“Just one click and it’s at your door tomorrow!” This message is an enticing offer that most people wouldn’t pass up. Why visit a store in person when you can place an order on your phone and receive it the next day? This efficient marketing strategy has drawn millions into the world of online shopping, especially through large corporations such as Amazon.
While it is very convenient to place and receive an order from the comfort of your couch, many traditional businesses have suffered as large corporations have taken over the industry. We should shop in person because the rise of online shopping has led to the decline of businesses, reduced social interaction and caused major environmental harm.
Amazon was founded in 1994 by entrepreneur Jeff Bezos as an online bookstore. Since then, it has expanded into selling all sorts of products such as clothing, home and beauty items, electronics and more. According to Macrotrends, Amazon’s annual revenue surged from $34.21 billion in 2010 to $637.96 billion in 2024. This increase reflects Amazon’s dominance in the retail world. Additionally, Capital One reports that Amazon receives an average of 8.22 million orders per day, which continues to climb as its popularity grows.
According to a March Bark survey, 40 percent of students do most of their shopping on Amazon, compared to 24 percent who primarily shop in person. From this differential, it’s clear that Amazon has become increasingly popular among students. This is good news for Amazon’s business, but hurts thousands of other businesses that are predominantly in-person.
For example, Barnes and Noble’s income has been decreasing annually. Macrotrends reported that their once high-soaring revenue of $2.113 billion in 2018 dropped to $1.558 billion in 2024. One major factor behind this decline has been mass store closures, as Barnes and Noble shut down approximately 93 locations across the U.S. between 2010 and 2019, including the Corte Madera Town Center store in 2023. Closures like these are mainly a result of the increasing popularity of online retailers like Amazon.
The trend is not just for bookstores. Communities across the country are witnessing a recent surge in store and mall closures. Locally, JOANN Fabric and Crafts, three Macy’s locations and countless small businesses have been shut down. According to Capital One, an average of 1170 malls have closed each year since 2017. As malls begin to close their doors, opportunities for social interaction are declining. Although online shopping may seem unrelated to social life, where people choose to shop plays a significant role in how often they engage with others and build connections. A study conducted by Summa Health found that interacting with others boosts mood, reduces stress and slows cognitive decline. As more and more people turn to online shopping, there has been a decrease in opportunities for direct interaction.
While the rise of online shopping has displaced many businesses, it’s important to note the benefits that come with shopping online. For many people, especially students, finding time between school, sports, family and extracurriculars to go to a store and physically purchase items is very challenging. In fact, in the March Bark survey, 76 percent of students reported that more than half of their shopping is done online. This highlights the undeniable fact that Amazon and online shopping are very convenient.
However, convenience comes at a cost. The packaging used for online orders produces an unimaginable amount of waste. In 2019 alone, Oceana reported that Amazon produced 465 million pounds of plastic packaging waste. Packaging plays a major role in the 8 million metric tons of plastic that enter the oceans annually — the equivalent of dumping a truckload of plastic into the ocean every minute, according to the United Nations.
To address this, many corporations, including Amazon, have shifted from plastic to paper packaging, but that continues to harm the environment. Each year, approximately 3.1 billion trees are cut down to make paper packaging. This, combined with the emissions that come from transporting packages, contributes to a major amount of harmful greenhouse gas outputs that are ruining our atmosphere.
Online shopping, especially through corporations such as Amazon, has become very handy with its speed and ease, but it comes with serious consequences. Even though it may take a little more time and effort, actively choosing to shop in person will support small businesses, build connections, strengthen our communities and protect the planet. It may seem like a small choice, but opting to shop in person can create a powerful impact and meaningful change.
