Today, I read that Amazon.com had its ‘best holiday ever’, selling a ‘record-breaking 72.9 items per second’ (via reddit).

It’s interesting to watch Amazon take over. It seems to me that we’re experiencing a social shift, where more and more consumers are choosing to buy online instead of heading to the retail stores. I’m satisfied to believe that this is partly due to the increased amount of interaction and information (product reviews, ratings, tags) Amazon provides to shoppers. On the other hand, it scares me a bit to consider the implications massive Amazon adoption is having upon our shipping system, particularly the fuel required for personal delivery. I wonder what our society would look like if the majority shopped this way.

Speaking as a member of the so-called “Internet Generation,” my experience with Amazon and online shopping was quite the opposite of the prevailing trend.

I grew up purchasing things like music and technology on Amazon. Retail was largely off-limits, since I had limited transportation options as a child and rarely had a significant amount of cash on hand. Gift certificates became the standard from relatives, since we both agreed that it was more satisfying for me to learn to shop online and make my own choices.

Thus, Amazon was my way to acquire things: I would routinely save up a few things I wanted to purchase (enough to qualify for free shipping), and enter them into Amazon.com. Then I would wait. I remember the frustration of checking the mail each day after Takk was released. It arrived days after the release, after everybody else had a chance to listen to it.

As I grew older and able to get around myself, exploring the retail environment was a source of great excitement. It was a brand new experience: to hold, inspect, and touch the item I was interested in buying, and to arrive home with something the day I set out to purchase it. I would still read the reviews on Amazon to make my decision, but then (a traitor!) travel outside to buy things. Commuting to Portland for school further broadened my options, nullifying the advantage of Amazon’s large selection. I discovered my favorite record store, re-discovered Powell’s Books, and generally had a blast. For my first two years at PSU, I rarely if ever purchased things online.

Nowadays, I’ve revisited Amazon, but only because of their excellent MP3 service. As I’ve grown accustomed to traveling to the city to purchase things, I’ve also grown lazy about it. It’s really nice to be able to get music even faster — practically instantly — on Amazon MP3. Given my pattern of shopping based on ease and speed, I don’t think this is an environment that can be beat. For everything else, I’ll continue buying my stuff offline.