Skip to content
Lifestyle
Looking For Alternatives to Amazon and Target? Here Are Some That Might Better Align With Your Values
There’s been a ton of chatter in the first few months of 2025 regarding companies either leaning into or pulling away from their diversity, equity and inclusion programs—or DEI—that have been in place at the very least since 2020, but in some cases decades. There have been boycotts both ways, and while there is so much to get into about this specific topic, it’s also quite the mine field that I’m not necessarily an expert in. However, I am quite literally an expert in shopping, and as a woman of color married to a Black man, who also had a brother with severe disabilities, DEI from a purchasing perspective hits very close to home for me.
And look, Amazon has long held a reputation for “these people are crap, don’t shop here” and admittedly, I kept shopping there. It was SO EASY to just pick up my phone, click a few buttons, and boom, whatever I bought was on my doorstep sometimes as soon as later that same day. As a working mother of a young child, it’s hard to beat that level of convenience. But to what end?
Then came Target. Boy did that one hurt. Target has long been “the good one” in terms of big box stores. I haven’t shopped at a Walmart in maybe as long as a decade, but Target, I felt mostly good about that one. They felt like a pillar of their community, but their roll back of their DEI programs really got me, and I haven’t shopped there since the end of January. It’s been really freaking hard, and not to mention inconvenient because in a world where most people shop online (at these very places), it can be hard trying to find what you need NOT at places like Target or Amazon (please, someone tell me where to buy a flat outlet extender cord PLEASE!).
And to top off the complexity of it all, I’ve also heard the argument lately that boycotting stores with DEI rollbacks only hurts the workers. Or in the case of Amazon, boycotting them isn’t going to screw Amazon, but rather the small storefronts selling their goods on the mega marketplace. Yes, I could see that, but I wasn’t sure what to do. I remembered that my husband’s cousin, Monique Little, is the founder and CEO of hair accessories company YGN (You Go Natural) that sold through Target, so I wanted to get her perspective as both a Black woman and a company owner directly affected by this. Here’s what she said:
“We actually lost our contract with Target in the midst of the DEI stuff. We were definitely hitting our sales targets, but did have some trouble shipping toward the end of last year. We had a 2025 PO [purchase order] but it was pulled right before the DEI announcement. My guess is since there was no DEI initiative there to support it, they had no reason not to pull the order.” Well…that freaking sucks.
She adds: “Honestly, it depends what your individual stomach is for causing selective pain to brands in support of the greater good. For some, those large contracts are all they have and to lose them as a result of the political climate could mean immediate loss to small business owners and their employees. If the goal is simply to support BIPOC brands (as opposed to making a larger statement about DEI), I’d say go ahead and make targeted purchases within the stores to support them.” Better yet? Buy directly from the brands if they offer that, though keep in mind that some do not, and their products in places like Target and Amazon are their only line of revenue.
That said, if you’re looking for places to spend your dollars that are aligned with values that support diversity, equity, inclusion and just a general sense of “better,” I found 17 places to do just that.
One caveat I want to include before continuing with the list. When I say “better”, I realize that’s going to be different for everyone. Today’s post is solely focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (with two sort-of exemptions). Companies are complex, and everyone’s threshold for their own social justice leanings and political preferences are different. Almost no brand or company is perfect by any means (if you know of one, please let us all know). The best answer for “Everywhere sucks now, where should I spend my money” may look one way to me, but another to you. Local mom-and-pops are great, but how much do you know about the owners? Second-hand and vintage purchasing is awesome from an eco-conscious perspective, but what if the person you’re buying from doesn’t align with your values? You’ll likely never know any of this. All of that to say, it’s not so straight-forward. But it’s in my heart right now to spend my money on products that don’t directly support something that goes against my very person. “Don’t shop where they wouldn’t hire you,” I often hear.
Okay, let’s go:
Cleaning & General Home Goods
Blueland: Blueland sells earth-friendly and nearly plastic-free cleaning products with a focus on sustainable and concentrated refills rather than adding constant empty bottles to the landfill. In terms of diversity, I found on their site that this B Corp proactively supports and spends with Black-owned businesses and brand partners, gives each of their team members paid time off for political and civic engagement, and makes diversity a priority in every hiring decision.
