The Battle Between Online vs. In-Store Shopping
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
- 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.
- 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).
- Shopping online allows you to compare products and prices between retailers with a couple clicks of the mouse.
All Those Opposed
- On the other hand, there are often shipping and handling fees associated with online shopping that don’t come with in-store purchases.
- 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.
- 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.
- (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.
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Nurshahilla Mohdshahid
posted on September 24th, 2011 at 2:42 am
posted on October 31st, 2011 at 12:59 pm