It always makes me nervous as the clerk rings up my groceries. The products I buy can tell someone more about me than people who've known me for years. Each item is a piece of a puzzle that paints an intimate picture of my life. A skilled and experienced clerk can piece this puzzle together with little or no effort.
I'm not just talking about rash creams and ointments that most people are embarrassed to buy. The clerk probably rings those up all day and doesn't think twice about it. I'm more worried about the products that, when bought together, begin to tell a story. For example, if I'm a little overweight and I buy lots of produce and diet foods, I can feel them looking at me and thinking, "I'll see you at 11 P.M. when you just need your Ben and Jerry's fix."
If I buy single serving frozen dinners, they know that I live alone. If I buy these along with 10 lbs of cat food, they assume I will probably die alone. When most people buy a bag of ice, they assume people think they are throwing a party. The clerk knows that it is just because they can't afford a refrigerator with a built in ice maker. With the popularity of one stop shops like Wal-Mart, it provides them with an even wider lens into your life. If a clerk sees someone buy ingredients for soup along with Drain-O and a shovel, I can't imagine how they keep their composure.
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