Online vs Retail – Which is more sustainable?

The battle of local retail against online offerings is fought every day. Often, local vendors can’t compete with online prices, but offer quick and easy service.

Many businesses would like to identify with sustainability. So how does that compare? 🚉

🌍 The last mile. The main criticism of online retailing is delivery to the end consumer. Before that, transport still takes place in large containers or trucks and is even less harmful to the environment.

🌍 Supply chain. Retailers and the store on the Internet need to take a close look at their supply chain. What is produced where? What happens during production and how long are the delivery routes.

🌍 Returns and non-arrivals. Additional routes come about, especially with online retail, via returns or failure to reach recipients. This is much more easily solved in local retail.

Basically, one would have to look at retailers individually. However, if you buy products from the local area, you can be sure of short delivery routes and you can also do without unnecessary packaging. That’s why retail has a head start when it comes to sustainability.