But are they within their rights to force you to open the bag? How about your wife's purse? How about empty your pockets or search your car before it leaves their parking lot?
Once I've paid my money, the bag and its contents are my private property.
While I realize that these are rhetorical questions, I'll answer them for the benefit of those in Rio Linda. That's no, no, and no.
WFTR
Mostly afraid of your ignorance (of the 4th Amendment)
Bill
That's not the issue. They don't do that. Some little old lady or little old man sits or stands by the exit and looks at your receipt, which may say that you bought five items, and they look at your basket and see five items, they check the receipt and you go.
I'm sure that if a shopper wants to be rude and push past the little old lady or little old man at the door, that would be that. You don't think that they're going to chase after someone, do you, or demand that your wife open up her purse? If anything like that happens, it's most likely an over-zealous employee, and a rare exception to the rule, and that person will lose his or her job very quickly.