But, one thing it does do is open the world to people living in rural areas who wouldn't otherwise be able to access so many goods and services (of, admittedly, varying quality and provenance).
Exactly. I've lived in a rural area for ten years where the nearest hardware or clothing store was an hour away. I get most of my hard goods from Amazon. I can't recall a single issue with the hundreds of products I've ordered. The biggest issue is USPS shipping is no longer reliable and I can't count on items being delivered when Amazon estimates.
But, one thing it does do is open the world to people living in rural areas who wouldn't otherwise be able to access so many goods and services (of, admittedly, varying quality and provenance).
It's the Sears Catalog of the 21st century.