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

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.

Chapters

• 0:02 Welcome And Thanksgiving Greeting
• 0:39 Kroger News And Tech Shift
• 1:21 Tech Is Cool, But People Matter
• 1:52 The General Store In Pine Knot
• 2:40 Deliveries, Rides, And No-Rush Service
• 4:01 Knowing Customers By Heart
• 5:18 House Accounts And Community Trust
• 6:18 Then vs Now: Connection’s Decline
• 7:05 A Hope For Relationship-First Tech
• 7:30 Farewell And Listener Invitation]

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:02

Welcome to Dan the Road Trip Guy. I'm your host Dan, and each week we'll embark on a new adventure, discovering memory and life lessons of our incredible guests. From everyday travelers to thrill seekers and everyone in between, this podcast is your front row seat to inspiring stories of passion, resilience, and the pursuit of happiness. So buckle up and enjoy the ride. Well, let me wish you a happy Thanksgiving today. I hope you're spending the day with friends or family, and I hope you have a wonderful day. Last week there was news from Kroger that they were closing some of their fulfillment centers. These facilities are used to fulfill the orders for their customers that have shopped online. Now there were only a few of them closing, and they say they want to rely more on in-store fulfillment, and they're also going to lean on other partners, such as Instacart, and they're even piloting an AI program which would allow shoppers to interact with an agent. All seems exciting. Hey, I'm a technology guy. For those who don't know, I've been in the technology world for about forty plus years. And all this new stuff, it's really cool. But I the warning I have is it can never replace relationships. We are all built for personal relationships. This story took me back to my childhood long before FedEx could get our packages to us the next day. Amazon could even deliver products the same day, and now you've got Kroger fulfilling grocery orders through their online store. There was a general store in Pine Knight, Kentucky. It had all the staples that you need to survive on a daily basis. It also had feed and seed and batteries and all sorts of other household items, and out front you could get your car filled with gasoline. Now this store was across the street from where I grew up. It had been founded by my grandparents, and during my childhood and adulthood, it was run by my Uncle Earl. If you've followed this podcast, you'll know I recorded an episode about when Uncle Earl put me to work at my first job when I was nine years old at the grocery store. There are a lot of things that set Anderson's grocery apart from stores today, and it all came down to personal relationships. One of those things that set it apart was our delivery service. Again, long before today's delivery services, Anderson's grocery and stores like it would take care of their customers by delivering their groceries. And sometimes even giving people a ride home. I remember when I went to work there at nine, I looked forward to the day when I could stock shelves, bag groceries, even check people out, and then when I got my driver's license, I had my eyes set on delivering groceries. There was no charge for delivering groceries. Kroger made the statement in this announcement that their online sales have increased year over year, but they're yet to turn a profit. Well I'll tell you at Anderson's grocery, profit wasn't the key for delivering groceries. It was about serving the people of our community. Now when you delivered groceries, and again I got to do that after I turned sixteen. Before that, I would ride along with my cousin Connie or one of the other guys who worked at the store to make these deliveries. And what stuck out to me, there was no big rush to get the groceries to the door and head out. No, there were times for conversations with the people we were delivering to. It might have been a time to catch up. Maybe that person just needed some encouragement. Or they just brightened our day and off we went. Now these orders they would come in on the phone six oh six three five four two four three one. According to the internet, that number still exists today at Anderson's Grocery. Anderson's Grocery is no longer operated by an Anderson. My cousin Connie, after decades of service to the public, sold a store a few years back. These orders would come in, we'd take them over the phone, we'd write them on simple notepads, put them on the pegboard, and later that day someone would go shopping. I remember when I was old enough to begin to shop. Now, remember my mother worked at the store alongside her brother and his wife Pearl and others. She would allow me to go shop for these items. Now she knew what people wanted. She knew the particular brands they liked, and if I showed up at the checkout was something that didn't meet the expectation that my mother had, that she knew the customer had, I was quickly back to the shelf to get the right product. She would scrutinize the produce I got to make sure it all looked fresh and sellable. One of the other things that set Anderson's grocery apart, and probably a lot of stores like Anderson's Grocery back in the day, and communities were dotted with these stores. People would shop daily, sometimes, people would shop weekly and sometimes monthly. A lot of times for those monthly shoppers, they would find some way to get to the store, and then we would give them a ride home. We would fill up that pickup truck with all their groceries and off we would go. As I said, there was another thing that set us apart, and that was house charge accounts. Yes, you could check out if you had an account with us, it all got wrote on a little piece of paper, it had a carbon copy you could give the customer, and that later would be filed into this system. As I look back on it, there was no rhyme or reason to it. But my mother, my uncle Earl, his wife Pearl, they all knew where the accounts were. They weren't in alphabetical order. They had these little things with 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, where is such and such? She'd be like, Oh, that's number thirty two. You'll find it, and I would, I would find it. I never was able to master that. I could find a few, but not that many. Now there are people at our Kroger 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 that is few and far between. I hope you have some of those same relationships. I have really fond memories of growing up in Pineauk, Kentucky. It was a small town where neighbors knew each other and showed up when someone needed help. Life moved at a slower pace in the sixties, seventies, probably even into the eighties. Our store was closed on Sunday as well as a lot of others. There were a lot of front porches, families set on their front porches, and friends just dropped by unannounced. Just a visit. It was a time of community, of presence, of care. Maybe some of this technology has moved us away from some of that presence. We now feel like we're very connected, but are we? As we look toward the future, perhaps one filled with robots and AI and groceries delivered without human touch. I hope we don't lose sight of what truly matters. Technology may change the way we shop, and it has changed the way we shop, but it should never replace the relationships that sustain us. I'll continue to cherish the people 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 blessed Thanksgiving. See you next time. Thank you for tuning in to Dan the Road Trip Guy. I hope you enjoyed our journey today and the stories that were shared. If you have any thoughts or questions or stories of your own, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends and family and help us to spread the joy of road trips and great conversations. Until next time, keep driving, keep exploring, and keep having those amazing conversations. Safe travels. And remember, you can find me on the internet at dantherroadtripguy.com.