While Amazon is undoubtedly a convenient place to shop online, there are plenty of reasons to avoid it: Between the poor working conditions in its warehouses, the dangers its drivers face, its history of union busting, its devastating impact on the environment, how it avoids income taxes, and the damage it has done to small businesses, Amazon is hardly a bastion of ethical business practices.
But despite what search engines would have you believe, Amazon is certainly not your only option for online shopping. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 99.9% of all businesses in the United States are small businesses, the majority of which do business online. These small businesses support local economies (even if they’re not necessarily in your area), provide jobs in their communities, generally reduce the carbon footprint of your purchases, and often offer more personal customer service.
Shopping small stores has its perks, but it can also take some skill to find exactly what you’re looking for and a little patience when it comes to delivery times. To get started, follow these steps:
Connect with Social
There are lots of businesses selling products on social media, but typically, most of the products you see in your feed come from larger businesses with big advertising budgets. If you want to see products from smaller businesses, try using hashtags like #handmade, #shoplocal, and #supportsmall on Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms.
To use Etsy or not to use Etsy
When Etsy first appeared nearly 20 years ago, it was a place to buy products directly from artisans around the world. But in 2013, Etsy changed its policies to allow sellers to use outside manufacturers and label their products as “handmade.” After this change, it became common to see identical items for sale on Etsy that were also sold on Amazon, Alibaba, and similar sites. This, combined with Etsy becoming an increasingly unfriendly place for sellers, prompted a kind of reflection.
Etsy isn’t as popular as it used to be, but they recently changed their classifications to “Creators”, “Designers”, “Handpicked” and “Sourced” for more transparency. You can filter the results accordingly, but their policy relies mostly on the honor system, so it’s a good idea to double-check before hitting the buy button. Do a reverse image search on the item you’re interested in to see if it appears on a mass-market site.
Search Substack
Newsletter subscription platform Substack might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about online shopping, but it can be a surprisingly good way to find products from small businesses if you know where to look. Vogue Business recently detailed how shoppers are using the comments sections of fashion newsletters like Magasin, The Cereal Aisle, Are You Wearing That?, Back Row, Add To Wishlist and 5 Things You Should Buy to find the latest bargains.
Sign up for newsletters in your field of interest (fashion or not), read the comments for ideas, or ask questions about what you’re looking for and get help from other shoppers — a modern take on making friends while you sift through hangers in the store looking for your size.
Find locals
Several states, municipalities, and towns have embraced the idea of ”shop small” and have created sites to highlight local businesses. By searching your area and adding the words “shop small” or “shop local,” you can find sites like Shop Iowa and DC Shop Small to help you connect with local businesses.
Editor’s Recommendation
One of the best ways is to add “small business” to your Google query. This will bring up results for a ton of independent businesses that most likely won’t show up in search results. Try candles, for example, and you’ll find Baltimore-based Zoe & Co. Candle Company. The husband-and-wife business handcrafts beautiful, affordable candles using soy wax, essential oils, and cotton wicks.
Browse your local bookstore
If you want to buy a book, go to Bookshop.org instead of Amazon. Bookshop.org has a nearly endless selection of books sold by independent bookstores. You can choose which bookstore to buy from. If the book you’re looking for isn’t available there, you can still buy it and share the profits in a pool that is shared among all participating stores.
Big Bad
If you’re perfectly comfortable using Amazon, here’s a way to enjoy the convenience of Amazon while benefiting local businesses: Clicking Amazon Support Small will allow you to shop Amazon as you normally would, but your results will only be from small businesses that are Amazon third-party retailers.
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About Chandra Steele
Senior Features Writer
My title is Senior Features Writer, which means I have license to write about anything tech-related (I can). I’ve been with PCMag since 2011, and I’ve covered surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You’ve probably seen me talk about these topics on TV, heard me on the radio or podcasts during your commute, or seen my Bernie memes.
I strive to explain topics that people see in the news but don’t fully understand, like NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the opportunity to speak about tech with celebrities like Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and others who bring different perspectives to the table. I take great care in writing my gift guides and am always touched by the comments I receive from people who use them to make gift choices. I enjoy writing about the tech industry every day, but gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequalities impact the industry and I try to shed light on these topics.
Outside of PCMag, she writes fiction, poetry, humor, and cultural essays.
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