Aah, the joys of shopping. You reserve a day or an entire weekend for it, head to the mall and start hunting the best deals through dozens of stores. I hate that! I become so confused that I don’t remember where I saw those awesome shoes I delayed buying just in case I found something better.
When I started shopping online, I discovered a whole new world. It didn’t matter what I needed; I could always get it on Amazon, Best Buy, Target, or eBay. It took me a long time before I realized that there were many other shopping websites that deserved attention, too.
Here is my list of 29 shopping sites I wish I’d known earlier.
Furniture/home decor
1. Poppin
This is a website focused on office decor. When you organize your working or studying desk properly, you’ll enjoy the hard work much more. Here comes the best part: the items are organized by color! That makes the choice much easier.
A classic des set of 12 ballpoint pens, a pen cup and notebook costs $25. The quality of the cheaper items is not high-class, but the website offers more exclusive products as well.
2. Dwell Studio
Dwell Studio offers furniture, bed and bath products, decor and accessories, rugs and windows, and more. Although the items featured in the furniture category are more on the luxury side, you can get them on sale and save a lot of money on a high-end piece for your home.
A bed costs around $1000, and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. As far as rugs are concerned, Dwell offers a great choice of high-quality designs in various shapes, materials and styles.
3. One Kings Lane
As someone with a thing for awesome vintage finds, I cannot recommend this website enough. The furniture items are outstanding, but I also enjoy the Kitchen & Tabletop, as well as the Art & Mirrors categories.
These aren’t actual vintage or antique pieces, so the prices are affordable thanks to many items for sale. For example, a nice mirror for your bedroom will cost you $135 (that’s with a great discount of 68%). Hunt for daily deals and you can easily refresh the appearance of your home with exclusive pieces.
4. The Hut
This British website provides affordable international delivery. You’ll appreciate the great choice of home decor and kitchen products that will make your home more pleasant for a cheap price.
The prices for home accessories start from $1.53 and go up to $370; so there is something for everyone’s taste. I’ve had some hits and misses with this website, since it features different brands and quality levels. Make sure to read reviews before ordering a particular piece and you’ll do just fine.
Books
5. Book Depository
Forget Amazon; Book Depository offers the same (outstanding!) selection of books through a much more convenient shopping experience. The website is organized really well and the worldwide delivery is free of charge. There are awesome discounts and deals that will help you get more books for your money.
The prices for classics are especially attractive, f.e. you can start collecting Marquez for less than $10 per edition.
6. Book Finder
You want to get new and used books, rare editions, textbooks and print books? You can use the search tool at Book Finder to compare prices and get the best deal. The shipping costs are included in the calculation, so you won’t waste time doing math.
Through this search engine, you can find even better prices than the ones offered at Book Depository. Make sure to check that you are purchasing a well-preserved edition if you’re opting for a used book.
Shopping for students
7. Papers Gear
If you need an essay, personal statement, research paper, coursework assignment, or even a dissertation – this is the right service to turn to. Custom writing at Papers Gear helps students with academic papers.
The writers never fail to deliver exactly the help, the customers need, and the prices are really affordable. You’ll need to pay from $19.99 to $52.99 per page depending on the quality and deadline you choose, but the company offers great discounts that reduce the price.
8. Sam’s Club
When you have too much studying to do, even browsing through different shopping websites can be a waste of time. That’s when you should turn to Sam’s Club – an online store with student-friendly prices on groceries, gifts, flowers, wine, health and beauty products, and more.
The prices are even lower than the ones in your local stores, and the shopping experience is much more convenient. Sam’s Clubs are available in different cities across the USA, so you can easily join the community and start saving without searching for any coupons.
9. Fab
If you are looking for something similar to Target, but way more affordable, Fab.com will surely please you. This is a social shopping site that offers great deals on clothes and accessories for men and women, kitchen and dining items, furniture and lighting, home decor, gifts, tech gadgets, and much more.
