Technology Can Speed Up Shopping, But It Can’t Replace Community

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A grocery headline about AI pilots and fulfillment shifts sparked a very different memory: a gravel parking lot in Pine Knot, Kentucky, and a family store that delivered more than food. We trace a line from free deliveries and house accounts to algorithmic substitutions and online baskets, and we ask a simple question with a complicated answer: what happens to community when convenience wins?

I share how Anderson’s Grocery ran on trust you could feel—orders taken by phone, notes on a pegboard, the exact brand a customer loved, and a ride home when it mattered. There was no delivery fee and no “efficiency play,” just a belief that service includes conversation, eye contact, and the kind of accuracy that says, I remember you. Those small rituals built loyalty deeper than any coupon, and they turned transactions into relationships. Meanwhile, big-box retail faces a profit puzzle as online volume grows faster than margins, pushing experimentation with in-store picking, Instacart, and AI agents.

Rather than reject technology, we map out a better path: use AI to remember preferences as well as my mother did, design pickup moments that include a real hello, and measure success not only in speed but in connection. We look at where human touch is irreplaceable—substitutions, care for seniors, local familiarity—and where automation truly shines. The goal isn’t nostalgia; it’s wisdom. Keep the convenience. Restore the presence. Build systems that scale empathy alongside efficiency.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who loves a good road story, and leave a review with one human moment you never want tech to replace. Your notes shape where we go next.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:02):
Welcome to Dan the Road Trip Guy.
I'm your host Dan, and each weekwe'll embark on a new adventure,
discovering memory and lifelessons of our incredible
guests.
From everyday travelers tothrill seekers and everyone in
between, this podcast is yourfront row seat to inspiring
stories of passion, resilience,and the pursuit of happiness.
So buckle up and enjoy the ride.

(00:30):
Well, let me wish you a happyThanksgiving today.
I hope you're spending the daywith friends or family, and I
hope you have a wonderful day.
Last week there was news fromKroger that they were closing
some of their fulfillmentcenters.
These facilities are used tofulfill the orders for their

(00:50):
customers that have shoppedonline.
Now there were only a few ofthem closing, and they say they
want to rely more on in-storefulfillment, and they're also
going to lean on other partners,such as Instacart, and they're
even piloting an AI programwhich would allow shoppers to
interact with an agent.

(01:10):
All seems exciting.
Hey, I'm a technology guy.
For those who don't know, I'vebeen in the technology world for
about forty plus years.
And all this new stuff, it'sreally cool.
But I the warning I have is itcan never replace relationships.
We are all built for personalrelationships.

(01:32):
This story took me back to mychildhood long before FedEx
could get our packages to us thenext day.
Amazon could even deliverproducts the same day, and now
you've got Kroger fulfillinggrocery orders through their
online store.
There was a general store inPine Knight, Kentucky.
It had all the staples that youneed to survive on a daily

(01:54):
basis.
It also had feed and seed andbatteries and all sorts of other
household items, and out frontyou could get your car filled
with gasoline.
Now this store was across thestreet from where I grew up.
It had been founded by mygrandparents, and during my
childhood and adulthood, it wasrun by my Uncle Earl.

(02:17):
If you've followed this podcast,you'll know I recorded an
episode about when Uncle Earlput me to work at my first job
when I was nine years old at thegrocery store.
There are a lot of things thatset Anderson's grocery apart
from stores today, and it allcame down to personal
relationships.
One of those things that set itapart was our delivery service.

(02:40):
Again, long before today'sdelivery services, Anderson's
grocery and stores like it wouldtake care of their customers by
delivering their groceries.
And sometimes even giving peoplea ride home.
I remember when I went to workthere at nine, I looked forward
to the day when I could stockshelves, bag groceries, even

(03:00):
check people out, and then whenI got my driver's license, I had
my eyes set on deliveringgroceries.
There was no charge fordelivering groceries.
Kroger made the statement inthis announcement that their
online sales have increased yearover year, but they're yet to
turn a profit.
Well I'll tell you at Anderson'sgrocery, profit wasn't the key

