There is a vast range of organic goods on sale these days for the organically minded consumer, but knowing where to buy such products can often be confusing.
There are opportunities to buy organic produce direct from the farmer who grows it, and rears the animals that become organic meat; and it is possible to shop around at different stores to get organic products, such as cosmetics, and compare them against each other and get cheaper prices.
Internet shopping is increasingly popular too in the organic marketplace. Internet shoppers can often get good deals, bulk purchases, free postage and next-day delivery.
Farmers Markets and Farm Shops
Farmers Markets are now a feature of many of Britain’s towns and cities. These markets provide the chance for farmers, growers, producers and suppliers from the local area to sell their produce and products direct to the public. This allows the public to buy fresh produce, and meet the people whose livelihoods depend on it.
There is often a free flow of information about the produce – recipes are shared, information about organics is available, and often invitations to farms are offered to interested consumers. For the farmer or supplier, money goes directly into their pocket, rather than through supermarket chains or middlemen, which they can reinvest in their business.
Farm shops operate on a similar principle. Often one local farmer in an area will sell produce from local farms on their behalf through one premises. To find further information about regular Farmer’s Markets and Farm Shops in the local area, ask friends and neighbours or contact the Local Council, who should provide a list of them at no charge.
Organic Shops
Shops that sell organic produce and products come in many forms. Most dedicated health food shops now sell a wide range of organic goods, or there may be a specialist organic shop in the local area. Some operate as food co-operatives, and may even have an organic café or restaurant attached. Look for adverts in the local newspapers, use a local directory, or ask around. If shops are worth using, they will often be heard about through word of mouth advertising.
Internet or Online Shopping
Looking online is now a major way of searching for goods or information in the UK these days. With more and more people using a computer as a tool of their work, whether in the office or at home, Internet shopping has dramatically opened up shopping possibilities over the last decade.
Shops that sell goods online advertise in the daily newspapers, Sunday newspapers and lifestyle magazines, and through websites that discuss the world of organic products and produce. The range of organic goods available for purchase online is vast: a quick search shows many organic box schemes, full of great organic fruit and vegetables; organically produced cosmetics, shoes, spa treatments, clothes and much more.
Contrary to some peoples concern, online shopping is very safe these days, with encrypted websites offering secure protection for customer’s financial details if paying online with a credit card. There are usually also the options of paying over the telephone, or ordering online and sending a cheque in the post.
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