For example, you can get a queen-size bed on sale (below $300) and save money for other things you deserve. Clearly, you can’t expect the best quality when you pay such a low price.
Fitness
10. FitOrbit
Going to the gym is not always a pleasant experience. You have to pay a fortune for a personal trainer; otherwise you are left wandering around in absolute discomfort. FitOrbit is a much better solution for me.
At this website, you can get a personal trainer who will tailor the perfect exercise plan and daily meal plans for you. The prices are really affordable and the results are guaranteed. Depending on the plan you choose (6 months, 3 months or 1 month), you’ll get a price of $11.50, $16.99 or $29.99 per week.
11. Gaiam TV – My Yoga channel
For a low monthly fee, you can choose from hundreds of videos provided by famous yoga instructors. All you need to do is create a pleasant environment in your home, commit to a daily schedule and start practicing with great instructors without spending a fortune for your physical and emotional wellbeing.
The monthly fee at this website is $9.95, but you can also provide a one-time payment of $89.40 for the annual plan and save 25%. You get a chance to practice with great instructors, so you can expect these plans to be even better than the classes offered in your local studio.
Clothes, shoes and accessories
12. Wantering
Who doesn’t want to look like a celebrity? You don’t need to hit the malls and high-end stores to find the pieces that were made for you; this website will help you on the mission to be on trend and keep things classy at the same time.
You can set the price range of the products you’re looking for, so it’s easy to get awesome dresses, jeans and bags for under $25. Of course, you can also set the price range up to $2.5K and get good deals on trending items by Oscar De La Renta, Mary Katrantzou, Jason Wu, and other popular names in fashion.
13. Cadet
This one is for men only. Cadet is a brand established by Brad Shmidt and Raul Arevalo, who get their inspiration by the post-war military academy era. And I know one thing for sure: every woman respects a man dressed like that.
The website features high-quality shirts, knits, pants, outerwear and swimwear. Jackets and coats come from $200 to $1000, and the awesome pants are priced from $120 up. Of course, I recommend you to shop in the SALE section and get these unique items for a reduced price. This is the type of clothing all men should invest in.
14. eShakti
Do you have trouble nailing the right size when shopping online? This is the right website for you! You can select pieces in sizes ranging from 0-36W or require a garment to be customized to your exact size, height and style.
Since plus-size and petite clothing is not easily available, you can expect to find prices that are slightly above the average. For example, an average mid-length dress is priced above $80, and the quality is not perfect. However, eShakti can literally save you when you urgently need a perfect fit.
15. Otte New York
If you miss the lady that follows you in a store and tells you which garments would suit you perfectly, you’ll love this website. OtteNY.com offers more than a luxurious shopping experience – it enables you to hire a personal shopping team that will help you get the perfect outfit for any occasion.
I’m talking about brands like Alexander Wang, Kenzo, Cacharel and other big names, so you can expect to pay above $200 for a nice summer dress. However, Otte enables you to find your special piece for a highly reduced price, so it’s definitely worthy of a bookmark.
16. Wanelo
Who doesn’t love a great deal? This community-based site helps you find the best prices from a vast array of online stores. You can get clothes, shoes, home accessories, toys, and much more.
Depending on the quality and brand you are after, the prices of the offered products will range. One thing is for sure, though: you will pay the lowest possible price for the particular item if you search for it through Wanelo.
17. Necessary Clothing
Nasty Gal used to be one of my favorite shopping destinations before I discovered Necessary Clothing – a cheaper alternative to that website that sells trendy designer fashion. Hint: check out the shoe section. I guarantee you won’t be able to resist it!
You can get the cutest pumps for a price around $25; that’s a deal you can’t neglect. Although the prices seem too low for shoes, the offered models feature a great design and a decent quality.
18. Zady
Zady is a shopping destination for clothes and accessories (men and women), as well as house & home decor pieces. When you shop at Zady, you know where your stuff comes from, you reduce waste, and make a contribution to the community.
