Even better than Walmart I like to shop online when possible because the overhead is so small and taxes can sometimes be avoided. (I pay enough taxes as it is)
As a consumer I prefer not pay a premium on goods for their rent and electric at a pyhsical location.
And what were those overhead expenses? Some are waste (e.g., your rent and electricity below). Others help the local economy (e.g., employment, profits spent locally, etc.).
Even better than Walmart I like to shop online when possible because the overhead is so small and taxes can sometimes be avoided. (I pay enough taxes as it is)
In theory, if your state has a sales tax, you probably owe a use tax. In practice, almost nobody pays it but states do sometimes go after it for big-ticket items that they find out about (and they have ways to find out about some big ticket purchases).
As a consumer I prefer not pay a premium on goods for their rent and electric at a pyhsical location.
I think the bigger problem is paying for loss -- theft and goods damaged by gorilla shoppers. My biggest concern over the loss of local retailers is the loss of the ability to look at what you are buying before you buy it. Retailers definitely offer a showroom capability that mail order businesses cannot match. And while some people browse at retailers and then buy mail order to save money, that's only maintainable if the retailers stay in business.