Remember when they actually had people there to bag your groceries for you?

This is true. Sad how many people don't seem to be able to competently operate such a simple machine. And some of them work for the store.

Yes OP, this is becoming the norm and it sucks for employment.

There used to be 2 discount grocers in DFW where the story was you had to bag your own groceries and take them out to your car yourself but because of that they could charge lower prices vs. Other store that had baggers who would bag your groceries and take it out to the car for you and load it into your vehicle then return the shopping cart to the store. It was a good first job, usually boys between 16 and 18 plus a few retired guys and disabled/mentally challenged people.

I believe that when Walmart went big into the grocery business that is what ended it. Walmart didn't offer that level of service and over time fewer regular grocers offered it. I think locally that Tom Thumb/Randall's was the last holdout. They still had a few Courtesy Clerks back in 2012.

The absolute worst will never never shop again experience I had with this recently was a new Walmart Market concept that they have rolled out.

All of the customers in the store have to join one long line to wait for an open self-checkout station. Said stations are supervised by about a half dozen employees mostly just standing there watching customers do all the work. BRB waiting nearly a half hour to purchase three small items because you are in line behind people with full carts.

Remember when they actually had people there to bag your groceries for you?