A new store opened and it is already looking like a dump.

[Witty Username Goes Here]

there really isn't an excuse for having the aisles littered with broken down boxes and packing materials.

I wish there was a visual.  For all we know, "littered" could mean that they were stacked neatly at the end of the aisle.  I do realize they could also be spread out all over the aisle, but we don't know what the situation was.  If the employees were taking every single box back as soon as it was emptied, they would never get anything else done.  Frequently, it's easier to stack your boxes and then take them back all at once. 

[still in va]

there really isn't an excuse for having the aisles littered with broken down boxes and packing materials.

I wish there was a visual.  For all we know, "littered" could mean that they were stacked neatly at the end of the aisle.  I do realize they could also be spread out all over the aisle, but we don't know what the situation was.  If the employees were taking every single box back as soon as it was emptied, they would never get anything else done.  Frequently, it's easier to stack your boxes and then take them back all at once.

i've actually seen examples of both in different stores.  i actually stopped shopping at the closest grocery store to my old house because so many aisles were completely blocked with stock and people filling the shelves that you literally could not get a grocery cart down the aisle.  and it was multiple aisles.  it got so bad that i wasted more time parking my cart at the end of aisles and squeezing past stockers (carrying arms-full of groceries back to my cart-the canned goods aisle was loads of fun!) to get what i needed that it saved time to drive an extra mile to another store.

oh i completely agree that it wouldn't be efficient in terms of time to carry each box back when it's emptied.  all the employees would be doing would be walking back and forth with  a single empty box and arms-full of materials.  maybe put all broken down boxes in one larger box, and all packing materials in another until both are full, then start all over again with new boxes.  and that might very well be this chain's policy, but the new employees don't have that part down yet. 

[ettiquit]

I don't think it's likely that all the employees were on break at the same time.  I never have a problem with shopping around employees who are stocking shelves, but it would bother me to see empty shelves and trash in the aisles and no one actively doing any work.

It wouldn't bother be enough to never go back, and I think I'd probably wait and see if things improve before contacting corporate.

[Wordgeek]

If this is an etiquette issue, I'm not seeing it.

Please use the off-topic folders for non-etiquette discussion.