Remember the district attorney's kid in “Miracle” who whispers to Santa in court that he wants “a real, authentic football helmet!”–and his father's rush to buy it before the stores closed? Today, that kid's football helmet would be made in China, bought online through Amazon, and delivered by a drone.

In a recent Salon column, Robert Reich looks at how the Amazon culture kills jobs:

Americans are getting great deals online, and they like the convenience. But there's a hidden price. With the growth of online retailing, fewer Americans will have jobs in bricks-and-mortar retail stores.

Amazon announced last summer it would add 5,000 new jobs to the 20,000 it already has. But not even 25,000 Amazon jobs come near to replacing the hundreds of thousands of retail jobs Amazon has already wiped out, and the hundreds of thousands more it will eliminate in the future.

To put this in some perspective you need to know that retail jobs have been the fastest growing of all job categories since the recession ended in 2009. But given the rapid growth of online retailing, that trend can't possibly last. What will Americans do when online sales take over?

Another disturbing trend, covered here by an agent blogger awhile back, is the increasing use of tablets at low-end restaurants like Chili's and Applebee's. Disguised as a user-friendly “convenience,” the tablets allow diners to play games and oh, incidentally, digitally place their food orders. The chain's insistence that the move will not result in waitstaff layoffs is transparently disingenuous.

These are sobering trends, especially in an economy where most new job creation–such as it is–is in service and retail.

To take the discussion a step further: Who will independent insurance agents place coverage for, if Amazon and the other online juggernauts eliminate the local football manufacturer, the Main Street sports shop, and the UPS driver? And if the neighborhood restaurant (a chain, of course) replaces its workers' comp program with an extended tablet warranty? If you weigh this trend against what's been happening in the independent agency universe, it hits a little too close to home.

We're already starting to see some pushback. Walmart, Target and other retailers were slammed with a groundswell of social media blowback when they announced a Thanksgiving Day kickstart to Black Friday. And if Black Friday sales numbers are any indication, their efforts were in vain anyway: though more people were out this year, 2013 Black Friday sales were up a meager 2.3%, the weakest result since 2009, according to ShopperTrak.

Economic Darwinism mean that online shopping isn't going away. But anyone online can deliver a cheap product for a cheap price. Set yourself apart by providing something they can't get anywhere else–a personal experience. In the case of Christmas gift-giving, that could mean buying tickets to a live show, concert, sporting event or just a dinner out with family to catch up during a hectic time.

Similarly, the holidays can be a great time for independent insurance agents to stand out from the commodity drivers by providing your customers not with a product, but with an experience. Partner with the unique businesses in your community to do something special over the holidays that emphasizes the personal touch. Get input from your staff on their favorite charities and organize a food pantry collection, soup kitchen volunteer night or other group event. Glory in your agency's uniqueness and stand out from the crowd.

Because I for one don't need another Big Mouth Billy Bass.