The holiday season has arrived, and, like many broke teenagers, my bank account is bracing for impact. Buying gifts for all of my family and friends looms over me at the end of November, knowing that I simply can not afford to spend $50 on each person. I encourage supporting local stores, but their prices suggest they think my checking account is funded by a minor European prince, not a broke high school student.
So, I did what millions of people do each day. I opened the Amazon app on my phone to curate a cart full of cheap, yet perfectly acceptable gifts for everyone. With a few clicks, my issue was solved, and all of the gifts would arrive at my doorstep within the next week. I am part of the problem. While the instant gratification of e-commerce seems like a solution for busy lives and tight budgets, the convenience comes at a devastating cost to the foundational health of our communities, threatening the very workers who need these local jobs.
The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t just change our habits, it locked them in, turning online ordering from a convenience into a “survival necessity”. For the parent with a growing family, suddenly managing remote work, virtual schooling for their children, and the anxiety of grocery runs, the online shopping cart became a tool to save not just time, but also precious dollars. It’s no surprise, then, that these habits continue to depress in-person sales today. Nel Ayala, content specialist focused on the Amazon industry, backs this fact, saying that due to COVID, “Amazon net sales increased by 11%, from $121.2 billion in 2022 to $134.4 billion in 2023.”
E-commerce giants like Amazon operate with dramatically lower costs. They do not need expensive street leases or beautifully curated window displays that brick-and-mortar stores require. It’s no wonder, then, that three-quarters of retailers surveyed by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in 2019 ranked Amazon’s dominance as a major threat to their survival, citing the company’s aggressive monopolistic tactics.
Additionally, local retailers rely on costly traditional shipping, while Amazon, conversely, operates its own massive logistics network. This includes thousands of warehouses and a fleet of planes and trucks, allowing them to consistently crush the competition, averaging shipping speeds of 1.9 days compared to local stores’ 4.4 days, Science Direct reports. We cannot demand a 48-hour delivery window and simultaneously expect retail stores with limited resources to keep up.
We continue to shop on Amazon to save a few dollars, yet those small savings can come at the expense of a stable local economy. This means if physical stores are struggling, local jobs disappear. This directly impacts the older worker who needs an accessible job close to home or the adolescent entering the workforce who relies on retail for work experience. Consumers benefit from physical stores, therefore, they have an obligation to act as investors in them too.
It is also important to understand that local businesses recirculate significantly more money within the community than e-commerce giants. The American Independent Business Alliance reports on the Local Multiplier Effect, which means that “when you spend your dollars at a locally owned and independent business instead of a chain store or online giant, your dollars recirculate through your local economy 2-4 times more” than money spent on places like Amazon. The funding of physical stores helps support local jobs and contribute to the local tax base for essential services like schools.
Furthermore, Earth.org writer Martina Igni asserts that “ of the 86 million tons of plastic packaging produced each year, not even 14% is recycled.” She explains that the instant delivery Amazon shoppers idolize causes extreme environmental detriment, as “when consumers opt for a fast delivery, the emissions far exceed those generated from in-person shopping.” For busy parents, the ease of a quick delivery might save a trip, however, this excessive use of plastic packaging continues to support widespread environmental pollution, microplastics, and toxins in the foods we eat and the air we breathe.
The goal is not to boycott e-commerce, but to foster economic mindfulness. Consumers must acknowledge that for the exhausted parent or the student on a strict budget, the convenience and cost is often a genuine necessity. However, recognizing this reality only heightens the consumer’s responsibility to act with intention. Start small. Challenge yourself to commit to making one purchase from a physical store for every five online purchases. Use that $20 budget to see if you can find a unique handcrafted item or locally made treat. Shop where the money stays-shop in store.
