Best websites for everything from one-of-a-kind finds to personalized picks
Yonkers, NY – With so many choices of where to shop online, it can be hard to know where to find what. The November 2011 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, unveils 50 of ShopSmart’s latest eye-catching obsessions, including websites that are new, have great stuff, and make shopping easier and more fun.
“At ShopSmart, we’re always checking out shopping websites,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. “In this issue, we reveal some of our favorite new places to browse and buy.”
ShopSmart found websites that catered to every need, including sites that allow you to shop socially or locally, sites for buying and selling used items, sites that spot shopping deals and limited-time sales, subscription websites, sites with products for your kitchen or home, sites with environmentally-friendly goods, and sites that offer personalized suggestions for what to buy. ShopSmart also tells you about great new features at popular sites like Amazon, Google, and Overstock.
One-of-a-kind finds
Browse a bit and you’re sure to discover essentials you didn’t even know you needed.
Quirky.com: This site is loaded with unusual products developed by its users. Quirky showcases two new consumer-designed products each week. You can weigh in on new ideas and let others know about your own product ideas—and get paid for it.
Ofakind.com: Each week, this site highlights the life, career, and work of one up-and-coming designer and offers a limited-edition accessory or item of clothing from that designer. Each item is commissioned specifically for the site.
Onestepahead.com: This site features a hand-picked selection of kids’ clothes, toys, furniture, and more. All are products that the site’s founders have deemed outstanding, based on their expertise and testing, and with input from online and local Parents’ Panel.
Beyond eBay
Secondhand is chic, and now it’s easy to find the gems.
Addoway.com: This site helps take the fear out of buying from strangers. It works via Facebook and Twitter and lets you see whether you and a seller have friends or interests in common before you buy.
Yardsellr.com: Check out virtual yard sales that link you to the folks in your social networks. See what they’re selling or join “blocks” of people who like the stuff you like.
SellSimp.ly: Register and you can use Twitter to buy and sell items. Purchase anything listed on SellSimp.ly or on Twitter by replying with the word “buy.” Want to sell something? List it, and it will be tweeted to the masses.
Style by subscription
It’s the latest trend: Tell these sites what you like, and they will send you new stuff that fits your fashion profile.
JewelMint.com: Take a quiz that reveals your style (Preppy or hippy? Urban or traditional?). The site then picks a collection of items each month that it thinks you’ll love and sends the one you pick.
SendTheTrend.com: Based on your style, you’ll get a personalized list of accessories monthly, like jewelry, scarves, and shades.
SoleSociety.com: For $49.95 this new shoe-of-the-month club will send you a new pair, based on your style bio, which is determined by an online quiz.
Foodie finds
Shop, cook, and eat better.
ChefShop.com: This site finds tasty food produced by small farms and artisanal companies and delivers it to dinner tables around the country. The seasonal offers make for fresh, hearty eating. The site won’t send items out of season; customers can order cherries any time, but they won’t receive them until June.
KitchenMonki.com: Use the free tools on this site to get your kitchen game on track. The Recipe Creation Wizard will help you organize your recipes, and the Grocery List Manager creates grocery lists based on your recipes, so you can get in and out of the supermarket quickly.
Store.GourmetSleuth.com: This site makes it easy to get a little adventurous in the kitchen. It carries hard-to-find kitchen tools (we’re talking things like Japanese gyoza molds and crème brûlée torches) and uncommon but yummy foods from around the world. There are also recipes to help you use the kooky stuff you buy.
About Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is the world’s largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications. Its advocacy division, Consumers Union, works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.
About ShopSmart Magazine
Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon the publication’s celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. ShopSmart features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and “best of the best” lists. It’s ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org.
