Out-of-the-box shopping: Fresh ways to shop online this holiday season
If there’s been one overall winner in the global pandemic this year, it’s been Amazon, the online shopping megastore with one-day delivery for Prime customers. But if you’re all shopped out on Amazon and want to avoid the potential crowds at retail stores this season, we have some recommendations for several other, little-known shopping websites to check out this holiday season.
WeBuyBlack.com
Launched in 2018 and never more timely than in 2020, WeBuyBlack is an online marketplace for Black-owned businesses and sellers. Put your money where your heart is by purchasing a prewrapped bag of products ranging from housewares, personal care products and cleaning agents. Bag sizes range from $25 to $200, with free shipping. The site has received some low ratings for shipping speed lately, no doubt due to the great demand for products following the explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement in June.
Podswag.com
Has the constant onslaught of negative news turned you into a podcast junkie? Consider supporting your favorite podcasters at Podswag, which sells themed apparel, posters, coffee cups, books, stickers and more from your favorite shows. Who doesn’t need a psychedelic poster from “WTF” host Marc Maron? Some Anna prayer candles from the “Mob Queens”? A beaker drinking glass from “Science Rules! with Bill Nye”? “Freakonomics Radio” novelty socks? And if that’s not enough, check out the nerdy merch at shop.npr.org.
Redbubble.com
If someone on your shopping list is mad for the endearing Canadian sitcom “Schitt’s Creek,” head directly to Redbubble.com. The global print-to-order online merchandiser is selling nearly 500 themed gift items inspired by the TV show about a wealthy family that loses it all and ends up in an unfortunately named small town. There are Moira-inspired “You’re my bebé” greeting cards; stickers and shirts featuring Alexis’s catch phrase “Ew, David” and tote bags from David and Patrick’s Rose Apothecary and the Jazzagals singing group. The prices are surprisingly low, with discounts for buying in bulk, and delivery can be expedited. Redbubble sells items made by more than 70,000 vendors from around the world.
GlobalGiving.org
Is your family bored with the holiday gift-giving routine? Change things up and do some good by donating in your family member’s name to GlobalGiving, which connects donors with nonprofitsand companies worldwide. Donors can give in any amount to disaster relief, education, environmental, health, technology and women’s and girls’ causes. Each charity is vetted and also ranked for its return on donations. One of these causes is the “100 Bikes for 100 Girls” campaign in Vietnam, which aims to raise $200,000 to help provide bicycles and biking equipment to thousands of schoolgirls. Due to the demands of caring for younger siblings and the distance to schools, girls drop out at an alarming rate and often fall prey to sex trafficking and forced labor in sweat shops. A $55 donation will buy one girl’s bike.
Aliexpress.com
This division of China’s Alibaba, the world’s largest online retailer, offers some of the world’s best deals by mail. But there’s a catch. Because all orders are shipped at a glacial pace from China and other Far East markets, it’s best suited for the shop-ahead buyer who’s willing to wait one to two months for packages to arrive. And, buyer beware, it also pays to read the reviews and star ratings of the individual vendors. Sizes, fabric colors and quality can vary widely. But when I’m paying only 75 cents to $10 an item with minimal shipping fees, I find it well worth the risk. I’ve purchased name-brand car parts, water filters, electric toothbrush refills, personal grooming items, yoga pants, cellphone cases, reusable coffee filters and cosmetic sponges at 75% less than the identical items sell for in the U.S. The kitchen gadget and toy sections provide endless amusement, but beware the not-safe-for-work “novelties” and “gag gifts” areas.
Mercari.com
Mercari, an online marketplace launched in Japan in 2013, is now available in the U.S. Like eBay, Mercari is a consumer-to-consumer website where the shopper deals directly with the seller. What makes Mercari special is how it protects the buyer. The seller must ship within three days of sale and they receive payment only after the product has been received by the customer and they write a review of the product, its shipping results and the experience with the seller. That has resulted in a nearly 100% scam-free shopping record for the company and the near-guarantee the consumer gets what’s promised. I bought my daughter a barely used Nespresso Lattissima cappuccino machine on Mercari last spring for $140. It was in perfect condition and came with several extra coffee pods and gadgets. The same coffeemaker sells on Amazon as a “collectible” for $350.
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