Many of us have shifted our shopping habits online for good, so even though the shops have opened this week, lots of us are probably asking ourselves, “Why should I risk the cold and a busy town centre when I can find exactly what I need from the warmth and comfort of my home?”
So if we are going to continue shopping online for good, we really need to rethink giving over absolute power to Amazon, where consumers are forking out $410 million a day or $283,000 per minute. Imagine if this were instead spent in small or local or ethical or zero-waste businesses, who arguably need more support as we re-emerge from 6 months of lockdown.
Remember, as consumers we have the power to make conscious consumer choices.
We encourage you to ‘Favourite’ these online marketplaces which double up as sustainable, ethical AND they support local businesses. By adding them to your browser, they’ll be much easier to revert to, instead of your Amazon smartphone app. And spending you hard earned dough, will feel so much better!
https://www.zerowastegoods.gifts/ – Artisan sustainable products, zero waste packaging and beautiful gift boxes. Perfect place to find a gift made with love, care and full of deliciousness! We especially love their detox box with Himalayan salt and turmeric skin bar and pumpkin and cinnamon bath salts. Co-founded by Melanie Fisher, who used to work at Escape the City and was fundamental in helping us set up _SocialStarters back in 2014/15.
https://www.goodfind.io/- Your secret weapon for finding ethical alternatives to everything- founder Nohelia, who joined _SocialStarters in 2018, is obsessed with helping people challenge their own consumption habits and she recently won a Top 100 Woman in Social Enterprise in Europe award. Ethical alternatives on Good Find are accessible and practical from waste-free food, to sustainable fashion to experiences.
https://www.socialsupermarket.com/ – Founded by Jamie Palmer, Social Supermarket are a former supported organisation of _SocialStarters where one of our Consultants helped them set up their Christmas Hamper service back in 2018/19. It is a fantastic community for people who love social enterprise. It’s full of deals, promotional codes and vouchers linking you to a range of alternative marketplaces and products from health foods to skin rejuvenation to books.
https://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/ – Long standing store Ethical Superstore is much bigger than our friends in industry but if you open a Triodos bank account you can get a £60 voucher for the store where you can find almost everything for your home from Method cleaning products to Flo sustainable tampons. Filter by fair trade, organic, vegan or plastic free to find kitchenware to clothes to clothes to your weekly food shop.
https://lighthousebookshop.com/collections/all – Lighthouse is described as Edinburgh’s radical bookshop – with over 10,000 books in genres such as fiction, anti-racism, feminism, queer and a section for writers of colour, this queer female-led book shop really is the place to spend your buck when you want your next read.
https://www.bagboard.com/ And finally, not quite an online marketplace, but a great way to shop consciously and save money. These guys have found a revolutionary way to support ethical businesses by getting you guys to advertise them on a free reusable bag and save money at the same time! Nifty huh!
_SocialStarters Blog 