Small shops are dying...Is this a bad thing?

Is more efficient shopping where you spend less effort, less money and impact the environment less a bad thing?

I live in a town of 15,000. The nearest larger city is 25 miles away. The nearest metro area is 50 miles.

If I need something I can't find in town--a frequent case as I have odd requirements, I can't afford to go anywhere else.

It costs me $1.08 per round trip mile to drive, and the travel time to the nearest city is an hour round-trip.

If I shop, I have to go to multiple locations, and physically walk around...which takes time, and I am disabled enough that even a fairly brief walk is tiring. When I find what I was looking for, the price is often significantly higher than online.

The overhead of getting to and from the stores is  killer unless I am spending hundreds of dollars.

This is why Sears & Roebuck did so well...shopping became convienent, quick and cheap.