Public Goods: I have a membership to Public Goods and even I forgot how much they offer. It’s all white-labeled “generic” stuff, but it’s all very good. Plus, the prices are really fair (and members get 20% off, on top of that). You’ll find cleaning stuff, kitchen and dining goods (I have these cutting boards and love them), home products such as bedding and bath and even planters, beauty products, pantry staples and coffee. It’s awesome. Also awesome? Their dedication to sustainability and thoughtful consumption. I couldn’t find anything in my research specifically about their DEI impact (which sucks), but at the very least, I wanted to present them as an option for everything else they stand for.
Grove Collaborative: Another site that I need to add to my bookmarks for more regular shopping because they’re fantastic not just from an environmental impact perspective but also for their dedication to social impact. They have cleaning supplies and essentials, personal care products, vitamins, even things for babies like diapers and bathing products. A certified B Corp, Grove Collaborative provides grants for increased diversity, equity, and anti-racism initiatives led by their “Diversity & Inclusion squad.” Most of the information I could find on them dated back to 2020, but I haven’t read anything since about rollbacks on their commitments.
Food & Snacks
Thrive Market: If you tend toward fulfilling pantry staples and snacks from Amazon, Thrive Market might just be up your alley if you’re looking for a better alternative (bonus points if you prefer organic and non-GMO). In terms of inclusion, Thrive has established employee groups like the Black Thriver Union, which aims at offering a safe space for BIPOC employees and allies to engage. They also have a partnership with the Pride Pantry to support food equality within the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond.
Imperfect Foods: I know it feels like literally everything is a monthly subscription these days, but I was always happy with my Imperfect Foods box when I got it. Their pricing was great, and I felt good about saving hundreds of millions of pounds of food from waste because they were less than perfect (hence, not deemed sellable by grocery stores). I also feel good about supporting their “Grow With Us” program via my dollars, which addresses racial discrepancies between leadership teams and hourly associates. It promotes career growth and development opportunities within Imperfect Foods by offering a clear pathway for upward mobility within teams and even across departments.
Of course, supporting your local farmer’s market and any local farmer produce boxes as well as locally owned grocery stores puts the power in your hand to directly impact the people you want to support!
Books & Audiobooks
Barnes & Noble: Good ol’ Barnes & Noble. While they may have ignored my application to work there in college, I won’t hold a grudge any longer as they’re doing things right. A few years ago, they partnered with Billie Jean King Enterprises, which works with organizations to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. They also support independent bookstores by carrying independent books, books from small presses, university presses, and independent publishers, and by publishing independent books that allow independent authors to publish and gain access to online promotional opportunities.
Better World Books: Admittedly, I couldn’t find any specific information about the DEI efforts of Better World Books, but this B Corp is an amazing site to purchase new and used books that you can feel really good about. Every purchase you make from them directly contributes to donating books to hundreds of non-profit organizations. So far, they’ve been able to donate 38 MILLION books!
Libro.fm: I can’t believe I’m only just now finding Libro.fm, because it’s such a wonderful concept. Essentially, Libro.fm shares profits from your audiobook purchases (either a la cart or with one of their subscription models) with the local bookstore of your choice! It’s the convenience of a digital storefront and experience, but gives you the power to keep your money in your local economy. Plus, it’s 100% employee owned.
Bookshop.org: Another B Corp (of which DEI is central to achieving), Bookshop is very similar to Libro where you get the choice of a local bookstore to support with your purchase, but with tons of physical books and e-books, as well (as opposed to just audio books). Their platform gives independent bookstores tools to compete online and financial support to help them maintain their presence in local communities.
Furniture & Decor
Wayfair: I have to be honest. I didn’t know much about Wayfair as a corporation until recently. As in, I’ve shopped there plenty of times, sing their jingles in my head nearly daily, but had no clue about their corporate commitments and efforts. It’s a good sign when they list out their DEI efforts first in their list of impacts, meaning they aren’t trying to hide anything. They also have their Wayfair Neighborhood Fund (according to their site, “a donor-advised fund sponsored by a national donor-advised fund program”) which was launched in 2023 to advance their social impact efforts for recommending grants to nonprofits focused on housing.