The average price for a men jacket is around $300, and you can expect to pay above $100 for a simple women’s top. However, the awesome quality and conscious shopping experience deserve the extra dollar.
19. Baublebar
Underwear
20. Natori
From reasonably-priced lingerie to the most beautiful pajama sets you’ve ever seen, Natori enables you to find everything you need for your boudoir.
When I say reasonably-priced, I mean an average of $200 for a chemise. However, you can rest assured that you’ll never regret making that investment for the superb quality and style offered by Natori.
Cosmetics/perfumes
21. Strawbery
If you’re on the quest for the perfect perfume, but want to get it at a discounted price, then Strawberry.net should be your fist destination. You’ll be amazed with the huge price reductions on the daily deals!
For example, you can get a designer’s perfume for only $25. The featured brands include Givenchy, Anna Sui, Bvlgari, John Galliano, and many others. The products are always fresh and packed flawlessly.
22. Beauty Expert
Although the discounts are not as impressive as the ones at Strawberry.net, Beauty Expert is still a great shopping destination for skincare, makeup and hair care products. In the SALE section, you’ll find great deals with up to %40 off.
The website features cosmetic products of different brands, so you can find a great range of prices for any type of product you’re looking for. For example, the prices for foundations range from $13 to $70.
23. Beauty
You want to get the most popular beauty products recommended by makeup artists? You’ll find them at this website, which offers free shipping on orders over $35, free returns, and free samples.
For example, Urban Decay’s Naked palette is sold for $54, but we’ve already made peace with the fact that high-quality beauty products cost more than we expect.
Electronics/gadgets
24. AliExpress
If you’ve tried shopping at this website, then you know it’s full of risks in terms of the quality you receive. However, you can still make a safe purchase as long as you read the comments and choose a seller with high rating. AliExpress can be listed in all other categories, since there isn’t a product you cannot find, but I recommend it mostly for electronics, accessories, and gifts.
It’s difficult to talk about the prices, since there are many sellers with different offers, but you can get a decent tablet for around $100 at AliExpress.
25. Pricewatch
When it comes to computers, drives, and electronics, you always want to get the best product for the best price. The price comparisons at Pricewatch will help you get there!
For example, if you choose the category Desktops, you’ll get a huge selection of products with prices from $99 to $1300.
26. Crutchfield
At this website, you can get recommendations by tech experts who know how to help you get the best product. Each purchase comes with free tech support.
The thing that attracted me to Crutchfield was the offer of LED TVs of the best brands (Samsung, Sony and LG) for an average price of $300 for the 32’’ models.
Presents
27. Gilt
Willing to spend a bit more on presents for kids, babies, women and men? Gilt has exactly what you’re looking for. The Home and Travel sections of the website are pure magic.
The prices in the Kids section are especially pleasing; you can get nice sets for under $30.
28. MoMA
If it’s time for some real, unique presents. MoMA online store enables you to get great items on sale, including toys, games, jewelry, watches, dining items, posters, and much more.
The prices are not that affordable, so you can expect to pay over $50 for a nice scarf. However, the quality of all products is impeccable, and everyone would be thrilled to get a present from MoMA.
Antiques
29. Junkables
It might take you a while before you land the perfect collectible at this website, but the result will be totally worth the effort. Junkables features antiques, collectible books, magazines, glassware, dolls, and much more.
Since these are antiques, the quality is inconsistent and you need to be careful with the purchase you make. The prices vary depending on the type, age, and appearance of the product. For example, you can get a nice piece of wall art for around $100.
Why spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of jewelry when you can find affordable, but stylish items at Baublebar? Although the prices are relatively cheap (with an average of $40 for a statement necklace), you won’t find any kitschy, flashy items here.
You’ll definitely spot the perfect necklace, bracelet and ring in the huge selection of diverse inventory of decent quality.
Featured photo credit: Young man drinking coffee in cafe and using tablet computer via shutterstock.com