(03:22):
for delivering groceries.
It was about serving the peopleof our community.
Now when you deliveredgroceries, and again I got to do
that after I turned sixteen.
Before that, I would ride alongwith my cousin Connie or one of
the other guys who worked at thestore to make these deliveries.
And what stuck out to me, therewas no big rush to get the

(03:44):
groceries to the door and headout.
No, there were times forconversations with the people we
were delivering to.
It might have been a time tocatch up.
Maybe that person just neededsome encouragement.
Or they just brightened our dayand off we went.
Now these orders they would comein on the phone six oh six three

(04:05):
five four two four three one.
According to the internet, thatnumber still exists today at
Anderson's Grocery.
Anderson's Grocery is no longeroperated by an Anderson.
My cousin Connie, after decadesof service to the public, sold a
store a few years back.
These orders would come in, we'dtake them over the phone, we'd

(04:26):
write them on simple notepads,put them on the pegboard, and
later that day someone would goshopping.
I remember when I was old enoughto begin to shop.
Now, remember my mother workedat the store alongside her
brother and his wife Pearl andothers.
She would allow me to go shopfor these items.
Now she knew what people wanted.

(04:46):
She knew the particular brandsthey liked, and if I showed up
at the checkout was somethingthat didn't meet the expectation
that my mother had, that sheknew the customer had, I was
quickly back to the shelf to getthe right product.
She would scrutinize the produceI got to make sure it all looked
fresh and sellable.
One of the other things that setAnderson's grocery apart, and

(05:08):
probably a lot of stores likeAnderson's Grocery back in the
day, and communities were dottedwith these stores.
People would shop daily,sometimes, people would shop
weekly and sometimes monthly.
A lot of times for those monthlyshoppers, they would find some
way to get to the store, andthen we would give them a ride
home.
We would fill up that pickuptruck with all their groceries

(05:29):
and off we would go.
As I said, there was anotherthing that set us apart, and
that was house charge accounts.
Yes, you could check out if youhad an account with us, it all
got wrote on a little piece ofpaper, it had a carbon copy you
could give the customer, andthat later would be filed into
this system.
As I look back on it, there wasno rhyme or reason to it.

(05:52):
But my mother, my uncle Earl,his wife Pearl, they all knew
where the accounts were.
They weren't in alphabeticalorder.
They had these little thingswith numbers on them, and if I
was putting up the tickets,which I got to do later on, I
would have to ask my mom, whereis such and such?
She'd be like, Oh, that's numberthirty two.
You'll find it, and I would, Iwould find it.

(06:13):
I never was able to master that.
I could find a few, but not thatmany.
Now there are people at ourKroger that have gotten to know
us, we've gotten to know them,and there will be some chit chat
as we leave the store, but thatis few and far between.
I hope you have some of thosesame relationships.
I have really fond memories ofgrowing up in Pineauk, Kentucky.

(06:34):
It was a small town whereneighbors knew each other and
showed up when someone neededhelp.
Life moved at a slower pace inthe sixties, seventies, probably
even into the eighties.
Our store was closed on Sundayas well as a lot of others.
There were a lot of frontporches, families set on their
front porches, and friends justdropped by unannounced.
Just a visit.
It was a time of community, ofpresence, of care.

(06:57):
Maybe some of this technologyhas moved us away from some of
that presence.
We now feel like we're veryconnected, but are we?
As we look toward the future,perhaps one filled with robots
and AI and groceries deliveredwithout human touch.
I hope we don't lose sight ofwhat truly matters.
Technology may change the way weshop, and it has changed the way

(07:17):
we shop, but it should neverreplace the relationships that
sustain us.
I'll continue to cherish thepeople in my life.
I hope you'll do the same,because in the end, we need each
other far more than we realize.
Again, I hope you have a blessedThanksgiving.
See you next time.
Thank you for tuning in to Danthe Road Trip Guy.
I hope you enjoyed our journeytoday and the stories that were

(07:39):
shared.
If you have any thoughts orquestions or stories of your
own, I'd love to hear from you.
Feel free to reach out to meanytime.
Don't forget to share thispodcast with your friends and
family and help us to spread thejoy of road trips and great
conversations.
Until next time, keep driving,keep exploring, and keep having
those amazing conversations.

(07:59):
Safe travels.
And remember, you can find me onthe internet at
dantherroadtripguy.com.