Places like Vermont have limited shopping options. And decently populated places (the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area has a population that rivals this whole state for example) are seeing the decline of larger retail establishments, thus limiting their options too. Inflation also drives people online to save money on a purchase.

As this is Reddit and there are many younger folks here, let me give a shopping example from a parent of three children. To buy clothes for our kids, there are options like Old Navy, REI, Dicks, Outdoor Gear Exchange, etc. Often, we are driving between 3 to 4 places just to find something that fits. And with three different young children the stress in this “simple task” is enough to drive one to tequila in the morning :)

Online clothes shopping is far easier.

Staying with the subject of clothes… if I need a new suit and tie for work, it is mostly a custom order now. Very few places stock such things. Unless you need orthopedic dress shoes, dress shoes don’t exist in Chittenden County.

We’ve lost 6 close relatives in the past 5 years and have needed to outfit people in a hurry. Keep in mind that children grow a lot in 5 years, so we’ve done this a few times. The only options are online or driving to a large city.

I can go on and on about the lack of “first world problem-type” missing goods in Vermont, but I’m sure everyone here has their own examples.

TLDR: every locale is missing a type of good and online shopping is the solution. As local retailers shift from malls and department stores to smaller niche shops this will increase. 1st world societies are going to be more reliant on shipping services. Online retailers are going to need to work with multiple shipping companies and provide consumers selection of which company they prefer. The shippers should develop better consumer-facing options to hold a package for pickup. FedEx and UPS are okay at this. USPS has the online account and tracking system, but it lacks this option.