ontheedgeofeverything

I realize the title of this post is a little dramatic. Perhaps even slightly hyperbolic. However, the question is one worth raising with online shopping trends as of late, and I think it’s worth exploring, too.

I’ll be completely honest in stating that I rely on online shopping relatively frequently. I have never been a person who enjoys clothes shopping, so, I find ordering clothing and other items online to work well for me, personally. I’m fully aware of the repercussions of online shopping, though, and I do recognize that I need to shift my shopping tendencies in order to better support local businesses and retailers.

As efficient as online shopping is, it is a major strike against small businesses. More and more people are ordering things from the internet, meaning smaller boutiques and shops are struggling to compete. Plus, online shopping tends to produce more waste that in-store shopping because of the packaging used to ship items, and online shopping encourages fast fashion, which leads to more waste again.

I realize it can be difficult to alter shopping habits, specifically if you’ve become reliant on the ease and and accessibility of online shopping. But, if you’re finding the habit hard to kick, there are ways to shop online while supporting local. Etsy, for example, is a fantastic online platform that allows smaller business owners to showcase their work while making a profit. There are also online stores and outlets that pride themselves on environmental sustainability, so online shopping isn’t necessarily all bad.

The bottom line is that consumerism is very much moving towards and Internet-based transaction process, and we need to be mindful of the influence this can have on other retailers. Do some homework to learn about better online ordering options, and remember to always support local when possible.

Image from https://visualhunt.com/photo/64228/