Uncommon Goods: I remember Uncommon Goods from around 15 years ago when it was a place to go for weird, off-beat things. But since then, it’s become a store to shop with yes, some weird and off-beat things, but plenty of other things for home, gifts, and life. They’re a certified B Corp, and have a Planet, People, Profit guiding light (in that order). Their website states that their starting pay for hourly team members is more than double the federal minimum wage, and have championed paid family leave in New York State where they are based, and will continue to fight the good fight in other states, as well.
Goodee: Goodee and Amazon may not be exactly synonymous but that doesn’t make it worthy of this list. We’ve written about Goodee a few times. It’s a highly curated marketplace where all the makers align on their environmental efforts and social impact. They’re mission is to create change by championing community, transparency, and sustainability from both their creators and consumers.
Etsy: Amazon may have the edge on fast and free shipping (duh), but Etsy takes it on artisanship. I don’t have to do much of an introduction here, because we all know Etsy, but on a corporate level, you can really feel good about supporting them. For instance, they’re working to achieve a Net Zero goal by 2040, and in the meantime, support carbon offsetting programs. They also have partnered with a company called EcoEnclose, which brings sellers packaging made from 100% recycled materials or certified responsibly sourced paper at competitive prices, helping them run more sustainable businesses. I also loved that when doing a quick Google search for Etsy, one of their first sublinks was “Black-Owned Shops”.
And don’t forget to check out Caitlin’s list of her favorite small business home decor shops, too!
Beauty
Credo Beauty: We’ve written about Credo a handful of times on the blog over the years, but in case you aren’t familiar, it’s essentially like a Sephora but for only clean beauty vetted to a high standard. It’s great, so the next time you’re faced with a drawer full of empties and need makeup, skincare, haircare, and beyond, be sure to check them out. From an impact POV, Credo has an amazing annual accelerator workshop called Credo for Change which aims to empower college students who self-identify as historically underrepresented in the beauty industry, such as Black, Latino, Hispanic, Asian, and Indigenous individuals. From their site: “Our goal is to provide equitable opportunities to all individuals who want to help push our industry forward through clean and sustainable positive impact.”
Ulta Beauty: I’ll admit that Ulta doesn’t give me the same boutique shopping vibes as say, Sephora, but from an online shopping perspective as an alternative to Amazon, it beats out Sephora by also offering plenty of drugstore brands. Plus, Ulta supports True Colors United, a non-profit that helps eradicate homelessness that disproportionately affects the trans and LGBTQIA+ communities, in addition to a slew of other social and diversity-focused impact projects.
Home Improvement
Harbor Freight: I’ve actually read that The Home Depot gets a fairly good rating on their equity and inclusion, but for personal reasons, I tend to shop somewhere else if I can help it. The Harbor Freight that used to be near my previous home closed years ago, but I recently found one near(ish) by and am happy with their Goods Unite Us rating. Like some others here, I couldn’t find much in terms of DEI promises, but again, a good option if you have one near you!
All of the Above
Costco: Costco has famously leaned into their diversity, equity, and inclusion stance after numerous rollbacks from other big box retailers. Not to mention, they just really take care of their employees. And in general, I’m typically fairly happy with the stuff I buy here, especially their store brand Kirkland Signature. I have towels and sheets that have stood the test of time, which can’t always be said about the ‘zon. I’ll gladly give them my $65 a year for our family membership.
—
Please feel free to look up any of these on sites like Goods Unite Us or Opensecrets to see if they fully line up with your personal values. And if you have any other great larger marketplace-type shops that can help me, you and all of us break up with Amazon (or Target, etc.), please share in the comments. Thanks all!
Until next time…
This is a great post. Thank you! I’ve broken up with Amazon and trying to use my Target gift cards so I never have to go back. These are great alternatives.
Thank you so much for this very timely post. Admittedly, only a minority of your readers are based outside the US, but if you have any recommendations for the rest of us, that would help.
Thank you for this post! ?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope this also means that the site plans not to include any more links to Amazon products and that Emily is rethinking her professional relationship with Target.
