Amazon has become synonymous with eCommerce, but its dominance shows weakness. What are some of the best alternatives to Amazon?
Amazon is the largest retailer in the world, controlling nearly half of all retail sales in the US.
In addition to being the most significant player in eCommerce, Amazon also owns Twitch, the leading video streaming service.
The company is also developing Alexa, a voice assistant that competes directly with Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant.
Despite Amazon’s enormous product range, it cannot be assumed that you will get what you seek at the lowest possible price.
Additionally, this is where using online retailers like Amazon can be beneficial. You might find more specialized goods with better costs, bargains, and specials.
Well, some of the best alternatives to Amazon are listed below;
1. Thrive Market
Thrive Market, a certified B corporation, was established in 2014 to provide cheap, sustainable goods and organic and natural groceries.
The membership-based online grocer also offers 25 to 50 percent discounts on more than 6,000 items.
These include nutritious foods, meat, pantry essentials, wine, bath and body products, skincare and beauty products, baby care products, vitamins, and home goods.
You may shop by diet and lifestyle (vegan, vegetarian, non-GMO, keto, paleo, raw, and more) and by values like non-toxic, EWG-verified, certified organic, cruelty-free, and others with membership plans starting at $5 per month.
Furthermore, we enjoy purchasing groceries, pantry staples, home goods, and other daily necessities from Thrive Market.
The website carries unique and organic brands that are difficult to find and are unavailable at big-box retailers or on Amazon. Shop at ThriveMarket.com now.
2. eBay
E-Bay is also now one of the best alternatives to Amazon. The most well-known Amazon substitute, eBay.com, launched at the same time as Amazon.com.
Unlike Amazon, eBay merely serves as a middleman between companies, other sellers, and customers wishing to make purchases.
One of its distinctive features is that many items posted on eBay can be purchased directly from the site, while many others are auctioned.
The auction winner buys the object for the amount of the second-highest bid.
You may even be given the option to choose whether you want to buy goods outright or place a bid on them.
The “Best Offers” section of eBay also has some fantastic deals.
3. Target
Target is another great alternative to Amazon. It is one of the largest discount stores in America and boasts over 2,700 locations nationwide.
It sells everything from household appliances to clothing and toys. Target also has an app that allows users to scan barcodes and add items to their shopping carts.
The subscription plan from Target competes with Amazon’s Subscribe and Save initiative.
Furthermore, when you sign up for Target’s delivery, you get free shipping and 5% off each order.
4. Hive
Consider HiveBrands.com your go-to general store or emporium, with exciting snacks, beverages, health and beauty items, and home furnishings.
Nearly all choices are produced by ecologically, ethically, and socially responsible businesses.
But they’re also fantastic things; consider handmade sauces and organic nut butter for the pantry and pure salves and lotions for your skincare regimen.
Just in time for summer, we have discovered incredibly mild and environmentally friendly cleaning products and pest sprays.
Everything is delivered in 100% recyclable shipping boxes printed with non-toxic ink.
Additionally, each order is carbon neutral. What we like: Hive enables you to purchase by cause.
5. Overstock
Overstock is also one of the best alternatives to Amazon. When shopping on Overstock.com, an online retailer like Amazon, you can frequently find excellent discounts because it started as a seller of excess merchandise from shuttered e-commerce companies.
But Overstock now offers fresh merchandise, and they also provide decent customer support.
Additionally, it offers a unique program called Worldstock that allows customers to purchase handmade items from artisans worldwide while giving at least 60% of the proceeds back to the creators.
6. Grove Collaborative
Try Grove to avoid the headache of last-minute stock-ups and seek a one-stop eco-conscious store for non-toxic and cruelty-free household items, beauty and skincare, personal care, and wellness products.
Additionally, the online subscription service offers various products from well-known brands.
As well as independent labels, including refills for dishwashing liquid and bathroom soap, medicine cabinet essentials, and compostable plastic bags.
Furthermore, you can add frequency-specific product subscriptions, such as monthly dish soap, sponges, and laundry detergent every three months.
7. Uncommon Goods
One of the best locations to shop for handmade and unique presents is now what started as entrepreneur Dave Bolotsky’s online handmade marketplace.
If you seek excellent products from independent firms, designers, and craftspeople, visit Uncommon Goods.
They sell everything, including chic jewelry, clothes, gourmet condiments, kitchenware, puzzles, and home decor.
Furthermore, the ethical internet merchant only carries things free of leather, feathers, and fur, which will please vegans.
Additionally, the B corporation supports paid family leave and better pay in New York.
It also utilizes eco-friendly packaging and pays its employees more than double the federal minimum wage.
Finally, they donate $1 from each transaction to a charitable partner.
8. Newegg.com
Newegg.com is next on our list of best alternatives to Amazon. One of the greatest Amazon alternatives is Newegg.com, which buys electronics and computers.
Its main advantages are this top e-commerce site’s outstanding customer service, daily specials, and quick shipping.
Newegg matches Amazon’s excellent shipping with purchases delivered in as little as one business day.
A White Glove Delivery option is available for more oversized products, including televisions or appliances.
However, with this first-rate service, your purchase will be delivered to the room of your choice, unpacked, and any leftover packing will be disposed of.
The Newegg Outlet offers open box, clearance, and reconditioned products at even more significant discounts.
9. AliExpress
AliExpress.com, operated by the Alibaba Group (although genuinely Chinese and not Middle Eastern), provides factory-direct pricing on various goods.
Additionally, they have several safeguards and guarantees to protect customers from fraud.
