We usually have dedicated baggers in the US, though many stores switched to having the cashier do it due to the ‘labor shortage’ during the pandemic. It’s basically a jobs program, usually given to disabled or older applicants that management wants tax credits for, but don’t actually have a use for; also teens that otherwise would be too costly to train if they’re only being employed for the summer.

Capitalism breeds innovation in how to pretend labor is necessary for everyone to do.