While Amazon is the undisputed “king of the ring” when it comes to online shopping these days they certainly aren’t the only game in town.
If you’ve been looking for alternative companies and websites like Amazon to scratch your online shopping itch – or to find even better deals and discounts than you might on the e-commerce giant – you’ll want to check out the 20 top alternatives we highlight below.
We know there are many more options out there but we’ve tried to select some of the most popular and trusted stores for having the best online shopping experience.
Note: The list below is in no particular order.
1) eBay
Perhaps the only e-commerce platform on the planet that can go toe to toe with Amazon as far as product variety is concerned, you can find anything and everything – and we mean EVERYTHING – on eBay these days.
One of the original e-commerce platforms to really take off in the early days of the internet, eBay has transitioned from an online auction house only to a site that sells all kinds of merchandise (brand-new and previously owned alike) to millions of people every month.
The deals and discounts here can vary wildly, though, as all offers are seller driven. The biggest advantage here is in the preowned market compared to Amazon, where you can find nontraditional items available for sale you never find anywhere else.
2) Walmart
Walmart is one of the world’s largest corporations and retail businesses, and while their online marketplace is a little less robust compared to Amazon’s their physical footprint is second to none.
Known all over the world for unbelievably low every day prices every, Walmart has been stepping up their online game in the last few years to sort of mimic the offers Amazon makes possible.
Recently they have allowed third parties to list their products on the Walmart market (labeling them as such, similar to the way that Amazon does) and have made heavy investments into e-commerce as they go toe to toe with Amazon directly.
3) Target
Target has a passionate and dedicated following that has made it one of the most popular retail outlets in North America, though they have been expanding their presence in Europe and beyond recently.
There e-commerce set up has two different approaches, making it very attractive for folks that want to order things online to be delivered to their doorstep as well as those that want to order things from their local Target store for in person pick up later that day (or later that week).
Fans of Target branded merchandise are only going to find it available in-store or on this website, too.
4) Best Buy
Best Buy used to be a major player in the physical retail space, but for a variety of different reasons the technology giant has been scaling back their brick and mortar locations and instead redoubling their efforts to expand on their e-commerce and online shopping environment.
The prices available at Best Buy on a day-to-day basis usually aren’t quite as deeply discounted is what you’ll find on Amazon, but the ability to take advantage of special deals, discounts, and savings opportunities throughout the year usually make these offers pretty similar.
Combine that with the ability to pick up your purchases at a local Best Buy (if you still have one in your area) can make ordering technology through this company a little more convenient than waiting for Amazon’s shipping to get purchases products to your doorstep.
5) AliExpress
Absolutely huge throughout Asia and Europe, and really starting to become mainstream in North America – and in the US in particular – this platform is the “retail branch” of the wholesaling and dropshipping marketplace Alibaba.
Customers that visit this platform are going to be able to order merchandise directly from manufacturers in most circumstances, taking advantage of wholesaling and lower prices without having to meet minimum order requirements (generally speaking).
Items will take a little bit longer to hit your doorstep when purchased through this platform, though, if only because they are usually shipped from the Asian warehouses and manufacturing plants they are made at – and are usually shipped out in batches, too.
Navigating the site and communicating with sellers used to be a bit of a challenge. But the overall experience here has improved significantly in just the last two years – and it’s likely only going to get better and better as time goes on.
6) Barnes & Noble
The whole idea behind Amazon originally wants to be a one stop shop solution for new and used books online, but obviously things have evolved quite a bit.
If you’re looking for brand-new and previously owned books – or want to take advantage of Nook titles or devices (Barnes and Noble’s answer to the Amazon Kindle) – you’ll want to do your shopping here.
Not only will you have an opportunity to purchase items from the B & N catalog to be picked up at your local brick and mortar location, but you’ll also be able to tap into the online marketplace that this company has expanded recently.
Prices are usually even better through the marketplace than what you get from Barnes and Noble directly, so you’ll definitely want to have a look at those before you complete your checkout process.
7) Etsy
Etsy is home to the kind of 100% unique and homemade items you just don’t find on Amazon all that often, giving you an opportunity to shop products that you usually wouldn’t have been able to discover outside of someone’s individual website or at a flea market, for example.
This marketplace platform has been designed from the ground up to make it easy for people to sell their unique creations, setting their own prices, facilitating their own customer service and support, and giving folks the ability to run their own business through the Etsy environment.
This is a great place to shop online when you’re looking for something really different, whether it be a handmade item, a piece of artwork, or product not available any longer for sale and more traditional retail outlets or even Amazon itself.
8) Home Depot
Home Depot is one of the largest home improvement stores on the planet today, and the online shopping experience that they make available is one of the most convenient when you are looking to purchase these kinds of tools and supplies.
The item that you’ll find on Home Depot’s website are not the kinds of items you find on Amazon traditionally (aside from maybe the tools, for example).
You’ll be able to find all the raw materials in need to complete DIY or construction projects here, with special deals and offers from manufacturers as well as exclusive discounts for contractors and tradespeople, too.
9) Newegg
Before Amazon got into the technology game Newegg was considered to be the “one-stop shop” sort of platform for all your technology needs online, and it remains a critical part of the technology retail community today.
People not only love Newegg for their unbelievably affordable prices and regular deals and special offers on PC parts and electronics, but also for the expertise, detailed reviews, and customer guides that can be found on this platform as well.
Customer service and support through Newegg is some of the best in the business, too, with one of the friendliest return and refund policies you’ll find anywhere.
10) Lowe’s
Lowe’s is a direct competitor to Home Depot and another of the major home-improvement giants on the planet right now.
You’ll be able to find everything from cutting-edge tools and technology to tackle DIY and professional construction projects to screws, nails, and other fasteners as well as everything in between available online here.
