ABSTRACT
Use of the Internet for shopping (Business-to-Consumer or B2C retailing) is increasing steadily. In 1999, only 0.7% of retail sales were via the Internet (U.S. DOC 2004). By 2004, the percentage was 1.9%, with overall sales of $15.5 billion in the first quarter alone. It is tempting to assume that sales on the Internet are beneficial to the environment; emissions from vehicles driven to shopping malls can be avoided, retail space can be reduced, and inventories and waste can be avoided.
