Is online shopping A Bad Thing environmentally?

[BFQi]

Does anybody have any idea about the environmental impact of online shopping as compared to local/highstreet shopping?
Am feeling a bit guilty about the amount I've been doing.

Why?

There's no real shops here at all.

The high street has a small Boots, a SemiChem and a Blockbuster. Lots of pubs, though .

I do a lot of shopping online because it's cheaper than diesel and ferry crossing to get to even a Tesco.

i would assume it's much better.
assuming everything comes from a warehouse that means less shops being run, less staff, less everything
deliveries will be made with a whole load of other stuff, so less trips to the shops by the consumer etc

I consume less with on-line shopping as I can meal plan a bit more.

Ocado claim to be greener than you walking to the supermarket

I don't think it works like that thisisyesterday. I think most supermarkets employ people to do the shopping in the actual store and then deliver it. However, IMO it must be better for the environment as one delivery van on the road is better than ten cars going to the store and back.

well i was thinking of internet shopping overall... not particularly supermarket.

Yes, I was meaning general shopping rather than a big food shop.

I suppose I was wondering about the packaging and the general efficiency of lots of little parcels being sent in different directions, presumably mostly by road...

Absolutely - I think you should knit everything yourself

But where do I get the wool?

but al those little packages aren't having a car each... they'll all go in bulk for the most part so i don't think that's necessarily an issue, prob better than each person taking a car to the shops

dunno really.

Just googled and found this, which has some quite interesting ideas. Should probably just stop buying full-stop, like you say

haven't read the link - the environmental problem i have with online shopping is the impact on local shops (where available!) rather than the trips themselves. That and the two items per bag policy they seemed to go for a few years ago (maybe they've sorted that out) and of course the general nightmare of supermarket packaging etc but that's no different online.

having said that, i did feel that amazon packaging each of my 6 dvd's individually was a bit excessive

if they came from indigostarfish in Jersey then they are packaged individually to avoid VAT