In these posts read the woes of what happens when a new system is created that does not reveal it's externalities - factors at first not noticed and that are not put into the cost equation but which, over time are revealed.
When I was a boy in a small town most goods were available in local stores. Local dealers maintained inventory. I could handle and inspect goods before buying them.
Some items were not available locally. I would call long-distance, order a part, give an address and a credit card number (or mail a check) and wait a week - what could be easier?
Today we order stuff on the Internet.
But is that better for the end-user? Although focused on delivery problems, many of these posts would suggest that it is not. And we haven't yet broached the subjects of expected vs received product, returns, overcharges, identity theft, etc.