The Milkman
Daily delivery of milk and other dairy products was commonplace at the dawn of the automotive age, and initially benefited from it. Delivery vehicles cooled at first with ice and later via refrigeration made the delivery of products subject to rapid spoilage easier, and the reliable arrival of the milkman was an accepted part of life across the country, in large cities and small towns. As late as the 1960s houses were constructed with built-in receptacles for dairy products, with external and internal doors and lined with insulation.
As the automobile led the flight from urban areas into the suburbs and the numbers of houses increased, the dairy delivery business struggled to keep up. They were often seen alongside other deliverers of perishables, vegetable and eggs for example, and their vans were recognized by children as repositories of other items, such as ice cream and popsicles. With the other vehicles on the roads they struggled to meet their daily schedules on time. Meanwhile their employers were looking at alternatives.
The automobile led merchants to change where they located their stores, and traffic patterns led them to study sites based on the ease of ingress and egress from major commuter arteries rather than the convenience of the surrounding neighborhood. This made it easier for commuters to stop on their way to and from work, and perishable items could easily be picked up at the same time other errands were accomplished. The strip mall was born, as well as the shopping center, and items which were formerly delivered to the home were readily available. It was cheaper for the dairy to deliver to the stores than to individual homes.
When the first oil shortages hit in the 1970s it sounded the death knell for an already dying tradition, and the white suited milk delivery driver became a thing of the past. Milk delivery is still commonplace in much of Europe, but by the turn of the 21st century less than 0.4% of residents in the United States had milk delivered to their home on a scheduled basis. Many of those were delivered to not by an independent dairy, but via a delivery service offered by a local merchant or service. The convenience offered by the automobile and the stores built to accommodate it brought an end to the milkman.
There is today a backlash which may lead to the return of home delivery of milk and other perishable products. There are several companies which offer the delivery of all the required ingredient for meals, ready for preparation at home. Many major supermarket chains are experimenting or have implemented home delivery service in response to this intrusion on their market. Others have established online ordering for either pickup or home delivery. And in some communities private dairies are again trying to establish the delivery of their products as part of buy local campaigns.