In his 2026 opinion article in Frontiers in Sustainability, Gilles A. Pache challenges the dominant narrative that e-commerce is inherently less sustainable than brick-and-mortar retail. He argues that environmental performance depends far more on logistics system design than on the retail channel itself. The key determinants are consolidation intensity, routing optimization, fleet composition, demand stability, and returns management; not whether goods are purchased online or in-store.
Drawing primarily on European evidence, Pache shows that e-commerce does not automatically increase congestion or emissions. When supported by urban micro-hubs, consolidation centers, cargo bikes, and electric vans operating within optimized routing systems, last-mile delivery can substantially reduce vehicle kilometers traveled per purchase. In dense urban environments, a single delivery vehicle serving dozens of households can replace numerous individual car trips to stores. Under such conditions, pooled e-commerce logistics may generate lower carbon emissions per item than decentralized consumer travel.
However, these environmental gains are conditional rather than automatic. Ultra-fast delivery models with low load factors, fragmented distribution structures, and high return rates (particularly in fast fashion) can significantly erode efficiency. Electrification of delivery fleets strengthens sustainability outcomes only when combined with high vehicle utilization and coordinated route planning. Technological substitution alone is insufficient; systemic logistics integration is required.
Sectoral differences further illustrate this point. In e-grocery, consolidated deliveries serving 40–60 households per route can reduce transport emissions per basket by 60–80% compared with car-based supermarket trips in dense areas. For technical products such as electronics and appliances, centralized warehouses eliminate redundant store replenishment flows and improve inventory coordination. By contrast, fashion retail faces substantial environmental burdens in both online and offline formats due to high return rates, overstocking, and energy-intensive retail space. Across sectors, operational configuration and consumer behavior (purchase frequency, willingness to accept delivery windows, and return practices) are more decisive than channel choice.
A central theme of the article is context dependency. High-density European cities with proactive regulatory frameworks, supporting consolidation, low-emission zones, and coordinated urban logistics, offer favorable conditions for sustainable outcomes. In lower-density, car-dependent regions with weaker institutional oversight, the environmental advantages of e-commerce may diminish or even reverse.
Pache concludes that sustainability debates should move beyond simplistic online-versus-offline comparisons. For policymakers, the priority is regulating carbon-intensive practices and promoting shared logistics infrastructure. For managers, it is aligning commercial promises with operational efficiency through consolidation and demand predictability. Ultimately, retail sustainability is shaped by supply chain architecture and systemic coordination; not by the distribution channel itself.