Back in the past, you used to have to go to the front of the shop and give them a list of what you wanted. They'd return with your bags full of what you ordered

Back in the past, you used to have to go to the front of the shop and give them a list of what you wanted. They'd return with your bags full of what you ordered. When the modern supermarket came along, there was uproar. People couldn't understand why they had to traipse the aisles! Isn't that what the staff were for? Why are customers having to do their job for them? Of course, the supermarket realised that having people make impulse purchases, see new goods, and choose their preferred ripeness of fruit, made a lot more money than they lost from upset customers not returning. Similarly, there's a modern calculation that a few customers fiddling the weight of their marrows is vastly offset by not having to recruit, train, employ, and manage till staff. And shoppers don't get stuck behind someone who wants a natter with cashier or who wants to pay in pre-decimal currency or wants to argue over an expired voucher. But, luckily, thanks to capitalism you have a choice. Go to a supermarket like Lidl if you want to avoid self-checkouts. Or use online shopping. Or send your kitchen maid to deal with those craven machines.