This was answered a while back
Thank you
Despite the end of the official partnership, it seems to me that its products remain frequent recommendations here. I know not everyone has given up shopping there, but I do hope these alternative vendors are considered for the EHD spotlight at least as often.
Exactly
Yes, Arlyn! Run down your credentials! “Woman of color, married to a Black man, and had a brother with severe disabilities.” I sat up. ?Not all skin folk are kin folk, but I love it when I see it and appreciate the allies too. I will take Monique Little’s advice to heart and stock up on the brands that matter to me while I can still find them in store. Tabitha Brown’s red wine blend is amazing. The HoneyPot feminine care line is really good.
Sorry for your loss. ??
woohoo! first comment! love you SO MUCH, stylebyemilyhenderson team. what an amazing post.
Excellent post! I really appreciate how all of you are gracefully walking that fine line between presenting items for sale and encouraging people to only buy what you need.
Thank you sooo much for this post. An incredibly useful list and I really appreciate you all putting this information out on the internet. Please, keep up with content like this!
Love this list – thank you for putting this together. I will bookmark it! One thing I learned last week at a meeting on new employment law under this administration- they are “black listing” private companies that don’t comply with their DEI mandate. Target is being sued by Steven Miller as part of his America first legal group and the FLA AG. Starbucks is also being sued by Miller. The speakers recommendation was remove it all from your public facing materials. It’s awful.
Super helpful – thank you!
We recently cancelled our Amazon prime account. I do not want to give them any more of our money! As for power cords, do you have a local hardware store? They will have them for sure.
I very much appreciate this post and I’ve noticed y’all have linked to these stores less in the last few weeks. I appreciate the solidarity, especially around Target.
Wow. I LOVE this post for so many reasons. I super appreciate the content. I’ve been missing the EHD political voice, you all have seemed more quiet. But the political is personal for so many of us now and I’m glad your voice is speaking now!
Me too! I feel like crying knowing that my favorite blog is standing up for what matters. Thank you very much, this means a lot. I have always hoped this kind of post could be possible but never thought it was.
THANK YOU – We need more posts like this. I frequently see interesting items and content here only to find it attached to an Amazon link.
Keep these reccos coming! <3
Thanks for this great post. In terms of asking whether and what we know about the values of the owners of local businesses and vintage dealers, I actually think that is kind of beside the point of shopping conscientiously. I didn’t cancel my Amazon prime membership and my Washington Post subscription just because Jeff Bezos is a bad person and I want him to suffer–I canceled both because of the structural harms perpetuated by his businesses and his personal political machinations. I signed up for a Costco membership not to reward the CEO for being a mensch, but because it is a corporation that treats its many employees with dignity. I’ll bet that plenty of the neighborhood stores where I shop and the restaurants where I eat are owned by people whose politics I might vehemently disagree with, and that’s fine. Buying local is an investment in my community as a whole.
And, even if your local business owners have very different political values than you, they are not funneling billions of dollars into lobbying and PACs. Bezos, Musk, and other billionaires have a very different scale of political impact than individual business owners.
My one local thing I avoid is shops or restaurants with political candidates signs outside. We have local elections here next month, and there are a couple local bars that make their political point of view very clear. So I have to skip them!
I appreciate this so much! Like a lot of people, I also cancelled my Prime account and am trying to let my spending not betray my values if at all possible. This post feels like the top-of-mind thing we all have been looking for. Thank you Arlyn, as always for your thoughtful writing and research. Silence can be so convenient, but I really respect the choice to speak up.
Arlyn, I meant to comment after one of your most recent articles about how much I enjoy your writing; I think you could be writing about the most boring thing on earth and make it interesting (and humorous.) This piece knocks it out of the park for sheer content — very thoughtful and full of great information. Thank you! One way I’ve found to get around buying from Amazon and Walmart is to google the name of the company selling the product I’m interested in and make my purchase directly from their website, bypassing the big, bad marketplaces. It doesn’t always work, but I think it’s always worth trying.
Thank you for this post! I really appreciated that you included some bigger name stores that actually can be an alternative (for said extension cord) to a Target or an Amazon.
Try used to be called WeBuyBlack. Features Black-owned businesses.
