The People’s Union is organizing their second national Amazon boycott from May 6 – May 12, and I know many of you are wondering how to boycott Amazon. During the first boycott in March, I shared the following thoughts in an Instagram post…
“I have 50 VIP clients and over 13,000 followers who buy what I recommend. And yes, that includes products from Amazon. But I will be putting my unique power to use for the national Amazon boycott. During that time, I will not buy any items or share any product features from Amazon to protest corporate greed and their decision to roll back DEI initiatives.
As a personal stylist and lover of time-saving efficiency, I will never be the perfect ethical shopper, influencer, or activist. Realistically, I will still buy things from Amazon after the boycott. But, I’m going to use this week-long period to research ethical alternatives for purchasing many of the items that I buy from Amazon. I want to reduce my Amazon consumption, and spend my money on companies that better reflect my values.“
This blog post on how to boycott Amazon is a result of this research, and I am super excited to share my findings that will help you prepare for the upcoming Amazon boycott.
Click a title below to skip to that section
- Why Boycott Amazon?
- How To Boycott Amazon: Learn What Amazon Owns
- How To Boycott Amazon: Progress, Not Perfection
- How To Boycott Amazon: Use Amazon.com As A Search Engine
- How To Boycott Amazon: Google The Items You Buy Regularly
- How To Boycott Amazon: Make A Link Doc
- Where Can I Shop Besides Amazon? Amazon Alternatives
Why Boycott Amazon?
As I mentioned, the Amazon boycott is part of a larger protest movement against corporate greed and its toll on society, with many frustrated that companies continue to have huge profits while many Americans are struggling to get by and dealing with rising prices.
Some of the protests were also triggered by the decision of many large companies, including Amazon, to roll back their DEI initiatives, following an executive order from President Trump targeting DEI programs.
On top of that, Amazon has a long history of unethical business practices. Here are some of the specific reasons for the Amazon boycott.
- Exploiting workers: Amazon workers face harsh conditions, low wages, and extreme surveillance. Amazon warehouses continue to receive citations for failing to keep workers safe, and have a worker injury rate that’s nearly double that of its competitors. An investigation by the Senate released last year also found that nearly half (45%) of Amazon warehouse workers were injured during the 2019 Prime Day rush.
- Destroying small businesses and monopolizing industries: Amazon undercuts small sellers and controls online retail, crushing competition. It currently faces a lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission that alleges the company illegally used its monopoly to destroy rivals, harming both consumers and small businesses. “The FTC says Amazon punishes third-party sellers that offer lower prices on other sites, strong-arms them into using its shipping service, and hikes up fees indiscriminately,” according to an NPR article.
- Union busting: Amazon has been accused of threatening and retaliating against workers for supporting unions and trying to organize.
- Surveillance & privacy violations: The Federal Trade Commission filed a suit alleging that Amazon was violating a child privacy law by keeping kids’ voice and location data generated from Alexa for years. Amazon was also sued for privacy violations related to its Ring camera.
For me, the Amazon boycott will be a success on a national level if Amazon responds to the pressure and announces plans to reinstate DEI efforts and implement policies that address any of the issues above. On a personal level, I’ll consider it a success if I’m able to substantially shift my spending towards companies and small businesses that better align with my values.
How To Boycott Amazon: Learn What Amazon Owns
If you really want to send a message to Amazon, it’s helpful to know all the companies it owns. Here’s a list of some of the major ones (sourced via The People’s Union & NPR):
- Whole Foods
- Ring
- Audible
- MGM Studios
- Twitch
- IMDb
- Zappos
- Woot!
- Goodreads
- Shopbop
It might not be possible to avoid all of them, but boycotting where you tend to spend the most money will have the biggest impact. For me, that’s Amazon itself, the fashion brands Zappos & Shopbop, and Whole Foods.
How To Boycott Amazon: Progress, Not Perfection
If you have the ability to fully commit to the Amazon boycott and not spend any money at these companies, awesome! But remember, progress isn’t about perfection. The power of the purse is mighty, and even a 25% reduction in spending at Amazon-owned companies will instigate change. And any additional spending with companies that share your values, increases the motivation of other companies to operate according to your values because they want your money too.
How To Boycott Amazon: Use Amazon.com As A Search Engine
If you are a big Amazon shopper, you probably use their search engine to find what you need and read reviews. If this is you, the easiest way to stop shopping at Amazon is to continue to use Amazon as a search engine, but then purchase all non-Amazon items directly from the seller. For instance, my assistant used Amazon to search for a computer monitor and read the reviews, but then we purchased the monitor directly from Dell.com.
