CHAPTERS on alternatives to Amazon

(or substitute it for other, nicer, shops)

Not that I’m counting but, it’s been 20 days since I received my last Amazon parcel.

Photo by Super Straho on Unsplash

The cardboard boxes with the smile-shape arrow would be delivered to our house so frequently that the delivery guys knew the ‘safe place’ like the back of their hand. I admit I used to buy EVERYTHING on there and ideally I wanted it to arrive on the same day, if not before. Here are the last few (very glamorous) things bought during the final Amazon days…

So what changed?!

Enter, Oobah Butler and Channel 4’s ‘The Great Amazon Heist’. Watching this documentary was like an instant antidote to my addiction.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this all sounds a bit Seaspiracy of me and maybe the voice of your own Amazon addiction is telling you to stop reading immediately! But honestly, this documentary manages to be equal parts game-changing and hilarious. The blondie above, who is holding a drinking bottle full of Amazon driver’s urine btw, is a prankster and in this case the joke is on Amazon.

He dons a disguise and goes into an Amazon factory undercover, he sells Amazon drivers’ piss on Amazon and he plays the system to make Amazon pay for pot hole repairs. Meanwhile revealing the awful working conditions, aggressive tax evasion and yes, the fact that their drivers are pissing in bottles to save themselves from being reprimanded for taking a loo break. All of this is highlighted in so many ridiculous and creative ways in this doc that I just couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. And so here I am, almost a month in to a set of new shopping habits.

Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means cured of consumerism and I’m aware that there are a plethora of other ethical and environmental problems with that. But, baby steps. I have sworn off Amazon in support of their strikes and until their workers feel happier and healthier.

What I’ve discovered so far

At first, I missed Amazon. I experienced withdrawal symptoms. I thought about going back to it. I hate to admit it but a lot of other online shops are slower, shipping is more expensive and their drivers don’t know where the ‘safe place’ is (yet). Initially, waiting 3-5 working days irritated my irrational, impatient inner shopaholic. However, once the initial dependence started to ebb away I experienced unexpected results. Without the impulsive, one-click-away, possibility of buying buying buying whatever household item popped into my head, I started to jot items onto a list and assess whether I even needed them. In many cases the answer, shock horror, was no. Would you believe I already had multi-functional eraser sponges and didn’t need to order more (they are magic btw - you can buy them off Ebay or Robert Dyas instead.)

I have started to re-use, re-cycle, save money and even, be patient. When I do need something more urgently I’ve been going to the local shop, getting to know the lady behind the till and building a sense of community I didn’t know I was missing. Rather than downloading a new book on my kindle, I picked up one my boyfriend just read and I’m looking forward to dissecting it together when I finish it too. I don’t use Amazon Music because I’m on Spotify and I tend to prefer iPlayer shows to Prime, so those two platforms I can more easily avoid.

But what if you don’t live within walking distance of a well-stocked corner shop. What if you don’t live near shops at all and you don’t have a car, or you have trouble walking. What if you have a clingy pet, a hungry baby, a busy job and demands of family or what if you can’t quell a long-term, well-embedded shopping addiction… I hear your cry! Amazon has everything you want, need or think you want and need. And they will get it to you with ease, speed and convenience. I get it. I feel you my fellow shopper huns.

Here are some ideas on how to buy things…. elsewhere.

For household stuff like the Ecover in my final Amazon order (RIP), try Ethical Superstore. Their website has a big page about all the nice things they do to keep their staff safe. Standard delivery in the UK is free on orders of £50 so it’s a good place to buy in bulk.

For lovely homewares, have a look at Glassette. It’s a family-run homewares marketplace with a small team collecting and curating objects from the best homeware brands in the UK. They have free shipping until 27th November (tomorrow) with code: NOBADGIFTSATGLASSETTE

For little gifts and cards I love Thortful. They support a community of creators, designers, illustrators and photographers who make beautiful, unique greeting cards and are paid a royalty rate. They’re currently giving their creators 50% extra royalties on orders until 27th November (tomorrow).

For beauty and pharmacy, Superdrug now runs a same day delivery service by “Stuart” - it’s available at 250 stores in the UK, so check your local one does it here first.

For doggos, my neighbour Erica and her sweet rescue pup Daphne have a stylish and sustainable dog shop called Westley - there’s currently 25% off everything with code HAPPYWOOFMAS. And I just discovered family-run pet-care company Groomi which you can buy on Amazon but like most brands on there you can buy direct from their website instead.

For clothes, of course I’m all over Vinted and Depop for second hand bargs. If you’re into vintage finds and live in London then I would highly recommend the charity shops on Kensington High Street, Upper Street Islington and on Marylebone high street. (There’s nothing like the rush of finding a pair of Vivienne Westwood heels for £30, trust me.) I also love the idea of clothes rentals and, although I haven’t tried it yet, I’m often weighing up my options on ByRotation and Hirestreet.

But if buying new is more for you, Sézane has some stunning stuff and is very committed to sustainability, you can read more about it here. Or for your more affordable, good quality basics, have a look at Omnes - they have offset so much of their carbon emissions they can now claim to be climate positive. Lucy & Yak are kind to the planet and the people who make their clothes too. I love their fleeces, they look so cosy. For fab partywear Nobody’s Child is a strong option. They use eco-friendly materials and deliveries are in recycled, recyclable packaging. They also regularly audit their suppliers, checking on the standards for workers.

For books, there is a website called Bookshop which is like an centralised online shop for independent book stores and it’s designed to help them make a profit. Or last year I did “buy a stranger a book” through The Big Green Bookshop and that felt very wholesome. They will also order whatever book you want and get it sent to you.

And if you’re looking for something to watch that’s not on Amazon Prime, I recommend The Great Amazon Heist - you never know what could happen next.