These include not releasing your money to a vendor until you receive and approve the item(s) and giving you a full refund if your order never arrives.
Aliexpress also allows you to get a full refund if the item you receive isn’t exactly what you were told to be.
10. Zappos.com
An Amazon subsidiary website called Zappos.com focuses on selling footwear, apparel, and accessories.
For every purchase you make, Zappos offers rewards, and if you require expedited shipping for whatever reason, you can do so.
Furthermore, you may be eligible for free shipping and returns in several circumstances.
Because its employees are encouraged to go above and beyond to improve the online purchasing experience, Zappos is also renowned for its customer service.
11. Decluttr
Next on our list of best alternatives to Amazon for Buying And Selling is Decluttr. Selling unwanted stuff is sped up with Decluttr.
There is no fuss of waiting to find a buyer or taking images to offer an item for sale.
Additionally, it can purchase things like LEGO® goods, CDs, DVDs, games, books, phones, and tech accessories straight from you.
A free valuation tool on the app provides fast price predictions. If you take advantage of the offer, use the free shipping label for packaging and send your purchases to Decluttr.
Furthermore, Decluttr sends payment for your goods by PayPal, check, or direct bank deposit.
Alternatively, you could decide to contribute your earnings to a favorite charity.
12. Barnes & Noble
In many ways, BarnesAndNoble.com is comparable to Amazon; it started mainly as a bookseller before expanding to sell a wide range of other goods.
One of the greatest places to buy books online is Barnes & Noble, which has over 6 million volumes in store, most of which are available for shipping within 24 hours.
Additionally, its library has approximately 4.5 million eBooks that can be downloaded.
However, at Barnes & Noble, you may buy textbooks, periodicals, toys, games, collectibles, hobby supplies, and more.
In addition, you can save some money by moving the selling of books to the online Market, which lowers overhead expenses.
13. Instacart
Next on the list of best alternatives to Amazon is Instacart. Amazon Fresh makes grocery delivery to your door convenient, but Instacart also offers this service.
Compared to Amazon Fresh, the website and app offer more options with the exact lightning-fast delivery timings.
Nearly 600 national and regional businesses, including Sprouts Farmers Market, ALDI, Costco, Publix, Wegmans, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, The Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme Market, and more, provide same-day delivery through Instacart.
Additionally, Instacart can bring flowers, home decor, and even cosmetics from Sephora in as little as an hour, in addition to food and beverages.
Although signing up with Instacart is free, you must purchase an Instacart Express membership to receive free delivery.
14. Chewy
Chewy is also one of the best alternatives to Amazon for Buying And Selling.
At Chewy, pet owners can stock up on everything they require to maintain the health of their canine family members.
Over 2,000 pet products from online pet pharmacies and supply firms are available for dogs, cats, horses, fish, birds, reptiles, and other animals.
Furthermore, the store carries wet and dry food, snacks, medications, accessories, toys, and more from well-known and independent brands like Blue Buffalo, Kong, Nutro, Purina, Rachael Ray Nutrish, Sheba, and Tidy Cats.
When you sign up for the retailer’s Autoship program, you’ll also save money, and when you spend $49 or more, you’ll get free one- to three-day shipping.
15. Public Goods
If you missed the Public Goods’ Kickstarter campaign, you could still benefit from its Costco-meets-direct-to-consumer business strategy.
Additionally, you can access the startup’s selection of sustainable necessities, including pet food, vitamins, household cleaners, personal care goods, and even CBD oils, for a $59 yearly membership fee.
The company lists openness and ethically sourced materials among its goals, and by producing its products, it can pass along savings to its members.
Furthermore, there are public Goods partners with the nonprofit Eden Reforestation Projects to offset its carbon footprint by planting a tree for each order.
You may shop by category: gluten-free, vegan, tree-free, and organic.
16. Cost Plus World Market
Cost Plus World Market is our first choice for fair-trade goods that adhere to ethical and sustainable standards if you want to add flavors or flares from around the world to your cuisine or home décor.
Additionally, the San Francisco-based company carries items from around the world, including gourmet foods, fair-trade coffee and teas, global pantry basics, handwoven baskets, culinary utensils, vintage-inspired home furnishings, and more.
While you need the ease of online purchasing, you can’t wait for your delivery.
You may choose same-day curbside pickup at your neighborhood shop and receive an additional 10% discount.
17. Shopify
Shopify is another eCommerce platform that allows you to sell directly to consumers via a website or mobile app.
It offers a variety of features, such as product customization, inventory management, customer support, payment processing, and marketing tools.
In addition to selling physical products, you can also offer services and digital downloads.
18. Etsy
Etsy is next on our list of best alternatives to Amazon for Buying And Selling. Etsy is a marketplace where artists and craftspeople sell handmade goods.
You have complete control over your brand identity and pricing as a seller. However, you must be prepared to deal with returns and refunds.
19. Zulily
Zulily is a popular shopping site that sells kids’ clothing, shoes, toys, and electronics. You can find about anything you’re looking for with many options.
However, you must be ready to pay higher prices than other sites because Zulily doesn’t include any markdowns.
20. Wayfair
Wayfair is a major player in the furniture industry, offering everything from bed frames to dining tables.
You can easily find what you’re looking for with a huge assortment of products. You can also customize your purchases based on your needs and preferences.
21. Walmart
Rounding off our list of best alternatives to Amazon is Walmart. Walmart is one of the largest retailers in the world, so you know you’ll get great deals when you shop there.
Plus, you can save on shipping costs since they ship most orders for free.
