In the past I’ve been pretty addicted to purchasing things through Amazon and sometimes hardly even considered some of the other online shopping alternatives.
Over the past year and a half I’ve been much more open to using other retailer’s websites to purchase items online, and for good reason: retailers have become much better about improving their websites and making it a viable alternative to shopping at their brick-and mortar stores.
Today I want to share some of the online shopping alternatives to Amazon that I’ve used, including the pros and cons of each website.
Target
Target.com offers free shipping on orders $50 or more, which is higher than Amazon and Walmart, but if you have a Target REDcard they offer free shipping on all orders, regardless of how much you spend. Besides that if you use the REDcard you get 5% off every order. To top it off, the REDcard can be a debit card instead of a credit card, which is the main reason I signed up in the first place.
Target.com, like most retailer’s websites, is a work in progress. In the past they have invested more in their physical stores to a greater extent than their website. Recently, though, they have started to make the website more user friendly.
One additional problem they currently have is listing items online that are only available in-store or are “currently unavailable online.” This wouldn’t be as big of an issue if they offered in-store pickup for online orders, but they currently do not. I ran into this problem today as I was trying to order some Christmas presents. I hope they add online order pickup in the future.
Walmart
Walmart has made some great strides in the past year or so in making their website, Walmart.com, more user friendly and providing incentives for people to shop online instead of in-store. This has included rolling out free shipping on orders of $35 or more, which is on par with Amazon.
One of my favorite features of Walmart.com is that they allow in-store pickup, which means you can receive the item much faster than having it shipped. They text or email you when your product is ready to be picked up. I’ve had good experiences using this option.
Another thing Walmart.com has going for them is their wide variety of product offerings. For example, you won’t find blinds or tools at Target, but you will find them at Walmart (and for a very affordable price).
While there are still some improvements to be made to their in-store pickup process, Walmart only just relatively recently started to recruit in tech-savvy Silicone Valley. They also have started to build dedicated warehouses for online orders.
Macy’s
Macy’s has been a retailing giant for decades now, but I’ve always had issues with their actual stores. Shopping for dress clothes at Macy’s has been a necessary evil for me as a young professional. It seems like you spend a majority of your time in the store trying to find the clothes that have the right size/fit.
This is where Macys.com has really benefited me. It’s very easy to filter on their clothes so that you are only looking at the clothes that will actually fit you. Besides that I love that I can filter so that I am looking only at the clothes within my budget. It also costs you nothing to ship clothes back if they don’t fit. I recently returned a shirt that I had forgotten about. It had been two months since I purchased it and I lost the tags. I shipped it back and they processed the return with no questions asked.
Macy’s.com does have free shipping, but only on orders over $99. This seems pretty high to me but hopefully Macy’s will lower this in the future.
while I’ve focused on clothes, I should note that Macy’s sells a whole lot more than clothes as they have home & kitchen products, perfume & cosmetics, shoes, and more.
Best Buy
Best Buy is the electronics retailer that has struggled to keep pace with Amazon over the past few years. The biggest problem for them is “window shoppers” who go test out electronics at their store and then purchase them online. They also did not improve their online offerings quickly enough to capitalize on their giant market share.
With that being said, they have done better over the past couple years with new management. They’ve brought their prices in-line with online competitors, offering a price match if you find a product being sold for cheaper from another major retailer. I really like to purchase my electronics through BestBuy.com because I can usually pick them up the same day at one of their physical locations. That’s something I can’t say about Amazon. Best Buy has free shipping on orders of $25 or more, which is now less than Amazon’s $35 limit.
I did have a bad experience once with the in-store pickup option. I ordered a laptop on BestBuy.com in the middle of the day with the plan of picking it up at a specific store on my way home from work. I was the only one in line at the in-store pickup. Not surprisingly, this was one of the Best Buy locations that shut its doors a year or two ago.
Despite that one bad experience, I have bought my past three laptops, my wife’s laptop, and our TV from Best Buy.
