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 plenty of options available when it comes time to shop online shopping for products. This article will cover some of our most-loved websites that aren't Amazon, but offer a well-curated selection and sustainable fair trade practices.

Rakuten

Rakuten is the largest online marketplace in Japan. The sales of its gross merchandise in 2019 exceeded $37 billion. It's a huge online marketplace by international standards. Most Americans are familiar with Rakuten through its Ebates brand as a shopping rewards platform that offers cash back on more than 2500 brands and uk stores online shopping. Most of the other brands and services provided by Rakuten aren't as well-known in North America.

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

Another advantage of Rakuten is its extensive range of products, making it a fantastic option for small and medium-sized companies. Its catalog includes a broad range of products such as food, clothing and toys. This helps businesses increase their profits and increases loyalty. Additionally, it provides a variety of payment options that include PayPal.

To be able to utilize Rakuten users must sign up for an account free on the site and then connect their credit card. They can then earn cash by shopping via the platform's affiliate link. Alternatively, users can install a browser extension that alerts them to cash back opportunities when they browse the internet. The company also picks a store each day to provide double cashback throughout the day. Cash back is accumulated over three months, and then paid quarterly through PayPal. Referring friends to the website is another way to earn referral bonuses. These bonuses are an excellent incentive to shop on the site.

Etsy

Etsy is a marketplace where small, independent crafters, designers, and artists meet with customers looking to purchase unique, handcrafted, or vintage items. Etsy offers a variety of items, including jewelry, home decor, and clothing. It accepts credit cards, Etsy gift certificates and various shipping methods.

It has a substantial customer base and offers many tools to help sellers market their products. Its focus on vintage and handcrafted goods attracts a niche of loyal customers. The site's secure platform and policies for buyer protection ensure that buyers can be confident in it. Sellers are also provided with access to a network of fellow sellers who are able to provide assistance and support.

The platform also offers an array of tools for shopping and searching to help shoppers find the perfect product. Users can filter items using its search feature by location or price range, as well as material. It allows users to save shops, items, and searches to return to later. Etsy also provides a range of educational resources to help its sellers grow their businesses.

Scammers use the Etsy platform to steal customer information and money. They may create fake listings or shop names, and they frequently provide incorrect or incorrect descriptions of their items. They also try to fool customers by using fake shipping addresses or offering non-reversible payment options.

Although Etsy is an excellent option for small, indie sellers, it has some disadvantages. The platform's complex algorithm can have a significant impact on search results and sales, and modifications to the algorithm are often implemented without warning. Some sellers may find the limited layout options and customization options to be too restrictive.

Made Trade

Made Trade is an online store that features a selection of ethical and sustainable home goods and fashion items. The company curates top-quality, ethically manufactured products and explains how each item is environmentally sustainable. They have a variety of traditional and vegan clothing, shoes, accessories and home décor pieces.

Cayley Pater is a passionate environmentalist, and Andy Ives founded Made Trade in 2018. Both entrepreneurs are committed to fair trade and sustainability. Their aim was to create an online store that offers the best created, ethically and sustainably procured products.

The company's goal is to make buying mindfully easy. Their well-curated online store lets customers find the most sustainable home products clothing essentials, wardrobe necessities, and accessories that complement their lifestyles. The company's products are constructed of eco-friendly materials and ensure that their makers earn a decent living as well as safe working conditions.

In addition to sourcing ethical and sustainable products, Made Trade also supports women-owned enterprises and social enterprises. In fact, the 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 responsible methods of sourcing. They're committed to ensuring that their employees are paid a fair and living wage, and work in safe and healthy conditions, and they are committed to sustainable growth for their business. They also employ recycled and upcycled products, as also mineral and plant-based dyes, which 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 products that are tested on animals.

Better World Books

Better World Books is a socially conscious online bookshop that collects used books from bookstores, libraries, and other members of the community and sells them in an effort to raise funds for literacy initiatives. The company also donates books that can't be sold to literacy initiatives and other causes. Better World Books is a not-for-profit, Certified B Corporation business that creates economic, social and environmental value for its stakeholders.

The company is a global player and offers a variety shipping options and payment methods. Customers can select from millions of new and used titles, and the company frequently offers sitewide special promotions. These are available 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 literacy and sustainability. The company has partnered with non-profit organizations such as the Internet Archive to digitise books that otherwise would be lost or destroyed. It is also one of the few online shopping sites like amazon bookstores that offers a large selection of audiobooks and ebooks.

Better World Books has several programs that assist libraries and students find and purchase the most appropriate books to meet their requirements. Its library collection program provides free shipping and returns, while its textbook collection program allows students to rent or purchase textbooks at a reasonable cost. In addition, it offers several other educational resources for students, including its student guide to studying. Better World Books is an excellent alternative to Amazon particularly for students and librarians who want high-quality titles at a fair price. It also has a wide range of international titles to draw readers from all over the world.

Overstock

Overstock is an online retailer of items that are on sale, including furniture, home decor and other items. The inventory it sells comes from big-box retailers who can no longer sell their products or from suppliers who are looking to clear their excess stock. It also purchases directly from manufacturers. Customers can purchase high-quality items at low costs.

Overstock offers a variety of ways to shop. One of them is a mobile application that lets customers visualize the furniture they will find in their home. It also offers an augmented reality feature that lets customers view 3D renderings of a variety of items including sectional couches and memory foam mattresses. So, buyers are able to be sure that they have chosen the right product for their needs, and avoid the hassle of returns.

The right inventory level is critical to an e-commerce business. A low inventory level could cause sales to be lost. On the other side, a high stock level can hinder innovation and hamper market access. A recent study conducted by Tyco Retail Solutions found that overstock costs retailers billions dollars each year in lost revenue.

Although overstocks are a frequent occurrence, there are ways to prevent these from happening. One option is to utilize a warehouse management system that allows you to track inventory levels and order at the right time. Another way is to invest in a ship-to-customer system, which will reduce warehouse storage and space costs, while also giving you speedier shipping and return options.

Another way to prevent overstock is to use a listing tool that can automatically transfer inventory across several marketplace channels. For instance, the multichannel listing tool from Shopping Cart Elite can manage listings on Overstock and other marketplaces in a single dashboard. This tool can help you save time by removing the requirement to manually enter each listing option.