Do you ever wish you could avoid buying from Amazon? Do you struggle to find real alternatives? The town I live in does not have a bookshop. This means that if I want a book, I need to go online. If, like me, you don’t have the option of purchasing from a local bookseller, you can try one of these online bookshops which offer real alternatives to Amazon. All are highly rated by Ethical Consumer, the UK’s number one guide to ethical shopping.
5. Awesome Books
Awesome Books is highly ranked by Ethical Consumer and offers fair competition. They donate a book for every book sold and run projects to promote literacy and sustainability. Their website states that they were aiming for carbon neutrality by the end of 2024, and I have contacted them for an update on this.
4. Guardian Bookshop
Book sales from the Guardian Bookshop help fund the Guardian Newspaper. If you feel like the Guardian Newspaper is a force for good in the world, then this might be the site for you. It is also a certified B Corporation, is carbon neutral and aims to maintain an ethical supply chain.
3. Biblio
Ranked as the number one (most ethical) online bookseller by Ethical Consumer. They are family and employee owned, and they neutralise the carbon footprint of shipping. They specialise in rare books.
2. World of Books
Like Amazon, World of Books is “customer obsessed”. Unlike Amazon, but like some of the others on this list, it is carbon neutral and a certified B Corporation with a focus on environmental sustainability. It has its own charitable foundation, which aims to promote book access and creative writing activities. World of Books is high on my list for the simple reason that I have used them countless times, even before I knew they were committed to ethical business practices.
1. Better World Books
This is rated the second most ethical online new book seller by Ethical Consumer. It comes high on my list because they are one of the founding B Corporations. To my mind, this makes them a driver for social change, pushing a shift towards a circular economy. They also offer both audiobooks and ebooks, making them a realistic alternative to Amazon for those who prefer to listen or read electronically.
Have I missed a site you love? If so, do say so in the comments section. I will have a look and maybe give them a little bit of a shout-out, too.