I grew up in an industrial city in northern England in the 1950s.
We had small stores each on the ground floor of row housing: grocer, greengrocer, butcher, confectioner's, bakery, ironmonger and the biggest was two houses knocked together, the co-op. All within two blocks walk.
It was only after we got a small fridge that a supermarket opened.
Big supermarkets, shopping centres, didn't arrive until we and our neighbours got cars.
The co-evolution of social systems: storage and transportation and retail distribution.
I can't say that people are noticeably happier now.