As consumer shopping preferences shift from traditional retail channels toward e-commerce, the negative effects of e-commerce are easy to see and are often noted in the popular press. Yet, the benefits of this shift are often unseen. In this article, we first consider empirical evidence that suggests technological innovation is generally a net positive for society. We look at the unseen benefits along with each of the seen costs of e-commerce growth to fully understand the impacts on society. To do this, we consider packaging and waste, traffic and emissions, and energy and resource consumption—all considered costs of e-commerce. Based on this evidence, we propose that policymakers should exercise caution before developing policies that may alter this shift and limit innovation.

随着消费者购物偏好从传统零售渠道转向电子商务，电子商务的负面影响很容易看到，并且在大众媒体中也经常注意到。但是，这种转变的好处通常是看不到的。在本文中，我们首先考虑经验证据，这些证据表明技术创新通常对社会是净积极的。我们将目睹看不见的好处以及电子商务增长带来的每一个成本，以充分了解对社会的影响。为此，我们考虑包装和废物，交通和排放以及能源和资源消耗，所有这些都被认为是电子商务的成本。基于这些证据，我们建议决策者在制定可能改变这种转变并限制创新的政策之前应谨慎行事。