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I know I’ve only scratched the surface as far as online shopping goes, but I think these four retailers are great alternatives to Amazon. At the very least, I think it’s a good habit to look at alternatives to Amazon instead of assuming they have the best price/offer on a product.
Besides Amazon, what websites/companies do you use to shop online?
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Photo (at top) by John Loo
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Great list! I love it when retailers offer free return shipping. I didn’t know Macy’s had that. Thanks for the info
colormefrugalYeah the return shipping was super easy. I did return a few shirts in store that I ordered online and it was a huge pain. The guy was questioning me and being weird about it. I will always just ship my returns from now on.
I have shopped on Macy’s online website several times. I think it works pretty well. I also use ebates and scored 10% cash back with my order. This adds up quickly when you are buying xmas presents.
BudgetforMoreAh I’ve heard about ebates and I definitely need to start using it!
Although Amazon is my first choice, I do occasionally shop at other stores. Sometimes you do get better deals outside Amazon.
The list you have is definitely the cream of the crop! Also, Target too does a price match – they just don’t advertise!
moneyconeI did not know about Target’s price match! I may have to take advantage of that in the future. I also think Amazon is a good option but if it’s something they don’t have a large selection for – such as shoes/clothes/home improvement – I think that looking at other retailers can really make sense.
You know I hate Walmart but I did order something from Walmart through their “site to store” option. It’s a Dora bedding set for my two-year-old. =) I hope that she likes it.
Holly at ClubThriftyHaha I am starting to embrace Walmart more and more these days, but I doubt it will ever exceed my love of Target. Sounds like a great bedding set, kids those age are crazy about Dora!
Target’s always a good online option for me, because I have a RedCard – free shipping no matter what! They do have a lot of stuff, like you pointed out, that is listed as unavailable, but the flip side is that they have some products that are “online only” items. I’m not sure if this quite makes up for not having product online even when it’s listed on the site, but it’s something!
CSMillennialYou just can’t beat the REDcard! I did notice some of those “online only” items, but I just wish I could order everything online. I couldn’t get some of my wife’s presents online and I was not amused!
We love Amazon, but have used Best Buy and Wal-Mart’s site quite a bit. We live fairly close to both and having the site to store option is a pretty good one to have. I think it makes returning something easier as well as opposed to having to send something directly back to Amazon.
FrugalRulesGreat point about returns. I should say that I returned something both online to Macy’s as well as via the mail, and mail was much easier. The guy at the return desk kept asking why the tags weren’t attached, did I wash the shirt? etc. I told him I’ll just send it back via the mail next time where they don’t ask questions.
I love that I can get free shipping and 5% off from Target with the RedCard. I’ve purchased things from Best Buy and Wal-Mart…ship to store option. I like that I can cut out the shipping costs (plus I can get cash back for purchasing online). I didn’t have problems at Best Buy except a minor one in that they emailed me telling me to wait as they had to check inventory. They never e-mailed me saying it was ready but I went anyway because I needed it. I picked it up no problems. But I thought about not going and cancelling the order because it said it wasn’t ready.
Andrew LivingRichCheaply Very strange about the Best Buy purchase. I think they’ve improved quite a bit recently and I’m really liking their price match. Ship to store option is a huge winner for me as I love the same-day pickup.
There are too many alternatives to Amazon to list DC! That being said, I am an Amazon fan and that is because of Prime!
DebtRoundUpI agree! This list could go on and on and on, but I think I hit the big ones. One I didn’t list is Home Depot, which I use all the time. Love the in-store pickup option they have.
I like Amazon, but I also like checking the shopping portal with my credit cards to see what stores I can get extra cash back from. Sometimes that can save a lot of money.
Matt @ Mom and Dad MoneyGreat point about the shopping portal. Discover has a great shopping portal that can save you so much via cashback rewards.
We will probably use Amazon more this year than in the past because we have just become Prime members. That being said, we shop anywhere we can find a deal. It’s so much easier and convenient to shop online than to fight the congestion in the stores.