Note: The People’s Union is asking all of us to not even go to Amazon.com during the boycott (May 6 -12) to emphasize not just a dip in sales, but a massive dip in web traffic.
How To Boycott Amazon: Google The Items You Buy Regularly
I am a HUGE Amazon Subscribe & Save spender. Not only do I like the savings, but having items automatically shipped to me means it’s one less thing for me to think about or remember to buy. I have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars buying all my regularly needed items from Amazon, like toilet paper, sunscreen, spiral notebooks, lip balm, lotions, hair care products, batteries — EVERYTHING. Not anymore. This is where I can really make a difference in my spending, and I’m sure some of you can too.
I highly recommend taking an hour to Google all the things you regularly purchase via Amazon Subscribe & Save, and find more ethical companies. To my delight, many of the companies that create my go-to products, like Derma-E’s anti-wrinkle cream for my hands and body, also offer Subscribe & Save options, so I don’t have to give up the convenience of having it automatically shipped to me. Below, I go into more detail about 15 retailers that are great Amazon alternatives, many of which have Subscribe & Save options.
How To Boycott Amazon: Make A Link Doc
The biggest bummer about the Amazon Boycott is losing that central place where you buy everything from Vince pants and obscure beauty products to hammers and painters’ tape. It’s super efficient. You love it. I love it. We will all mourn this the most about the Amazon boycott. Although Costco is the closest to replicating Amazon, there are going to be a handful of products you will need to buy from a handful of random retailers. My tip for that is to create a digital document to drop the links to all the one-off items you usually buy at Amazon, so you have a central place to track your purchases. Here’s specifically what I recommend:
- List out all the items you usually buy from Amazon.
- Research where else they can be bought, or if there’s a similar alternative you’re willing to try.
- Then, group it by retailer so you can see which Amazon alternatives are the best fit for you to do bulk shopping. For example, when possible, I will add items to my Costco list since I already use and love Costco. Next, I see a lot of my items are at Grove and Thrive, so those may be two Amazon alternatives I will try.
- For any items that are only sold at one specific alternative, like my favorite Hue socks, decide if it’s worth buying directly from that retailer or if this is an item you’ll continue to buy from Amazon. Remember: it’s about progress, not perfection! In this case, I decided to buy straight from Hue.com.
You can see a sample digital document for Amazon alternatives that I started here.
Where Can I Shop Besides Amazon? Amazon Alternatives
If you’re wondering where to shop besides Amazon, I’ve done the research for that too! Below are 15 Amazon alternatives that sell a range of products and have ethical and sustainable business practices.
Amazon Alternatives: Costco
Everybody loves Costco! And now we can love them even more! Costco is one of the few companies that is continuing its DEI initiatives instead of scaling back. They also have a reputation for paying and treating their workers well. They don’t offer Subscribe & Save, unfortunately, but I plan to shop Costco online for all things that don’t need to be refrigerated! Here is what I will be buying at Costco that I would have originally bought at Amazon:
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- Healthy Hunks
- Vital Proteins Collagen Powder
- Batteries
- Bandaids
- Plakers floss
- Sensodyne toothpaste
- My next mattress
- A paddleboard
- And so more more…. I don’t want to bore you.
Amazon Alternatives: Thrive Market
Thrive Market is a wholesale online grocery retailer that exclusively stocks non-GMO and organic products, and only works with brands that are committed to ethical practices. This is a great Amazon alternative for replacing basically anything you would buy from Whole Foods. And because they are a wholesaler, you can get discounted pricing. You pay a membership that costs about $5-$12/mo, depending on the plan you choose, and then receive the products at discounted prices. They also sell cleaning supplies and beauty products, have Subscribe & Save options, and are a certified B Corp. If I didn’t already have — and love — my Costco membership, I would definitely consider Thrive Market! The only annoying thing is that without a membership, you can’t fully browse everything they offer.
Amazon Alternatives: Grove Co
Also a certified B.Corp, Grove offers vetted, sustainable products across a range of categories from cleaning supplies to paper towels, skincare, and kitchen utensils. They also have some of the odd categories that Amazon offers, like batteries, garden and lawn supplies, and more. Grove also has a specific goal to reduce single-use plastic and is working towards removing plastic from all the products they sell. As you know, I’m all about reducing my waste and plastic use, so I particularly love their commitment to this. Similar to Amazon, they also offer Subscribe & Save options with discounted prices for lots of products. My editor says she plans to try them to replace some of her current Amazon Subscribe & Save items, like Mrs. Meyers products, paper towels, toilet paper, and vitamins.
