Is it better for the environment to buy online or at Mass merchandisers?

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I live in a remote area that doesn't have a lot of shopping options. We have a Wal-Mart and a few local shops. So I many times have wondered this question. I have tried to weigh out the + & - of both sides. I would think that the cost of a warehouse would be much less than that of a store. It is more convenient for me to have the items shipped to my door. The postal person will be driving the route regardless of if I have a delivery, so no wasted fuel. It would require less trucks transporting to stores. I don't need to use fuel to go to the store. You could also combine orders to help on the shipping cost and packaging The perfect idea would to be able to by everything local, but in my area I just don’t think that is possible. I like to purchase specialty food items that would not be available to me unless I drove 100+ miles. What are everyone’s thoughts on this?