Amazon Alternatives

Amazon are one of the least ethical companies on the planet.
Some reasons to take our custom away from them are:  

• They make billions of pounds in sales but pay workers poverty wages
• They receive more in government subsidies than they pay in tax 
• They crush independent retailers that they claim to help 
• They employ human beings, but treat them like robots

To make it easy to stop supporting Amazon, below are alternative places to buy online, some of which are taken from Ethical Consumer’s alternatives to Amazon series. By subscribing to my newsletter you can also receive discount codes for these place to make it even cheaper.

Find Amazon alternatives for: Books | Films, DVDs & Online Streaming | Love Film Alternatives | Other Online Retailers  

The Amazon Alternatives for Books:

I carried out my own survey, rating the consumer experience of the top ethical online book sellers, and came out with a definitive TOP 10 list of ethical online booksellers. Read more about that here.

Wordery  is one of the UK’s largest online independent book shops. They strive  to offer the right books at the lowest price with the best service. They  pay all of their UK taxes and offer free delivery.

Books etc.  – For books these guys tend to be the cheapest and often beat Amazon on  price for new books. Plus they offer free UK delivery on every order.  

Hive  – Hive is a brilliant concept, enabling you to buy books, ebooks, DVD  & blu-ray, music, stationery and gifts online in much the same way  as on Amazon, but with the twist that every time you make a purchase you  are supporting your local independent shop. Free UK Delivery on all  orders. They have regular offers and vouchers. Subscribe to my  newsletter to receive the latest ones once a week.

Foyles  – A renowned, award-winning independent bookstore with a long history.  Order online and collect in store on the same day, or get free delivery.

Better World Books  – Better World Books have over 1 million new and used books, textbooks  and more at bargain prices with free worldwide delivery worldwide. The  also donate a portion of all sales to fund literacy programs.

Blackwells  – Trading since 1879, Blackwell of Oxford is the largest academic and  specialist bookseller in the UK. They offer free delivery on orders over  £10.

Oxfam Books  – Oxfam are the top-rated bookseller on Ethical Consumer magazine’s  ‘ethical shopping guide to booksellers’. For paper books, their overall  ‘best buy’ option is to buy second hand with Oxfam recommended as the  best chain for doing so. As a charity it does well in all of their  ratings.  

The Book People – Each week they offer up to 75% off the week’s best sellers. The Book People also sell DVDs, gifts and stationery.

eBooks  – If you’re more of an ebook person then eBooks is the place for you.  The eBooks team’s roots are in bookselling, not in technology, so  they’re focussed on what readers want over complicated technical things  that get in the way of finding the books you really want.  

Films, DVDs & Online Streaming

Other ethical places to shop for films & DVDs online include:
Hive DVDs
Oxfam 2nd hand Music, Film & Video Games
Dogwoof  

Love Film Alternatives:

Cinema Paradiso  are an independent UK on-line DVD and Blu-ray rental service with a  catalogue of over 75,000 titles. They are the most ethical alternative  to LoveFilm according to Ethical Consumer magazine (who give Cinema  Paradiso a 60% ethical score compared to love film’s 5%). Cinema  Paradiso are a long established independent British company who pay all  of their UK tax! Sign up today and try it free of charge.  

Other Online Retailers:

There are plenty of online retailers with offers featured on my  website so do have a browse for their discounts. Below is a list of some  of these online stores:  

• Big Green Smile
• Ethical Superstore
• Global Seesaw
• Goodness Direct
• Traidcraft
• Veopolis
• Vitalife Health

Sometimes these alternatives are cheaper than Amazon, especially when  using the codes provided in my newsletter, sometimes they’re the same  sort of price, sometimes a little more, but they’re always worth using  ahead of Amazon.  To find out more about Amazon and reasons to stop supporting them visit amazonfree.co.uk and Ethical Consumer’s Boycott Amazon page.