When I’m in a checkout line at a store, I am mentally already out of there. I’m thinking about where I’m going next. When a check out clerk asks me if I didn’t find something, I’m not likely to say I couldn’t because that would slow down the checkout process. If I say, yeah, I need a “widget”, then either I or an employee has to track it down, slowing up the line, and probably angering the people behind me. So even if I did forget something, I never say that I did. (but maybe that’s just me).

The time to ask me if I need help is when I’m browsing the aisles looking for something, and this is something that in my experience most BB’s do a good job of.

As for asking me on the way out why I didn’t buy anything, sometimes I’m just looking: killing time, entertaining myself by seeing what’s new in the store. I don’t always go into a store with the intention to purchase something and if I decide not to purchase anything, I don’t want to draw any attention to it. So a nice “Thanks for coming buy, please come again.” is enough for me.