A Funny Thing Happened At The Grocery Store

As I was out and about doing errands and getting ready for a week at the cottage, I stopped in at a grocery store where I don’t normally shop, but fit in better with my route that day.  When I got to the checkout, the cashier asked me if I needed bags.  Turns out, I did.  Normally, the cashier counts the bags you need and hands them to you to pack your own groceries.  This time was different.

The cashier started bagging my groceries in the manner that used to be common practice.  She bagged them right after she scanned them, carefully taking the time to pack things well and maximize the bag space.  She bagged my berries in a produce bag, in case they were to open, and then added them to the grocery bag.

While this was going on, I was thinking two things:
1) This was taking forever!  I for sure could have done it faster, even if my method was just to chuck things into the bags or bins I brought.
2)  I felt awkward just standing there watching her do all this while I did nothing to help.

Upon further reflection, I realized that this was how grocery shopping used to be done all the time.  And I even remember there being a big of outrage amongst society when they took away the bagging/free plastic bags. But how quickly we've gotten used to adding things to our lives that continue to let us rush, full speed ahead. I actually have been stressed at the checkout because the cashier moves right into processing the groceries in the order behind you, leaving me scrambling to get my stuff bagged before the shopper behind me also wants to come to the end of the checkout and bag their items.  Or there is even a hold up in scanning because the cashier can just whip through customers now that they don’t stop to help bag the groceries.

And so yes, I also felt awkward.  So what did I do when faced with a situation where small talk seemed appropriate with a complete stranger?  Break out my smart phone of course!  I say this in jest, it’s not like I don’t ever make small talk with a customer service person, but the difference in this case was that the transaction was long!  We are so used to everything being rushed, being automated or having the option to do a self-checkout that this situation where the whole transaction took 20 minutes left me feeling awkward with not much to say and awkward that the cashier was doing all the work while I watched.

So which way is better?  Interestingly enough, if my kids would have been with me, having someone bag all of my groceries would have seemed like a huge help.  But when it was just me, I was more focused on finishing the errand so I could move on to the other three I still had to do.  And people don’t seem to value the relationships they have with their local stores like they used to…remember when everyone used to write personal cheques for groceries?  I remember my Grandma paying that way.

There certainly is no going back.  I don’t think we’ll ever have people bagging groceries all the time but I also didn't like the uncomfortable feeling I had when it came to having to slow down and get wait for someone to do what they considered part of their job.  Another quick reminder to slow down my pace and take a minute to talk to people who are happily lending a helping hand.