So it turns out that "customer service" is actually a good in and of itself that has a price and needs customers willing to pay that price. A Walmart shopper is typically not willing or able to trade some of their disposable income for a more knowledgable/helpful employee. There is a reason that Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Walmart pick the inventory mix they have, where they locate, and who they hire. They are all different business models with different customer groups.

People with less disposable income have increasingly prioritized physical products over paying for any meaningful interaction with employees which is fine. It is their choice to do so. If people actually value having meaningful interactions on main street in small town America they will still have them. But I suspect that most people don't value that, which one could argue I suppose is bad, but it should ultimately be left up to the individuals that live in small town Vermont, not me.

I rely on a couple of small businesses near me, one of which is my butcher. One might say well the butcher is an unskilled job, but he is selling me two things. First is better meat than Whole Foods. Secondly he is quite a good cook so he can recommend cooking techniques or I can say "I want to do the brisket sous vide" and he will trim it so just the right amount of fat is on it. Obviously this works better with organic products rather than something made of plastic where everything in the same box is a perfect substitute.