I always buy local if I have a choice anymore.

* I’m not making a trip downtown for just one item. I’m picking it up on my way somewhere else, usually one of a few errands. That delivery driver might be making rounds too but randomly and likely far less efficient, bouncing around various suburbs. (And the recipients of those packages are still out running errands too)

* most delivery vehicles, aside from the nice rivian EDVs, are gross polluters, noisy, driven like their lives depended on getting there as fast as possible. The drivers are abused workers, stories of pissing in bottles to make a quota. I prefer fewer of those in my neighborhood.

The bottom line though, regardless of delivery efficiency, is that communities have suffered when everyone shops online. The benefactors of that efficiency are the billionares.

I buy from stores that employ my neighbors. Where I can talk to a human when I need to return an item. Where they are treated less like warehouse robots being abused like sweatshop workers. Costco is my model for a good local warehouse, not Amazon or Newegg.