Love this article and round up! Another company that I have been happy to support is Room and Boar. Maybe everyone else already knows they are a B-corp and employee-owned:
Bought my sofa from R&B last year and its so nice!
Thank you for this! Amazon has been easier to cut out than Target. But, I won’t support either one now.
You’re in Portland and didn’t include Powell’s Books?! ;)
Came here to say exactly this!
People should also be getting rid of their prime memberships. You can buy on amazon without a membership. Anything over $35 is free shipping anyway, plus it allows you to find better deals. Just bc its on amazon doesn’t mean it’s cheaper or better. I’ll go ahead and be the first person to tell you that you will save a ton of money now that you cant buy every pointless thing as fast as possible. It allows you to actually consider what you are buying. You can also still check out ebooks from your library without prime. Break the chain.
I’ve also noticed recently that so many things that claim to be Prime/free/2-day shipping take much longer, so there’s really no point!
I think you make a great point about how much $ might be saved by not having the super fast and convenient Amazon option. I’ve certainly made fewer impulse purchases in the past few months.
I am happy to commit to not shopping at Amazon or Target anymore, though the latter is REALLY painful. I loved their store, loved feeling like I was supporting a good company and loved my red card discount. Breaking up is hard to do but sometimes must be done!
But here’s my question about not renewing my Prime membership. Will I lose years worth of video content that I have paid for? We have purchased so many movies/shows that are now a part of our library, and I hate to think of all that investment going away. So I was considering keeping my Prime membership but discontinuing all Amazon shopping. Thoughts?
No, they are yours forever. You can still stream thru the Prime Video app too. You just won’t have the “free” prime video content.
Love this. I’ve also relied on this substack for good info on how to break up with Amazon (and can br applied to others as well).
Thank you! Terrific list. I already shop quite a few and can definitely recommend them. A note: You don’t have to subscribe to Imperfect Foods/Misfit Market. You can just shop for what you want in an assigned window of time. Spend $60+ for free shipping, $35 minimum order. Their produce is always SO good! (Well, I did get some strawberries once that didn’t get the memo they were supposed to TASTE like strawberries, but otherwise…) Happy shopping, everyone!
Love love love this! I will caution readers, though, that Harbor Freight quality is not the best, so beware that if you do end up buying from them, the purchase may not last in the long run. Totally agree with bookshop.org! I have the app on my phone & love it.
I went from being a regular Amazon shopper (bordering on shopaholic) to boycotting them as well as Target. Can I tell you how great it feels to have cut out all this frivolous spending? I am boycotting the Trump/Musk economy now and only buying essentials. I’m fortunate to already have all the stuff I could need/want, so am limiting purchases going forward to necessities, and only shopping from local independent stores and Costco. An upside is that I am saving money, which our household might need if my NIH-funded academician spouse loses his job :(
Vote with your dollars, friends!
I absolutely hate Amazon. If I need something the same day, I go to the shops and buy it. It’s a test of how much I need/want something, stops me being a shut-in (ie better for mental health) and my understanding is that eradicating incidental exercise is one of the things that contributes to the obesity epidemic, and associated health risks so I’m trying to rely less on automated life choices and gently move more. I could be wrong but I think for small things it may also leave a smaller carbon footprint to get yourself, and I do care deeply about that!! If all else fails, I knock on the neighbour’s door and borrow. I don’t feel bad about not supporting small shops on Amazon as quite frankly, I don’t think they should partner with an unethical and untrustworthy tech giant that doesn’t treat their workers properly. I don’t know most if the companies above which are mainly American but there are plenty of Australian companies which promote inclusive and fair workplaces. And I will definitely not be lured back to these companies on the joyous day that Trump is gone and DEI incentives are re-instated because I will… Read more »
Thank you for this! Just sent this as a link to 10 like minded friends. Hopefully will get out the word on these businesses! — and maybe some new EHD readers as well—which you all very much deserve.
Someone tell me how to quit Kindle! I try not to shop Amazon at all, but for ebooks I havent found an alternative platform, help!
Hi! I don’t have a Kindle, never have, and most of my reading is ebooks now- I get them through my library!
