Amazon.com has long been known as an e-commerce site where shoppers can find deals on just about anything their hearts desire. So it should come as no surprise that they’ve jumped aboard the green bandwagon by creating a shopping site aimed at environmentalists. Vine.com is expressly geared at those who are looking to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing items that are sustainably created, using organic materials and cutting pollution and waste during the manufacturing process. And for individuals worried about the many toxins in most products these days, or those looking to create a cleaner, greener planet for future generations, Amazon’s new site offers abundant solutions for a consumer marketplace.
Just about anything is kosher on Vine.com, as long as it’s eco-friendly in some way. When Amazon purchased parent company Quidsi a couple of years ago they got a slew of targeted sites (including toy outlet YoYo.com, baby supplier Diapers.com, and pet menagerie Wag.com), but perhaps the biggest selling potential lies with Vine.com, mainly because the items they feature span every possible segment of society. Whether you’re looking for cruelty-free cosmetics, organic wheat pasta, all natural pet food, non-toxic cleaning solvents, boxer shorts made from sustainable materials, fair-trade coffee, or sporting goods made with recycled materials, you’re bound to find it on this eminently green shopping site. Unlike Amazon, you won’t see reduced prices on everything, but the site is currently offering 20% off with your first order (code: VINE20), so greenies looking for a bargain should definitely check out the site post haste.
In truth, the main demographic of this site is moms looking to make a difference. Someone has finally figured out that women hold the majority of buying power in the household. Although men are prone to purchasing big-ticket items like televisions and other electronics, they do so only infrequently. More often than not it is women who are buying furniture, clothing, food, home goods, and pretty much anything else that makes its way into the household on a day-to-day basis. Many mothers these days are looking for ways to decrease pollution and waste, and they’re using their consumer dollars to support products that fit the bill.
In order to target this group, Vine.com has taken steps to ensure that concerned shoppers know just what they’re getting. Product pages include ingredient labels for visitors to peruse, as well as a handy listing of green attributes that may include labels like “organic”, “made of sustainable materials”, “made in the USA”, and so on. Many products are quick to slap the “natural” label on the front of the box, but they fail to deliver the goods when it comes to the ingredients or materials included. This site lets consumers choose for themselves by offering the components needed to make an informed decision.
Of course, more than just moms will find these wares appealing. Anyone who cares about the state of our planet, from students in environmental graduate programs to nature-loving adrenaline junkies, is bound to find a lot of value on Vine.com. And Amazon, which has taken its fair share of criticism for putting local retailers out of business, wasting energy on massive warehouse facilities, and polluting the environment with the carbon emissions that abound in the shipping industry, is perfectly happy to gain some cred in the eco sector of the consumer market. In truth, they’re likely to embrace anything that puts more money in the coffers.
