Ten Online Stores That Are Definitely Worth a Browse

With so many terrible online stores floating around the never-ending cyber mall these days, it’s all too easy to send your weary laptop flying across the room and throw your hands in the air – not because you just don’t care; conversely, you care all too much. You want to experience the sheer exaltation of a successful online purchase. You crave the silent weeping of your credit card as you cyber-swipe that piece of plastic to, well, pieces. But it can be hard to find the stores that allow for this kind of liberation. Before you revert to the ways of last century and take a step into an unbearably tangible and all too exhausting shopping mall, let me introduce you to a few e-commerce champions that may restore your faith in the art of online shopping.

1. Father Rabbit.com

I love this online homeware site so much that it’s become a joke to those who know me best. The site layout is minimal and superb, the options to shop by colour, brand, selection or occasion are perfect for when you’re feeling frazzled by your options, and the products themselves – the real stars of Father Rabbit - have been curated to perfection and vary from bespoke recycled wrapping paper and hand painted enamel kitchenware to locally produced soda syrups.

Whatever your weakness, one look at this site and your destiny as a modern domestic goddess will begin to sparkle and glimmer into view.

2. theReformation.com

Oh, Reformation. Where do I start? Awesome photography, fantastic layout, and product write-ups that are actually creative and enticing (Gasp! Horror!). But the real selling point for me here (apart from the amazing clothes, obviously) is their effort to make and sell clothes in the most sustainable ways possible. These fashion-conscious greenies source eco-friendly materials and incorporate green practices throughout their supply chain, with a view to constructing beautiful styles at a fraction of the environmental impact generated by most retailers. Oh, and did I mention they offer free shipping?

3. OnceIt.co.nz

If you haven’t heard of Once It before, you should be utterly ashamed and I order you to return to whatever rock you’ve just crawled out from. While the daily sale websites have definitely lost their novelty and most of us have long utilised the unsubscribe button, Once It continues to persevere due to the sheer quality of brands that crop up almost daily. I’m talking big fashion names like Stolen Girlfriends Club, Twenty Seven Names, I Love Ugly and fantastic homeware brands such as Citta Design, George and Willy, so on and so forth. The sales are up daily at midday on the dot, so I advise you time your lunch break aptly because the good stuff disappears faster than you would believe. And that may have something to do with them coming number 7 on the Deloittes Fast 50.

4. Polyvore.com

Polyvore aims to make online shopping a more visual and collaborative process where the average user is given the power to set trends with the click of a button. Here’s how it works: you create a ‘set’, which is basically a personalised collage that visually describes a look or trend you’re currently digging. After selecting your most coveted items (all of which can be purchased directly from Polyvore) and designing the layout, you simply hit publish and release it to Polyvore-users worldwide where they can shop your set, respond with their own, and on it goes.

It’s a pretty innovative idea and offers everything from chain store to high fashion, allowing you to mix and match however your heart (and budget) desires.

5. All Day Every Night.com

Love jewellery? Welcome to your new online bling palace. This one’s a bit of a new discovery but I can already tell it’s going to outlast the honeymoon phase. With a select number of brands that ensures no duds slip through, click any designer name and you’ll be drooling, hand hovering over the ‘Add to Cart’ button, in seconds. The only familiar faces to me here are UK darlings Zoe and; Morgan, but power through your fear of the unknown and you’ll fall in love with the other designers on offer.

There’s a real focus on elegant, timeless pieces crafted from quality metals here so credit card holders, beware – this is the place to make investment purchases, not impulse buys.

6. Etsy.com

So this little place called Etsy – have you heard of it? Anyone who answers ‘no’ will get a virtual punch in the face because absolutely everyone should know about Etsy, and shop there religiously. While the endless purchasing opportunities for homemade crafts can be a little mind-boggling, Etsy has an awesome search system as well as interesting blog posts, trending rundowns and a colour-based curation of homepage products to get you off on the right foot. I love knowing exactly where my purchases are coming from and how they’re made, plus the warm fuzzies I feel knowing that I’m supporting small local creative businesses makes this a win-win. Who said online shopping has to make you feel guilty?

7. She Lives Cruelty Free.com

Continuing on the greenie theme, your new go to beauty site for cruelty-free makeup, skin and hair care is yes, you guessed it, at She Lives Cruelty Free. This site has been getting a lot of hype lately and for good reason – you can load up on the warm fuzzies here while you load up your credit card as all the brands roll with the ‘peaceful beauty’ vibe. That is, they don’t mess with animals to bring girls their face goo, which I think is pretty neat, being a girl quite into her face goo.

8. Coco & Dawn.co.nz

She’s a new face on the block but something tells me she’ll be sticking around for a while – Coco & Dawn is a super affordable New Zealand-based clothing site with a great range of pieces to update your wardrobe each new season, featuring brands such as Jorge, Finders Keepers and All About Eve. Plus, $1.00 from every purchase goes to NVADER, the organisation fighting to set women and children free from sex trafficking around the world. So you can scoop up that cute dress and help save humanity at the same time – pretty clever, aren’t you?

9. Fallen Front.co.nz

If you’re more of a surf/streetwear fashion homie, my recommendation is Raglan-based brand Fallen Front and their killer online store. It’s all awesome photography and a fantastic layout. The clothes themselves are bold and utterly wearable with that little pinch of street that makes me imagine I have enough cred to say things like ‘homie’. Overnight NZ Delivery, free NZ returns, and I'm told if you ask nicely, you may get to use Fallen Front founder Crowie's batch in Whale Bay.

10. District 8.com

This is another one in need of explanation, so bear with me and prepare for awesomeness. District 8 is the online store that allows you to discover local brands and iconic brands from the world’s most famous fashion districts. You can build your own shopping district by following the stores you love, from which you can shop directly on the store’s website. I like to imagine it as my very own virtual shopping mall, where there are no dud shops for your mum to drag you to, no annoying stalls offering free hand massages and best of all, you can chop and change the shops in your district with a simple click of your mouse.