I could also write about what I perceive as the uniquely (and unfortunate) American retail experience - what we've all come to accept as normal and necessary here in North America (it's no different in Canada and maybe worst of all right here in Alberta where we've had too much for too long) would be absolutely unacceptable and strange for anyone else in the world.
Buy a pipe from an Italian e-tailer for example. You'll get a confirmation and receipt immediately. You'll get a shipping notice and a tracking number within 24 hours on a weekday. The pipe will show up packaged beautifully, well protected, as though you've bought something of value (you have). It will be gift wrapped. There will be a hand written note from Luca or Pierro or whoever you bought it from. There will most likely be a pack of 100 pipe cleaners, and a coupon or two for your next purchase. Like, it's quite a show. It's important to these guys, they are proud to serve you, they need your purchase to put bread on their table. It's personal.
Can you imagine, as an American, going to buy vegetables, and instead of rooting through 100 mediocre red peppers looking for one that isn't squished or 10 days old, going to the grocer and asking him for a couple, which he would select for you? No, that's weird. Except, that's how it goes everywhere else in the whole world. We're the weird ones. Our gigantic, faceless system.
In "The Tao of Pooh" the author mentions the difference between a Chinese tea-house where people sit for a few hours and talk, and the hamburger stand in America, where the message is basically "Here's your stuff, now gtfo we got more people coming." Culturally a world of difference.