Brian @ Luke1428I have seriously considered the Amazon Prime option but haven’t pulled the trigger on it yet. 2013 may be the year we do, though!
Brian @ Luke1428 Woops I meant 2014 haha
A little online comparison/benchmarking is probably a good idea when online shopping. I typically just go to Amazon but I’ll start looking at these other retailers as well, if only for a price comparison.
DonebyFortyI used to only go to Amazon but now that other retailers are stepping up their online offerings I’ve found some awesome deals out there.
For anything that is an electronic, I buy through Best Buy. Clothing is always through Target (or another fashion retailer). I never buy those two things through Amazon because of quality and ease of return.
fitisthenewpoorI basically do the same thing as you. I hardly ever buy electronics on Amazon, and never bigger electronics. I also buy my clothes mainly at Target or other retailers.
I have used both Walmart and Target as alternatives to Amazon. I remember Walmart used to have .99 cents shipping I guess that’s no longer the case?
Practical CentsYep, I think the $35 free shipping is a new thing that Walmart rolled out relatively recently.
I usually always buy through Amazon. Unless some other site is having a crazy good deal I think Amazon will always be my go to for online shopping. I am member of Prime and I love that I get free (and fast) shipping.
SingleMomIncomeHmmm I may have to sign up for Prime. I have considered it but just never got around to signing up. I buy many things on Amazon but have other go-to retailers for stuff like electronics, clothes, and home-related items.
Amazon makes it soooo easy to order. I don’t have to type in a bunch of stuff to place my order, although that can be a con if you are someone who is tempted by impulse buying. I like Target.com, but was disappointed when looking for doll clothes because most of them did say available in store only.
EyesonthedollarThat’s the one gripe I have about Target – why so many “store only” or “not currently available online” items? They are missing out on millions (if not billions) of revenue by not getting their site in shape.
For anything electronic, my husband is partial to newegg. Otherwise, it’s Amazon.
debtperceptionnewegg is one site that I haven’t used that often, but I’m definitely open to new retailers and websites. I’ll have to check it out.
Amazon is still my primary online shopping stop. I’m a member of Prime so I get expedited free shipping, which I love. And their website it topnotch, which would be my primary complaint with my of the other sites. I do sometimes use them to see where things are in stock, so I don’t have to run from store to store but know which one has what I want!
ShannonRyanHmmm not surprisingly everyone who has Prime loves it ;) I hate running store to store so I’m with you on that! In store pickup is a life saver.
I love Amazon though I’m not thrilled about the recent increase in shipping threshold! I don’t order from them often enough to justify a Prime subscription. My husband orders tech stuff through Newegg and TigerDirect, and I’ve started ordering items through Etsy. You definitely don’t get the advantage of free shipping through Etsy, but supporting an independent artisan and buying something one-of-a-kind trumps free delivery in my opinion.
HassleFreeSaver Yeah the free shipping minimum definitely isn’t as attractive anymore on Amazon. It definitely made me consider other retailers, and I’m glad I did. I really like the free shipping target offers on EVERY order if you have a REDcard.
Amazon is my go-to online venue, though now that we have a REDcard, I’ll be looking at Target as well. As others have said, Newegg is great for electronics/technology. I have had a bad experience with Walmart’s in-store pick-up. We went there one night, straight to the dedicated pick-up center, and no one was at the counter. Lots of employees walked past us, even the manager, and we waited there for about a half hour before an employee finally took enough pity on us to try and find someone. It was ridiculous, and I wouldn’t want to experience that again.
JourneytoSaving Ah that’s so terrible that no one helped you! I had two really good experiences with it, but I’m sure I will eventually have a bad one (it’s inevitable!). I just wish Target offered in-store pickup. They have to be losing money by not having that option.
All great sites- but Amazon is still my online go-to (after Craig’s List, that is). When I was in college they actually offered a deal to get Amazon Prime free for one year if you ordered at least one textbook through their site. I’m not sure if that offer still exists- but it is worth the try!
