# Grocery Store Economics: Why not have any baggers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630 "2012-12-20T14:53:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630/21 "2012-12-21T03:27:00Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > They’ll still need a few manned ones, at least in California, to handle age-restricted items that are apparently not legal to allow people to purchase at self-checkouts. OTOH, I’m now wondering how my nearby Fresh & Easy deals with this, since I’m pretty sure they sell alcohol (non-drinker, so I don’t know for sure) and do not have checkers per se. All checkouts are self-check, but employees are pretty much right there anyway (even had one surprise me by bagging my stuff for me while I was scanning on a recent visit). In my area, the self-checkout rows are still supervised - typically by one employee for four registers. If you ring up something like alcohol, they’re alerted and they come over to verify ID and placate the computers. While the doesn’t eliminate employees, it does cut the number substantially. Of course, the shops around here still have at least two or three traditional registers and I haven’t seen anything try to go entirely self-checkout. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630/22 "2012-12-21T04:08:04Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > This was many, many years ago, so I don’t know if it’s done this way now, but our military base commissary used volunteer baggers exclusively, and they worked entirely for tips. The baggers were either retired military or active duty troops living on base that had extra time on their hands. The commissary here still has baggers who work for tips. Some are retirees, but I believe most are dependents (wives and older teens). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630/23 "2012-12-21T04:39:43Z")
I don’t want cashiers or baggers bagging my groceries. Even though I put all the items on the belt in the precise order to load the bags with, they think they know some better way. And they don’t. I’ll bag my own, they don’t need to hire a bagger for me. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630/24 "2012-12-21T04:55:54Z")
Where I shop, the cashiers and I are agreed on the principle of heavy stuff first, light stuff after. They appreciate how I think the same way they do. I cannot reach to help with bagging, but I always help by lifting the filled bags back into my cart. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630/25 "2012-12-22T17:01:02Z")
My local Kroger recently went through a revamp. They rearranged the entire grocery store. Which meant I had to relearn where the fuck everything was. But they’re also doing this weird thing now where they time how long customers are standing in line. I appreciate the effort but it’s kind of annoying. I could be standing in line and some manager type will be like: “Sir? Sir? I can get you in this lane over here.” There are certain cashiers that I like and I don’t mind waiting a couple of extra minutes. Besides, once I’ve committed myself to a lane, I’m done. Anyway, whenever I tell the manager guy “No thanks” he’ll get this distressed look on his face and continue to try to talk me into going to the other lane anyway. To which I still say no. But yeah, durring peak hours, my store has no shortage of baggers to help speed things up. ---
**Author:** ![bonitahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7993a0/32.png) [@bonitahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonitahi)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630/26 "2012-12-23T00:16:35Z")
I kinda hate to admit this but my ex was a double bagger ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grocery-store-economics-why-not-have-any-baggers/644630.md?page=1)