The Libby app is great, you can borrow ebooks in kindle format if you want to keep reading on your kindle, and you can have more than one account on the app so there’s more likelihood of finding the book you’re looking for. (I paid $50 for a membership to the brooklyn public library for a while so I could get an out of state membership- they don’t offer that anymore, but they offer cards to any NY state residents. The bigger library systems in my area also offer membership to all state residents.)
I bet libro.fm offers ebooks in kindle format too…
Thanks for this information. I was wondering how to get books on my kindle without purchasing from Amazon.
Libby app is great and fyi works while traveling outside US. I compensate by making a donation to my local library each year.
Hi Mindy! I am not an expert on this, but I listen to the Verge podcast and they talk about ebooks regularly. Here are some resources from them to get started:
For the TLDR version, bookshop.org is releasing an ebook platform, people like Boox Palma and Kobo for devices, and most local libraries have ebooks (and can help with downloading and platform compatibility.
Libby, baby. Your local library has e-books accessible through the Libby app. Already paid for with tax dollars, so free!
And a little trick I learned for Portlanders that might apply to other locales: Portland has reciprocity with the Vancouver library system, meaning you can sign up to check out books from them, including e-books that might have a longer wait in Portland. You can sign up online if you don’t mind a limit of like 3 books, or in person for no limit. Other cities might have similar deals.
Yes, here in Massachusetts to the entire Minuteman Library Network for physical and eBook loans, and the Boston Public Library also lets non-resident get a library card number and borrow eBooks. My kids also have Sora accounts through their schools, which tap into those networks and some others. We read on our old Kindles but never buy eBooks at all.
Hi @Rachel! How do we do that? Fellow Portlander here, devoted Portland library user, and get a bit tired waiting sometimes!
Your local library! I have 8 library cards for ebooks/audio books. Many library systems only require you live nearby or in-state for free access.
I love to use Libby but unfortunately my locality has limited choices and long wait times so it doesn’t quite support my reading habit
Borrow ebooks from your library! The Libby app and hoopla have tons of free audio and ebooks through your local public library. It doesn’t move you away from using the Kindle device, but at least you’re not paying for books that you don’t even get to keep if you close down your amazon account.
Libby for libraries is great! I was also happy to see Bookshop.org started selling E books too.
Bookshop.org now has ebooks and they support small bookstores! I don’t know that you can read the books on a Kindle- I read on my iPad.
home decor/design blogs are my guilty pleasure escape from the world, but it’s been hard not to get pulled in by consumerism, so i really deeply appreciate this post and your team’s general efforts to be socially conscious.
Love this post! Thank you for highlighting this here!
Don’t forget local bookstores! Mine is quite small but they can special order any book you can find on amazon, and it arrives within a week.
Diapers that aren’t crazy expensive! Where do i buy these??
Costco. We joined for that sole reason five years ago. Our daughter now longer wears diapers but we still love Costco.
My three kids all used the same cloth diapers that were hand me downs or bought second hand! Cloth diapers are easy to use and adorable.
Penzeys for spices! Not only are the spices amazing (and SO much better than my local bulk store), but the owner stands up LOUDLY for DEI, voting rights, and democracy in general. I always feel good buying from them. (And they almost always include a small free gift that makes me smile: a pin that says “love”, or a mug–right before the election–that said “Choose Love, Save Democracy, Save the Planet”.)
Oh my gosh! I cannot tell you how timely this post is for me! Last weekend, I told my husband, it’s time to break up with Target and Amazon. But the lingering question was where? Outside of Costco, I was unsure. Thanks for this information!
This is a terrific post. Thanks so much. I try to never, every buy from Amazon–I have been a non-customer for decades and assure any one who thinks they can’t live without it that I am a perfectly content consumer and have always been able to find what I wanted elsewhere. Sites like yours can help by not linking to alternative sites rather than Amazon though I know that cuts into your livelihood.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion based on the comments, but I’m going to continue shopping at Target. For environmental reasons, I try to limit online purchases. The alternative in my town for “in store” shopping is Walmart or Sam’s Club. The local mall has closed. A lot of other stores have closed…Bed Bath & Beyond, Sports Authority remain large empty buildings. There is no Costco. We obviously have specialty stores and grocery stores but for some things it’s just more economical to get them from a store like Target. Target seems to be the best option for me, and I would be sad if it became just another empty building.
