To be fair you can often get free delivery on a ~$7 item on amazon, and that difference between firing off 1-click purchases on amazon whenever you want vs saving up a list of 5 things you need so you can hit the delivery minimum is a big qualitative change in how I buy stuff online. Reminds me of the difference of having to keep a running total of which friends owe money to whom because no one has the right amount of cash vs Venmo-ing immediately to settle any purchases.
On the other hand, sometimes that $7 Amazon item would be a $3 item at CVS or some other store and you really are paying the full cost of shipping, it's just hidden from you.
I think it's important to remember what's good for the customer isn't necessarily good for the business. There's a reason the $35 minimum is in place- because for orders totaling less than that the business is likely losing money.
firing off 1-click purchases on amazon whenever you want vs saving up a list of 5 things you need so you can hit the delivery minimum is a big qualitative change in how I buy stuff online
On the other hand, sometimes that $7 Amazon item would be a $3 item at CVS or some other store and you really are paying the full cost of shipping, it's just hidden from you.