LaTejana @ Debt Free Tejana I heard about that offer! I do like Prime but I’m still too cheap to pay for the membership. I either am willing to wait 5 days for the free shipping or else I’m going to order the item from Walmart or Target.
Scratching me where I itch today DC! I like your list! I’d throw a site called SmartBargains.com into the mix for y’all. I have scored some huge deals Christmas shopping with them over the years. Essentially, they sell merchandise that may be last years model or last season’s newest and greatest at a HUGE discount, I am talking 65-75% off in many cases. I really like to shop their Jewelry and Shoes section for my wife. They also offer coupon codes so be sure to find one before checking out.
KyleJames1 I have never heard of SmartBargains but I will definitely check it out. 65-75 is a great deal, and I usually have no problem purchasing last year’s model if it means I can save a ton of money.
For electonics, Newegg has been a huge resource for me for quite a while. One of the big reasons I have loved them is they have really great customer service. I’ve been able to return items without any hassle. That to me is a huge plus.
MicrosMissions So many people are mentioning Newegg. I have never actually purchased from the site and probably have been on it only a couple times. I love the no hassle returns. Nothing is worse than having to go through a difficult process to return something you no longer want/need/is defective.
Aside from Amazon, I also shop on soap.com and their family of sites. Free next day shipping (or same day in NYC), competitive prices, and amazing customer service.
SavvyWithSaving Hmm have not heard of soap.com, must be a New York thing??
Whaaaaat? There’s other sites on the internet besides Amazon? You’re joking, dude. Amazon *IS* the internet.. Oh wait, I thought Google was.. err Facebook.. .err never mind.
It’s true tho… Amazon is great.. But they don’t always have the best deals. You can find good deals at all of those sites that you list if you strike when the iron is hot.
seedebtrun Haha sometimes I forget how many giant internet companies there are. Don’t forget Twitter and their 26BILLION market cap.
I personally love Amazon – I split the Prime fee with my sister, so it’s around $35 a year each and we get everything shipped free with 2 day shipping. Splitting the Prime fee with family members I think is a great idea to get 2 day free shipping for cheap.
ChooseTerm $35 is definitely affordable for Prime! What a great deal. Especially once they add the drone delivery.
DC @ Young Adult Money ChooseTerm Yeah, will be cool when the drone can deliver to my window in my nyc apartment building!
I love showrooming at Best Buy. I find something I want, look for it on Amazon and have Best Buy match it. I don’t wanna wait two weeks for it to come here.
Charles@gettingarichlife I don’t think it’s “showrooming” when you actually end up buying the product haha, but I hear you. When I bought my TV at Best Buy a couple years ago it actually was already the same price as on Amazon.
Great info here, DC! We used to only shop Amazon online, but now that others are getting more competitive, we do LOTS more online shopping, especially now that we live further out of the cities.
Laurie TheFrugalFarmer Thanks Laurie! Branching out to other retailers has really helped us get the absolute best deals on things. I’m not a big fan of buying clothes, shoes, or home products on Amazon either, so I like that other retailers have stepped up their games.
I use either Amazon or Costco but prefer Costco if they have what I want. Generally their prices are significantly better than Amazon and most of the time there is free shipping, and if shipping isn’t free, even with shipping it’s still cheaper than Amazon. I got my laptop through Costco and saved $200 over Amazon.
Tara Zee I have NEVER shopped at Costco, and now I’m wondering why! Thanks for the tip.
I shop at Amazon unless I get something at another reputable website for a better deal which is rare. It is almost always cheaper at Amazon. I have shopped at Walmart.com too but not that much. I don’t like best buy’s website. I feel like it looks dated to me….lol
BorrowedCents Haha I agree with you about Best Buy, though when I was writing this post it looked like they had updated it recently and it was a lot better than in the past. I’m becoming much more open to shopping at Walmart, and I like all the coupons and discounts available through Target. With that being said, Amazon is definitely an easy option and usually has great prices.