Ethical Christmas Shopping Alternatives to Amazon
Okay, so this is a post I’m copying almost verbatim from last year, but the message is as important as ever, and so I’m hoping people listen.
As Christmas comes around once again, with the Cost of Living Crisis tightening its grip, we’re all going to be looking for ways to keep the cost of Christmas down. But I implore you all, don’t be fooled by the lure of the cheapest options. Don’t allow the huge chains to undercut suppliers in the name of making a billionaire ever so slightly richer.
Don’t use Amazon.
Why You Should Care About Ethical Christmas Shopping
Okay, I know that shopping with Amazon is appealing. It’s cheap, and it’s convenient. And with costs soaring, saving time and money is becoming more important than ever.
But, as I did last year, I’m asking you to think for a moment about why exactly Amazon is able to provide such a cheap service. And once again, I shall let the great sage Krusty the Clown give the answer…
Take a moment to read up on all the company's ethical black marks. Hell, the fact that there is a substantial article on Wikipedia devoted to the collected criticisms of Amazon says it all. From price control to monopolising markets to weaponising patents, their entire business model is corrupt.
And add to that how they treat their staff. Next time you decide to order something with Next Day Delivery, think about the workers forced to spend 12-hour shifts checking and scanning an item every 2 seconds and where it takes up their entire allotted 15-minute break to walk to and from the toilet. Or the drivers forced to poop in bags in their vans because they don't have time for a single break throughout the day.
And this from a company that made almost $200 billion in 2021/22.
It’s not only Amazon
Of course, I know Amazon isn’t the only culprit. And even avoiding Amazon, it’s next to impossible to avoid using huge, billion-dollar companies built on unethical practices and worker exploitation.
Avoiding Amazon isn’t going to save the world. But if we take the mindset of not automatically giving them our money and seeking out smaller and local suppliers, we not only act more ethically, but also put money back into the economy, rather than off-store, tax-free bank accounts.
Ethical Christmas Shopping Options
So, let’s have a look at some of your options when it comes to ethical Christmas shopping.
Independent Shops
Let’s start with the obvious option. If you can, try to do your shopping in actual stores. And, where possible, try and find independent ones.
I know this isn't always possible. There are hundreds of valid reasons why you might not be able to get out to the shops. And thanks to the 1980s, finding smaller, independent shops can be even harder. But if you can, please try. Maybe make a day of it. Support your local high streets.
But for those of you for whom going to actual stores isn’t an option, there are still plenty of online options.
Online Options
Bookshop.org
When buying books online, Amazon is the first name that comes to mind. It’s where it all started, after all. But it’s also soulless and undercuts prices.
Instead, I recommend Bookshop.org. Essentially it does exactly the same as Amazon, but ethically. Yes, postage may cost a little extra, and delivery might not be quite as fast as you'll get with Prime, but you will be supporting local bookshops. Because Bookshop.org puts its profits into a fund which they share with local bookshops across the country.
And… you can even support me! When you click the links in this post (which are affiliate links), a portion of your purchases will come to me. How about that for a Christmas gift to your favourite struggling writer?
Etsy
Etsy is a platform for makers of handmade products all over the world. Everything from food to clothing to crafts can be found here. If it can be made by hand, someone will be selling it on Etsy. It can be hard to find something that fits exactly what you're looking for, but if you're willing to put in a little time - or have a specific item to search for - you should be able to find what you need.
There are some ethical concerns about Etsy. Exactly how ethical or sustainable the things on sale are will depend on the individual seller, so you will need to pay attention to who you are buying from. And be careful to limit your search to sellers in your country unless you want to have to deal with rather excessive delivery times.
Also, since putting Etsy on my list last year, there has been some controversy around them raising their fees unfairly. But, this takes me perfectly into my next point…
Find the original brand/seller
Do you know who deserves your money more than Amazon? The people who actually made the product in the first place.
In most cases, there will be no real difference between the cost of an item on Amazon and the cost on the brand/seller's own website. The only difference when you buy on Amazon, Amazon takes a cut and so the actual brand/seller takes less of their own money.
So why not use Amazon - or any other platform, such as Etsy - to find the item you want, then purchase it directly from the brand/seller? In most cases, the difference in cost will be negligible at most.
Wishlistr
This one was recommended to me by a friend, so I have no personal experience of it myself.
Wishlistr is an online gift list service. When you find something you want, you add not only the item but where you would like it purchased from. So if you’re concerned about finding ethical alternatives to Amazon but worry your friends and family aren’t, you can pick where you would like them to buy your gift for them. They don’t even have to think about it.
Smile.Amazon
Sometimes you just have no choice. There will be times when you have no choice but to use Amazon for your Christmas Shopping. It might be Amazon has a deal you simply cannot afford to ignore, or it might be that a supplier uses Amazon as its sole trading platform, and so you have no choice.
What can you do when there are no possible ethical alternatives to Amazon? Why, use smile.Amazon.com, of course. It changes nothing about the Amazon experience, but for every purchase you make, a donation will be made to a charity of your choice.
It's quick to register, and you pick from a list of charities. So while you might be giving money to Amazon, you can at least do some good at the same time.
Search for yourself
These are, of course, just a tiny sample of the options available that allow us to avoid using Amazon. I am in no way an expert in the field of ethical shopping. I’m just a guy trying to spread the idea of engaging ethically with your choices.
So if you can’t see any options here that appeal to you, just search for "Ethical alternatives to Amazon for [insert desired item here]" into your Search Engine of course, and see what comes up.
I shall leave you now with the encouragement to think about how and where you do your Christmas Shopping this year. Convenience and making that slight saving it all well and good, but if you take a moment, it's all too easy to recognise how much damage we do by thoughtlessly supporting unethical businesses.
And I know we're not going to save the world simply by using ethical alternatives to Amazon. But maybe just thinking about this one step might be enough to get us all thinking differently about how we use the world around us.
Merry Christmas.
