Its a psychological thing. Cuta down on shoplifting, makes you more apt to buy something if you have to pass the same persone coming in and going out, etc. They would not hire them if it did not bolster the bottom line.

The first thing you see when you enter a store is a friendly and representative member of your community. You get a quick hit of that local, hometown vibe to suppress any feelings that you're stepping into a faceless, corporate machine that's swallowing up your local economy and sending it mostly to Walton's descendants.

Oh yeah, also got to check those receipts for objects too large to put in a bag.