It is also one of the few online bookstores offering an extensive collection of ebooks and audiobooks.

Better World Books has several programs to help libraries and students find and purchase the most appropriate books to meet their needs. The library collection program is offered with free shipping and returns. Its textbook collection allows students to borrow textbooks or purchase them at affordable prices. It also offers a variety of educational tools for students, such as its guide to studying. Better World Books is an excellent alternative to Amazon especially for librarians and students who are looking for top-quality books at a reasonable price. It also has a wide collection of international titles to attract readers from all over the world.

Overstock

Overstock is an online retailer of closeout furniture, home decor and other products. The inventory it sells comes from big-box stores that can no longer sell their items or from suppliers trying to sell off excess inventory. It also purchases directly from manufacturers. Customers of the company can receive high-quality products at low prices.

Overstock offers many ways to shop. One of them is a mobile application that lets shoppers visualize how furniture will look in their home. It also comes with an Augmented Reality feature that lets customers see 3D renderings of thousands of furniture items, including sectional sofas and memory foam mattresses. Customers can be confident that they have chosen the best product for their needs, and avoid the difficulties of returning it.

The right inventory level is essential to a successful e-commerce business. A lack of stock results in loss of sales, and excessive stock can bind 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 each year.

Overstocks are common, but there are ways to prevent them. A warehouse management system allows you to monitor inventory and order at the appropriate time. Another option is to invest in the ship-to-customer model. This can reduce storage and warehouse costs while providing faster delivery and return options.

A listing tool that can automatically sync inventory across multiple channels is another option to ensure that there is no overstock. Shopping Cart Elite's multichannel listing tool for instance, lets you manage listings across Overstock and other marketplaces on a single dashboard. This tool can help you save time by removing the need to manually enter each listing option.