Best of all, the online experience has been designed to make picking up your orders at a local Lowe’s or having your order delivered directly to your doorstep as simple and as straightforward as possible.
The Lowe’s branded tools are on par with options you’ll find from legendary companies like DeWalt though they are available at deeper discounts, and the customer support and return policy here is one of the best in the industry.
11) Overstock
A lot of people in the late 1990s and early 2000s were under the impression that Overstock.com was going to become what Amazon eventually turned into.
And while this e-commerce platform hasn’t been able to gain quite as much traction as Amazon was able to they still remain a very popular option for people looking to find deeply discounted prices on all kinds of products ranging from books to bedclothes, cookware to computer parts, and everything in between.
The Overstock.com e-commerce platform makes it easy to find the products you are after with a clean and intuitive to use user interface.
Their shipping is lightning fast, their customer services rock solid, and you can frequently take advantage of deals and discounts to lower the already low prices on a regular basis.
12) LightInTheBox
An online clearance warehouse style e-commerce platform, you’ll be able to find all kinds of products available at dramatic discounts every day of the year when you visit this site.
Whether you’re looking for clothing (men’s, women’s, and children’s), fashion pieces and jewelry, lighting and home decor options, toys and hobby items, beauty and skincare products, consumer devices or business electronics, or something else entirely the odds are pretty good that Light in the Box as what you are looking for – and has it at a very affordable price point.
Hot deals and discounts are listed directly on the homepage of the site, frequently refreshed (at least every 24 hours or so), with bestseller offers, under $9.99 offers, and special flash sale deals all having their own sections on the site as well.
13) Unbeatable Sale
Unbeatable Sale is (obviously) focused on offering the biggest sales in the biggest discounts on millions of different products, products that range from consumer electronics and household appliances to sports equipment and automotive care products – as well as everything in between.
Sourcing merchandise from some of the biggest manufacturers around the world, and making those products available at significant discounts, you won’t find anything available on the Unbeatable Sale website offered at traditional retail prices.
Combine that with special daily deals, limited time only discounts, and other ways to save and it’s not hard to find almost everything you want to buy here without breaking your bank account.
14) IKEA
IKEA is a legendary name in the home furnishing world, a Swedish company that offers incredibly easy to put together – and super high quality – pieces of furniture and home decor items at almost unbelievably low prices every day of the year.
World-renowned for their focus on “flat packing” pretty much everything that they offer while making their items easy to assemble after customers get them home – without requiring special tools to get the job done along the way – the odds are pretty good that your first apartment or home had plenty of IKEA products in it!
The only problem with shopping on the IKEA website is that you won’t be able to buy the delicious Swedish meatballs that they make available, fresh and ready to eat, from the site the way you can in their in-store restaurants.
15) Google Shopping and Buy on Google
Google Shopping (and Buy on Google) is not so much an online shopping e-commerce platform so much as it is an easy way to find all kinds of products from sites all over the web while ordering them directly through a transaction process facilitated by the folks at Google themselves.
You’ll be able to use Google search to find the product (and the price) that you are interested in. Google will then find the information for the store that offers that product and that price, will give you an opportunity to select local pickup or online delivery whenever possible, and then will handle the heavy lifting of processing the transaction and getting you your purchase just as quickly as they can.
It hasn’t gained the traction that Amazon has just yet, but the odds are pretty good that the technology giant is going to continue to invest significantly and this platform in the months and years to come.
16) Staples
A one-stop shop sort of destination for all your office supply needs, the online Staples experience has definitely improved over the last decade or so and is now a viable alternative to shopping on Amazon for sure.
Having the ability to shop the entire Staples product catalog and have those purchases delivered to your local Staples is a huge bonus, but the ability to also create print projects and take advantage of Staples business services online really helps to put this over the top.
These in-store and local services facilitated through the online platform are something Amazon just can’t compete with.
17) Jet
Jet.com differentiates itself from a lot of other e-commerce platforms in that it is more of a boutique style shopping experience, carrying luxury and premium brands (for the most part) while offering a more curated shopping experience from top to bottom.
Think of this as a higher end department store/online retailer in the same vein as a physical Nordstrom’s brick and mortar shop, for example.
You can find all kinds of products and services available at Jet.com – including home goods, fashion options, beauty and skincare products, grocery and household items, as well as electronics and more – all available at competitive prices with speedy delivery services available, too.
18) Zappos
Zappos has actually been purchased by Amazon, though it is still run as an independent entity, and remains one of the best places online to buy shoes and clothes for sure.
Carrying all of the hottest styles from all of the biggest names in streetwear fashion, accessories and footwear, Zappos is known all over the world for having maybe the best customer service and support of any business on the planet today.
They offer very fast shipping, very friendly return policies, and an opportunity to find products and styles you might not be able to find anywhere else (including on parent company Amazon’s website).
19) Rakuten
Rakuten is a unique competitor to Amazon in that it gives customers an opportunity to earn reward points, special deals, and exclusive discounts towards future purchases – all while offering all kinds of clothing and accessories, footwear options, home goods and decor items, electronics, and more.
Those that sign up for a free membership on Rakuten are entitled to even more exclusive deals and discounts, and opportunity to leverage free shipping, and priority customer service opportunities to take advantage of.
Rakuten already has more than 2500+ individual “storefronts” on their network right now, all of which offer cash back with purchases made on the Rakuten Marketplace.
20) Kmart
Kmart used to be one of the biggest brick and mortar department stores in North America, going toe to toe with companies like Walmart and Target, though it’s physical footprint has fallen off in recent years.
The brand has gone through numerous bankruptcies and reorganizations, and today’s version of Kmart offers a very popular online shopping experience that is similar to what you’ll find at Walmart or Target – without the heavy emphasis on local pickup.
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