Looking for an alternative to Amazon – As Canada’s largest online retailer, Amazon is firmly rooted as the number 1 choice for the nation’s consumers, especially during the Covid-19 crisis. There are several good reasons for this: Amazon offers competitive prices and a super-quick shipping service which normally results in a high level of customer satisfaction.
However, following reports that the company’s already booming share price has risen by more than a third during the crisis, with Amazon customers spending more than 11,000 USD a second in early 2020, there are fears that the retail market could become a virtual monopoly.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some great alternatives that might get overlooked in an Amazon-dominated world.
Looking for an alternative to Amazon
Newegg
An established competitor to Amazon, Newegg has been around since the turn of the century, and it tries to steal a march on Jeff Bezos’ company by specializing in tech products.
While navigating Amazon often feels like swimming through a sprawling mass of products of every description, Newegg offers superb customer service when it comes to choosing a new laptop, digital camera or TV.
Its quick, free shipping time — a maximum 3 days —rivals the best in the industry, and customers are assured of a ‘price-match guarantee’.
The company also launched a ‘work from home’ portal to protect workers during the Covid-19 crisis, as well as supplying essential protective gear for its warehouse staff.
BestBuy – Looking for an alternative to Amazon
Demand for electronics shot up in Spring 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis, with millions of people following social distancing measures at home, and in need of entertainment.
Like Newegg, BestBuy is a retail specialist on hand to meet that need. A key feature of theirs is holding random mini-sales, normally just a few days at a time, which means online shoppers can often drop lucky as they’re browsing.
The company also stands out for its flexible return policy, although the small print can be confusing, so checking out an online guide is always a good idea. BestBuy do have a specially-trained ‘Geek Squad’ for complex matters, however; and they offer to fix equipment problems, as well as sort out warranties.
Overstock
Overstock focuses on selling surplus stock that e-commerce websites don’t need, items that would otherwise go to waste. For this reason, you can often find some fantastic bargains, and it also offers efficient customer service as part of the deal.
The site rewards repeat customers with free shipping and discounted prices through its ‘Club-O-Gold’ reward program, a kind of loyalty scheme that has already proved successful on many virtual platforms, from credit card rewards to betting loyalty schemes.
A recent addition to their service has been Worldstock which sells stock from artisan sellers all over the world, and this comes with the promise of at least 60% of the revenue heading back to the original source.
eBay
Many people seem to have forgotten about eBay, which has been around for over two decades. But the online giant actually has an extensive selection of top brands for sale, as well as its traditional secondhand products.
Their website offers a range of product sections, including toys, health and beauty, and electronics. It also has a very useful ‘deals’ section offering daily bargains, as well as a focus on local business, customers can support businesses close to their neighborhood.
Newcomers to the site should be aware of two things, however. Firstly, whether they’re bidding for an item or buying it at a fixed-price: sometimes the two can be confused. Also, the ‘maximum price’ figure should be something the buyer can afford — often products are sold for way over their face value because of a lack of thought given to this.
That said, eBay is a popular choice in online retail. There are even courses on how to sell on eBay if you’re thinking of making a bit of money on the side.
Etsy
In today’s throwaway society, it’s cool to have a site focusing on quality over quantity. Etsy does this by showcasing handmade, or artisanal, products from a wide variety of sectors.
It also means that the money you spend mostly goes to the artisans, rather than a corporate giant, and it’s part of the reason why millions of Canadian consumers visit its site each month.
The high quality of the products means they often make a great gift for somebody, whether it be an art offering, clothing or beauty products. The vintage nature of the items often means it’s difficult to find them elsewhere, which gives them extra value, and has led to many people using the site to hunt down some uncovered gems.
Rakuten
Working in a similar way to Amazon, Rakuten works as the ‘middle person’ by connecting businesses to customers on its platform.
Its product range encompasses pretty much any sector you can think of, so it’s a lot like having an online shopping mall at your fingertips. Customers can also take advantage of an attractive ‘Super Points’ program, giving you 1% back on each purchase you make – although this amount is stored as credit to put against future purchases.
If you’re not sure about a particular item, then there are also video reviews on the website, so you can make sure it’s exactly what you need – a useful feature for online purchases.
With its universal presence, Amazon does a great job of putting itself at the forefront of people’s thinking when it comes to online shopping. But if you’re looking to spread your horizons a little and check out what the rest of the internet has to offer, then these six sites are certainly among the best in the business.
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