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The man who brings my milk used to knock for his money for the week’s milk while I was eating breakfast on Saturday morning．Just lately he has been arriving before I get up．Workforce shortages mean that four men are sharing five rounds, so he has to start earlier．
Delivering milk to people’s homes is hardly good business, especially when the customer may have a choice of two or three firms serving a single road．In spite of my local difficulties, however, labor troubles are not as great as a few years ago．There are enough men prepared to make an early morning start for the sake of an open-air job with a fair measure of freedom．If they did stop calling, women would find it hard work to collect all the milk they need from self-service stores．Dairies(乳品业)know that stopping deliveries in the United States resulted in falling sales．
Marketing ideas have included introducing extra lines, in addition to dairy products, which the milkmen can carry to increase business．One dairyman said,“It won’t be long before the milkman delivers more bread than milk.”Some milkmen deliver potatoes, and it seems as though variety will be limited only by the size of the trucks．
So the milkman is likely to remain a familiar figure, and the dairy products he sells are unlikely to change very much in this decade．Flavored(味道)milk is popular on the Continent．In Britain those who like it buy plain milk and add their own flavoring．Even the returnable bottle continues to be used．As long as it has a reasonable life－30 to 40 trips are usual－the cost of collection and cleaning is worthwhile．
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