Actually, Irish consumption of milk is greater than American consumption. Here’s an article that has a table showing the 2006 dairy consumption levels, broken out into different kinds (liquid, cheese, etc.). Ireland’s per person average was 129.8 liters compared to 83.9 liters per person for Americans.
I think we probably buy larger amounts per shopping trip because we likely go shopping less, due to sprawl. When I lived in Australia, in a very suburban area, we had a set of shops that included a grocery store within walking distance. Most malls and indoor shopping centers had a grocery store in them, which we don’t typically have in the U.S. To go to the store, most of us have to drive to a shopping center that’s typically set up around the grocery store, so usually not a place we would be for other reasons. I go to the store much less than I did when I lived in Australia, so tend to buy more milk at a time and also fewer fresh foods.
I’m sure sprawling communities are a major factor in our lack of milk delivery services, as well.
We had milk delivery until I was… 5 or 6 years old. After that, it vanished, seemingly overnight. I haven’t seen milk delivery services in over 40 years now.
A lot of things changed in my old neighborhood right around then- we used to have a warehouse right up the block where they kept live chickens to be killed and plucked on site. My younger brothers never saw it, don’t remember it, and aren’t 100% sure I didn’t make it up!
We get milk delivered here. They’ll deliver six days a week, if that’s what you want. He will also leave butter, eggs, orange juice etc. if you order it. It’s less common than it used to be. At one time the price of milk was controlled and shops were forbidden to sell it at a lower price than the milkman delivered it for, specifically to protect the milkmen. This ended some years ago, with predictable results.
We got milk delivered when I was growing up in the 1960’s. Stow, Ohio. He also brought eggs, cream and butter. We also had Charles Chips, but we couldn’t afford them but our neighbors could!
There was also the Jewel T Man! , a general store on wheels!
My family had it until my brother and I hit college (about 10 years ago). Suburban RI. It’s definitely still done here in RI, I see trucks from Monroe Dairy and a few others all the time.
but our neighbors could! 