Agree with you, Stassi. I’m curious if any readers are Tesla owners. I’ve decided I despise Tesla owners and need to be talked out of my hatred LOL.
Lani: Your post made me laugh. My sister, brother and sil all own Teslas and are hardcore democrats and are so ANGRY at what’s going on right now. They hate Elon too. However, they bought their cars like 5-7 years ago and would absolutely love to get rid of them. But they can’t because they can’t get a decent price since demand is rock bottom right now. They are vocal about not buying another when these are done. They really need bumper stickers that say “I bought this car before I knew Elon was going to ruin our country!”. I give you free reign to hate new teslas and cybertrucks though LOL!
As a side note, the customer service and quality of the car has gotten so much worse. My brother and sil had to fight with the Tesla about construction issues with my sil’s new model Y and customer service just shrugged their shoulders.
Oh no, Jane, tell them to cut their losses and sell, sell, sell! It’s only going to get worse. Teslas are now just red MAGA hats.
My wife is a Tesla owner, she bought it in 2021 and now has two stickers, one with the “X” through Elon (with the X as a rainbow because #sogay) and the other says “we know but we have the car now.” Selling right now would mean a $10-20k minimum loss as she still has a loan on it, and we live in a liberal city so no one would buy it right now in a million years. Saying “sell sell sell” feels pretty privileged, not everyone can afford to just be in debt tens of thousands of dollars for their principles, but if you can that is SO great! It also feels wasteful to just get another car; while Elon is shite on sushi, the Tesla itself is a great car and considering my wife has a 50 mile commute, has saved significant emissions by driving it combined with having solar panels to charge it. It might help to remember that most Tesla owners bought it back when Elon was eccentric but not outwardly pure supervillain, and many people with Teslas bought them a hot minute ago. The fact that the stocks are going down is a great sign… Read more »
Kat, don’t take it too seriously. The comments are about Elon and DJT not you and yours.
I have seen Teslas around town with a bumper sticker that is a red circle with Elon crossed out in the middle. I’ve thought about getting my parents one, because they have a Tesla that they bought several years back. They are also Democrats who hate what is going on!
I have a couple friends who hate their Teslas now… I think many Tesla owners wish they weren’t!
I think that’s just reality of your circumstance and it’s okay! I’ve drastically reduced my Amazon and Target purchases since the election. But my daughter, who has a number of significant disabilities, is still wearing diapers and our insurance doesn’t cover them so we have to buy them retail. And the one brand that makes diapers her size only sells them at Target, Walmart, and Amazon. To me, Target is the least bad option so that’s where I go, and I feel zero guilt about it. I’m still drastically reducing my spending and sending a clear message, and I’m saving money as I wait to see whether I lose my federal job because of this administration.
We bought a Tesla a few years ago before Elon went this wild (though it was still a point of contention when we bought it). It’s not paid off yet and we’d lose money if we sold it now, so we’re stuck with it. I’m also in SF where every other car is a Tesla so it feels a little less Elon-coded than being one of a few Teslas in town, but it’s still icky. We need to get Elon out of Tesla!
Thank you for this great post! One thing I found has really worked for me is picking particular categories of things I am committed to spending more ethically on, and then adding to that over time. So for example, I started a few years ago with clothing, then adding banking, then cleaning supplies, etc. If you can do everything all at once that’s AWESOME and obviously the best case scenario. But if that feels overwhelming — because it’s often more expensive and also so time consuming to research brands, go buy things in person, etc — then it’s better to start somewhere and add incrementally than give up on it entirely. Sometimes “all or nothing” thinking really gets in the way of us as overwhelmed human beings making actual progress.
where do you do your ethical banking? Or do you mean investing in ESG-related products? (asking b/c we have been thinking about moving from our large corporate bank for a while now…)
Try joining a credit union, they are not for profit.
I have banked exclusively at one for over 30 years. Better loan/credit card rates too.
like Karine we’re at a credit union, but Amalgamated is also a great option for bank/credit card. they’re union-owned.
