I recently stumbled upon ethicalDeal or what some consider as the “Green Groupon”. While I’m often skeptical about the long term success of the daily deal model (see Groupon), I am curious about ethicalDeal’s focus on a “green lifestyle”. ethicalDeal is a Vancouver startup offering consumers green products based on their ethical criteria and aims to educate consumers on the health and eco benefits of their products. I see the company addressing common barriers to buying green such as: too expensive, not sure where to find them or don’t know which companies are greenwashing. What I particularly like is the added convenience of redeeming a deal at your local grocer such as Whole Foods or Donald’s Market.
Personally, I get overwhelmed when I’m standing in front of a grocery aisle and trying to figure out which green product to buy. Featuring local green companies who meet their strict standards at a discount is a great way to introduce consumers to a carefully selected number of green products and services. Their blog is worth checking out. It features local community events and education on topics such as Fair trade certification. While the company does use a lot of green buzzwords and images in its marketing, ethicalDeal offers a unique value proposition in a crowded and arguably declining industry.