I was at a Dollar General with a hand basket of staples, the kid behind the counter was pricing some things in a rack. I stood there for a while. Realized he knew I was there. Cleared my throat, finally said, “You’re getting paid. I’m paying. Check me out or I’m asking for your manager.”
We’re getting like Soylent Green.
I understand exactly what you mean; the DG by me (where I would only go if I needed one thing - like your staples) has high employee turnover as though some low-paid employees are expected to run the whole thing.