Tag «brick-and-mortar»

E-commerce vs. physical retail: sustainability depends on logistics, not channels

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, …

Austrian study: online is more sustainable

On behalf of the Austrian Post, the Federal Environment Agency analyzed the climate effects of online and stationary retail purchases. In addition, the economic impact of national and international online retailing was examined. The result: climate-friendly parcel delivery offers potential savings in greenhouse gas emissions. If customers also use domestic online retailers, this positively affects …

EU framework to assess and analyze impact of e-commerce delivery on air pollution and CO2

Over the past decade, the share of e-commerce has risen. It is expected that this trend will continue. Bricks and mortar (B&M) retailers have reacted to the increasing share of e-commerce retail leading to an increasing merger of both retail modes into omnichannel retail. Changes in the transport system inevitably accompany these shifts in retail …

Delivery shame? No: delivery pride!

Delivery shame? Delivery pride! Anyone concerned about the environment will order online from now on. This is two to three times less harmful to the environment than going to the store yourself. Reports on the environmental impact of e-commerce are based on solid research. Researchers agree that there is no reason for concern from a …

Online shopping in the US is 17% more carbon-efficient than visiting stores

Online shopping at large retailers in the United States is 17% more carbon-efficient than visiting traditional stores, according to Generation Investments Management. Their study finds that the integration of efficient logistics and warehousing gives e-commerce the advantage.

MIT: e-commerce leads to lower emissions

With e-commerce setting records during the 2020 holiday season and package deliveries forecast to grow by 80% over the next decade, a new study by the MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab reveals the tangible environmental benefits of online shopping versus bricks-and-mortar.