> Am I missing something? Isn't it significantly more efficient for a van/truck to follow a computer optimized route to deliver 100s-1000s of orders per tank of

> Am I missing something? Isn't it significantly more efficient for a van/truck to follow a computer optimized route to deliver 100s-1000s of orders per tank of gas than me driving to and from Home Depot to buy one thing? Maybe, maybe not. Packaging takes energy. This alone tends to mean the breakeven distance is many miles-- very rural and low density suburban may come out slightly ahead, but most other uses don't. But beyond that, the trend for e-commerce is many small orders and individual boxes and more trips, while the typical person taking a single purpose trip to Home Depot will buy more. (Or-- has an urgent need for something that can't be satisfied soon enough by e-commerce).