Thank you much for this list! It was easy boycotting Target and Amazon until this past Friday when I had two baby showers to buy gifts for. Both Moms registered at both of those places. Thank you for opening my eyes to other stores that I had never thought of or heard of.
Just wanted to throw out there that most registries have an option where you can mark the item on the registry as purchased and then buy it somewhere else! Prevents duplicates, the mama gets what she wants, and you get to stick to your values! Good luck!
Like so many others, I really appreciate this post. I continue to avoid covid, so I rely on curbside pickup a LOT, and I had really fallen into the habit of using Target for everything. (Like, “spent over $1,100 there in January” levels of everything.) Since February 1st, I have switched to buying all of my groceries and home supplies from my locally owned grocery chain. The individual items are more expensive, but I’m actually spending less money overall, mostly because Target made online impulse-shopping SO EASY, and I’m a lot less likely to pick up a bunch of just-for-fun items when I’m acutely aware that I’m spending twice as much for a bag of organic flour.
Also, for anyone else in a similar covid-cautious but shopping-loving boat, Michael’s stores (not sure if they’re international, but they’re an arts and crafts supplier) offer free, fast, no-minimum curbside pickup, have a Democrat-heavy score on Goods Unite Us, and I have seen discussion online that they’re sticking with their DEI goals. I’ve used them for a variety of weird stuff this year (baking pans! soap molds!) that I previously probably would have ordered from Amazon.
This is good to know about Michael’s. I hope they start carrying fabric now that Joann Fabrics is going out of business!
This was super helpful! Just double checking (and I have ZERO affiliation with Sephora), but did they also roll back their DEI commitments?
Thanks!
Yeah I thought Sephora was still
ok! I was sad/confused to see them included…
Me too! So far (at least online) they still seem to be Ok? If anyone knows, thanks!
ULTA still has a strong DEI initiative!
Yes they are included in this list!
Thank you!!! Excellent post. I like going to local stores! And for years I have only purchased through Amazon things that I couldn’t find elsewhere. This Post provides me with alternatives. Much appreciated.
This list is so helpful! Thank you so much!
Thank you for this post! I’m doing harm reduction with Target and Amazon, where I gradually find replacements and cut them out of my life. Though I’ll soon ditch them completely (almost there!), it doesn’t have to be initially all-or-nothing to send a message. Just something to keep in mind in case you feel guilty, or discouraged at the prospect of a complete boycott. Do what you can, when you can.
One thing I’m trying to figure out where to buy other than Target is toilet paper–is it time to get a Costco membership, or do people have other recommendations?
I use and love the company “Who Gives A Crap”. 100% recycled, carbon-neutral shipping, zero-waste (and extremely cheery) packaging, giant rolls. It’s expensive, though.
Yeah, I’ve looked into them, and the cost held me back. But thank you for the recommendation!
Seconding WGAC! No plastic whatsoever. I recommend the (more expensive) bamboo rolls…. I now hate the classic soft Charmin stuff in other people’s bathrooms.
I just get it at my grocery store. I have a local independent grocery store I prefer, but any one you already go to typically has it.
I work at Trader Joe’s so I get a 20% discount. I buy my TP there. It’s fairly cheap and one less stop. Trader Joe’s isn’t perfect but they do take care of their employees so you can feel good about supporting them.
Love this post! Thank you for sharing. :-)
Arlen and EHD team, I really appreciate your publishing this useful list. Thank you!
This post is awesome – thank you! Bookmarking it! I am breaking up with everywhere possible – including getting off of Amazon-owned Goodreads. I now use black woman created “Story Graph”. It was so easy to import all of my Goodreads data (I am NOT tech savvy), and the functionality of Story Graph is far superior!
Look at Bookworm, too! That’s my new fave.
Bravo! Love this post and all the supportive comments!!!
I’d like to recommend products from Attitude Living. They are Canadian— not sure if home/ body products will be impacted by tariffs— and have an in house laboratory and almost EVERYTHING they make is EWG verified. They are low waste as well. I use their makeup, cleaning products, and body products. They work so well! It’s hard to find clean products that work as well as the highly processed products, and these do!