Until the mid / late 1960s there simply weren't individually owned cars in rural British villages beyond the doctor, vet and perhaps postmaster. In Donegal in Ireland it was like that into the 80s!
I assume the grocery stores back then were probably smaller and more centrally located.
And women were less likely to go out to work, so they could spend a day schlepping around the shops to buy what they needed. Yes, people shopped at the local corner store - which means a narrower range of goods at higher prices. A rather different world of pre-decimal currency.