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Amazon, which has become one of the most notorious e-commerce giants on Earth, dominates when it comes to online shopping. By just how much?

Well, Emarketer indicated that Amazon accounted for a whopping 40.9% of total retail e-commerce sales in 2024 in the U.S. alone. This is thanks to the company’s investments in fast delivery times, an increased number of big sale events throughout the year and its Prime membership offerings.

However, shopping on Amazon may not be very good for your wallet. You might want to reconsider spending with the retailer.

Here are three good reasons why abstaining from Amazon shopping may actually be beneficial to your finances, the environment and your local community.

You Probably Don’t Need Whatever You’re Ordering

Shopping on Amazon is easy and you can buy pretty much anything you want all in one place. However, this ultimate convenience may result in too many impulse purchases since everything is literally just one click away. Besides that, you may not even need whatever it is you’re ordering.

Your Online Orders Could Have Negative Environmental Impacts

Even if you’re getting free shipping with Prime, it takes energy and resources for that package to get to your front door, which could have a negative impact on the environment. By shopping at brick-and-mortar stores, the item you’re buying doesn’t have to travel to you, which could help reduce your environmental impact.

You’ll Be Supporting Local Small Businesses Instead

Shopping in person versus on Amazon is a great way to support the local economy and build community. Not only will you be redirecting money to mom-and-pop shops, but you can also explore new areas and meet new people along the way. 

Why It May Be Impossible To Entirely Cut Yourself Off From Amazon

Even if you choose not to call it quits with Amazon, you might still be supporting the company anyway without realizing it.

For example, Amazon indirectly owns popular sites such as Twitch and IMDb. Also, Amazon Web Services, which accounts for a significant part of the company’s revenue, is the underlying technology of popular apps and services many of us use every day such as LinkedIn, Netflix and Facebook.

So, while you can stop shopping with Amazon, it might be harder than you think to cut the company out of your life completely.