Amazon Alternatives: Credo Beauty
Credo specializes in selling clean beauty products from sustainable and ethical companies. They outline their requirements for “clean beauty” in their Clean Standard so you can see what criteria products and brands need to meet to be sold on their site. They also have an “Auto-replenish and save” feature for many of their products, a rewards program where you can redeem points for products, and a recycling program. This is a great Amazon alternative for anyone who orders lots of skincare products from Amazon. Other options for beauty products (though not exclusively “clean products”) are Dermstore, iHerb, and Ulta (also one of the few major companies to not roll back their DEI initiatives).
Amazon Alternatives: Bookshop
If you mostly use Amazon for books, Bookshop is a great alternative. All purchases go to supporting independent bookstores. You can either choose your own local bookstore that you want to support, or contribute to the general pool that goes to supporting all the independent bookstores they’re partnered with. You can also buy ebooks, but unfortunately, due to Amazon’s proprietary digital rights management software, you can’t read them on your Kindle and instead have to read them on Bookshop’s app or on a web browser. For reading ebooks on your Kindle or Nook, I recommend Libby, which partners with libraries to offer ebooks and audiobooks. It’s free, but you don’t actually own the book, you’re just checking it out from the library. It’s a great way to support your local library, though!
Amazon Alternatives: Back Market
Back Market sells verified, refurbished tech items, like cell phones and laptops, similar to what Amazon offers. But they’re a certified B.Corp dedicated to reducing e-waste and expanding the life of tech products.
Amazon Alternatives: Shop Good
This is another Amazon alternative for non-toxic beauty and skincare products. Like Credo, they only sell clean products, and all items go through a rigorous vetting process by their team of health coaches, holistic estheticians, and product experts to ensure they meet their standards in terms of both safety and efficacy. They’re based in San Diego (which you know I love!) but ship anywhere. If you do live in San Diego, you can also take advantage of their spa and facial services, which my editor highly recommends!
Amazon Alternatives: Etsy
You know I’ve been shopping at and recommending Etsy for years. They’re a great Amazon alternative for unique gifts, jewelry, and accessories.
Amazon Alternatives: Hive
Hive is another grocery/home staples alternative to Amazon, similar to Grove & Thrive, where you can buy pantry, wellness, and household products, like cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and paper towels. They have 5 standards that they screen products and brands for to ensure they meet their sustainable and ethical requirements. They also have Subscribe & Save options and a recycling program.
Amazon Alternatives: Package Free
This online retailer specializes in plastic-free and low-waste household and beauty & skincare products, including cleaning supplies, kitchen and food storage, and bath and body products. They also offer a Subscribe & Save option.
Amazon Alternatives: Earth Hero
Earth Hero has a wide range of options from household and skincare products to clothing, jewelry, bedding, technology items, garden supplies, and more. They also have a huge section of baby & kids products as well as pet products. Given the breadth of categories offered, Earth Hero could be a top Amazon alternative for filling a lot of your needs in one centralized location. All items are sourced using their 5-Pillar Sourcing Methodology, and you can also shop by values, so you can search for products that are zero waste, made in the US, woman-owned, etc.
Amazon Alternatives: Libro.fm
If you have an Audible subscription for audiobooks through Amazon, try Libro.fm instead! Proceeds from each audiobook purchase go towards local bookstores, and you can choose which bookstore you want to support. Like Audible, Libro.fm has a membership option, or you can buy audiobooks a la carte. For another audiobook option, my editor also learned recently that a TON of titles are already included with her Spotify membership at no extra cost, so she’s been using that instead of Amazon.
Amazon Alternatives: Public Goods
Public Goods sells home essentials like cleaning products, pantry staples, and home organization with a “minimalist aesthetic” and a focus on non-toxic ingredients and better packaging. They have a membership option that costs $65 for the year and includes benefits like 20% off retail prices, free shipping, and $80 in annual credits.
Amazon Alternatives: eBay
I’ve been using eBay for years. I buy my Arbonne facewash there, and they basically sell all the random things like rubber earring backings that you automatically think only Amazon has. Oh no, my friend, eBay has all the random “made in China” gadgets Amazon has, and they have a great insurance policy if something goes wrong with the package.
Amazon Alternatives: Chewy
Chewy is a great company for all things related to your pet, including prescriptions. Pretty much everything can be set up as a Subscribe & Save option, so you don’t have to worry about remembering to buy dog food, cat litter, poop bags, etc.
