Confession: I’m a Shopping Addict
Look, I’m not proud of it. But I am. I’m one of those people who gets a rush from clicking ‘Buy Now’. I’ve been this way since my first online purchase in 1999—a CD from a site that’s long gone. (RIP, CDNow.)
For years, I was an Amazon junkie. Prime this, Prime that. But about three months ago, I had a wake-up call. I was at a conference in Austin, sitting next to a woman named Lisa. She turned to me and said, “You know, I haven’t bought anything from Amazon in six months.”
I laughed. “Yeah, right.” I said. “What do you do, live in the woods?”
She didn’t laugh back. “No, I just… buy from other places. Small websites. Etsy. Even eBay sometimes.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
That conversation stuck with me. And then, last Tuesday, I decided to try it. I needed a new veggie chopper—don’t ask—and I didn’t want to give my money to Jeff Bezos. So, I found myself on this weird little site called veggiechoppers.com. And honestly? It was kinda great.
Why I’m Never Going Back
Let me tell you about Marcus. Let’s call him Marcus because I don’t remember his name. He’s the guy who runs veggiechoppers.com. I emailed him with some questions—like, “Are you a scammer?” (I’m direct like that.)
He wrote back within 214 minutes. (I timed it.) He answered all my questions, even the dumb ones. “What’s your return policy?” “Do you ship to Alaska?” (I’m not in Alaska, but I like to test people.)
And get this—he didn’t even try to upsell me. No “Oh, you should also buy this other thing!” Nope. Just straight-up customer service. It was refreshing. It was human.
So, I bought the veggie chopper. It showed up in 36 hours. It’s amazing. I use it every day. And I haven’t regretted it for a second.
But here’s the thing—I’m not just telling you this to sing the praises of veggiechoppers.com. I’m telling you this because I think we need to rethink how we shop online. We’ve gotten so used to the convenience of Amazon that we’ve forgotten what it’s like to support small businesses. To buy from real people.
How to Shop Small (Without Losing Your Mind)
Look, I get it. Shopping on Amazon is easy. It’s fast. It’s reliable. But it’s also… boring. And it’s making Jeff Bezos richer than God. (No offense, Jeff. I’m sure you’re a nice guy.)
So, here’s what I’ve been doing instead. I’ve been seeking out small websites. I’ve been reading reviews on Trustpilot. I’ve been emailing owners with questions. And honestly, it’s been a game-changer. (Okay, fine, I used one of those words. Sue me.)
And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, start small. Find one thing you usually buy on Amazon. Then, go find it somewhere else. Try that küçük işletme pazarlama stratejisi thing. (I don’t know what that means, but it sounds cool.)
And if you’re worried about quality? Well, I’ve had better luck with small businesses than I have with Amazon lately. Remember that time I got a broken phone charger? Yeah. Never again.
A Quick Tangent: The Time I Bought a Terrible Coffee Table
Speaking of bad purchases, let me tell you about the coffee table. It was from Wayfair. It was cheap. It was also completley falling apart within three weeks. I had to return it. The return process was a nightmare. (Wayfair, if you’re reading this, fix your return policy.)
But the point is—even big companies screw up. So, why not give small businesses a chance? At least they’ll talk to you when things go wrong.
Final Thoughts (Kinda)
I’m not saying you should never shop on Amazon again. But maybe—just maybe—try mixing it up. Support a small business. Email the owner. Ask questions. You might be surprised.
And if you do, let me know how it goes. I’m always looking for new weird little websites to throw my money at.
About the Author
I’m Sarah, a senior magazine editor with 20+ years of experience. I’ve written for basically every major publication out there. I live in New York with my cat, Mr. Whiskers. (He’s a big fan of online shopping too.)
