The Battle Between Online vs. In-Store Shopping

by 11/24/08 11 Comments

To shop or not to shop? That is rarely the question asked around the holidays. What about “To shop online or to shop in the stores?” Now that may be a more practical question.

The debate continues on whether or not online shopping is actually better for the environment. But regardless of how you ring in on that discussion, it is hard to argue that online shopping for the holidays is becoming increasingly popular. According to the National Retail Federation, surveys of 2007 holiday shoppers indicated that, on average, consumers planned to do 30.2 percent of their shopping online (up from 28.9 percent in 2006).

There are some pros and cons for both online and in-store shopping.

All Those in Favor

  1. Online shopping allows you to avoid those holiday mall crowds and checkout lines. Driving to stores and finding parking wastes expensive fuel during a time of year when most people are on a tighter budget.
  2. It is also available around the clock and doesn’t require any time to get to and from your store (unless you count the few seconds it takes for your Internet to start up).
  3. Shopping online allows you to compare products and prices between retailers with a couple clicks of the mouse.

All Those Opposed

  1. On the other hand, there are often shipping and handling fees associated with online shopping that don’t come with in-store purchases.
  2. You don’t get to walk in the door with purchases on hand. There’s always a delay in receiving your purchases (unless you pay even more for express shipping). In-store shopping allows that instant gratification of having your product immediately.
  3. You can’t personally examine the product you are buying like you can in-store. This is especially important with clothing and footwear.

How to Green your Online Shopping


Regardless of how you to choose to shop this year, here are some great tips to make shopping more convenient and environmentally friendly this holiday season:

  • Order multiple items that can be shipped together in one purchase to decrease packaging material and transportation costs associated with numerous shipping orders. To have ten pounds of packages shipped by overnight air uses 40 percent less fuel than driving yourself round-trip to the mall, according to the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions.
  • Decrease your carbon footprint even more by having your packages shipped by ground transportation rather than air.
  • Have your products shipped using the United States Postal Service (if available through your retailer), since USPS is most likely coming to your neighborhood to deliver mail anyway.
  • Make sure to recycle or reuse the packaging materials associated with the delivery, especially items that are tough to recycle like packing peanuts.
  • Shop online with a conscience! Sites like ClimateCooler, an online shopping mall partnering with popular retailers, calculates the pounds of greenhouse gas produced in the manufacturing, shipping and selling of the product purchased. That amount of money, paid to Cooler from the retailer, is then invested in an organization to help eliminate greenhouse gas pollution.

How to Green Your In-Store Shopping

  • Bring reusable bags to do your shopping. They are environmentally friendly and sturdier for those big holiday purchases.
  • Shop during off-peak times to save time, gas and money.
  • If purchasing small items, walk or ride your bicycle to nearby stores (weather permitting) to eliminate emissions associated with driving your car.
  • Carpool to the store with friends and family.
  • Shop for recycled or resale items at stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
  • Buy local. Buying products made locally reduces the transportation association with shipping items nationwide for resale. Plus it gives your community a little boost!

Whatever your method for choosing this year’s holiday gifts, making eco-conscious decisions is always in style. You can’t go wrong if you try to go green.

Lori Brown

Lori Brown

Lori Brown is a staff member of Earth911.


Bibliography: The Battle Between Online vs. In-Store Shopping
  • (10/16/2007). "Consumes to Take Conservative Approach to Holiday Shopping, According to NRF" National Retail Federation
  • Climate Cooler http://www.climatecooler.com.
  • "Internet and E-Commerce Have Major Environmental Benefits" Center for Energy and Climate Solutions http://www.ecoiq.com/magazine/index6.html. Featured on EcoIQ magazine, Issue 6, 2000.

  1. Nurshahilla Mohdshahid

    posted on September 24th, 2011 at 2:42 am

    Hazureen Najwa Khalid Yohannis Ayuni...

  2. posted on October 31st, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    Well in this battle there seems to one clear winner that is online shopping, I have setup an online store powered by goo2o after considering all the benefits attached to this ecommerce market.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.

9 Archived Comments

  1. Markey

    posted on November 24th, 2008 at 12:27 pm

    There’s really no “battle” at all when you consider you’ll probably save about $100 on gas/parking alone by staying home and shopping online. Plus, if you use a good comparison service like Sortprice.com (http://www.sortprice.com ), you can find green gifts from a number of retailers in ONE PLACE!

  2. Condo Blues

    posted on November 25th, 2008 at 4:51 pm

    I have a lot of out of towners on my gift list. When I shop on line for these folks, I have the store ship the item(s) directly to the recipient instead of me to reduce the fuel costs used in shipping the item to me first and then I mail the item to the recipient.

  3. Janet

    posted on November 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pm

    I prefer to spend my dollars locally. If I can’t buy it in my small town, then I add it to my list for the next time I drive to a bigger town, which costs me about $7 for gasoline.
    I also prefer to buy used items, and raw materials (lumber, fabric, plants, produce, etc.) which can’t be conveniently purchased online.
    I feel quite guilty whenever I hear that UPS truck lumbering up my driveway to deliver a small box. I’m sure that trip costs more fuel than it takes to drive my efficient automobile to town, no matter what the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions says.
    Plus, shopping locally is more fun because you get face-time with real people, you often run into friends you haven’t seen in a while and enjoy talking to, and you know you’re supporting the economic vitality of whatever small town or neighborhood you live in/near.

  4. nuwebber

    posted on December 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 am

    I’m a total idiot when it comes to shopping for my wife. I’ll vote in favor of online shopping especially when the customer service is excellent. They help me make my decision with the coolest gift suggestions.

  5. JK

    posted on December 8th, 2008 at 12:19 pm

    I wrestle with the shopping question whenever birthdays or holidays roll around. I think NOT shopping is a great choice for both my budget and the environment. But I am a product of my consumer culture, so I usually just manage to shop less and choose “greener” gift ideas.

    Has anyone heard of the book where you commit to spending $100 or less on Christmas? It is a worthy goal in my opinion.

  6. Kate

    posted on December 10th, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    I do most of my shopping online and have often wondered if it’s “better” or “worse,” as far as carbon usage goes.

    It seems to me that truck delivery is essentially carpooling for packages — after all, delivery companies are in the business of efficiency. I don’t know the numbers, but I suspect that one large truck traveling a well-planned route to deliver a bunch packages is much more efficient than several dozen people taking many trips in their own cars.

  7. Michael Pino

    posted on December 14th, 2008 at 12:46 am

    If you are really serious bout going green visit http://www.shoptoearth.net/mpino. Where you can shop online at hundreds of green companies plus get cash back. Happy Shopping!!

  8. Stephanie

    posted on December 4th, 2009 at 11:24 am

    The advantage to online shopping is no tax ( sometimes), it lands right on your front door, more variety, less stress (parking, mobs, etc), and you can compare shop for the item at the lowest possible price. My husband and I have saved thousands of dollars by shopping online. We absolutely would not have it any other way. Especially around the holidays!!!

  9. maycol magana

    posted on March 9th, 2010 at 10:24 pm

    i like to go to the store instead of shopping online because its more fun and you get to see what you are buying in person for a better choice.

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