It was rare that an overly eager sales representative elevated a shopping experience in the first place. But after the pandemic, helicopter associates this holiday season might also trigger some unexpected social anxiety brought on by lockdowns. I know because it recently happened to me. After almost two years of not leisurely shopping in person, I decided to stop by a well-known smell good store to pick up some of their signature candles. I had strategically made the trip during a smaller sale that paled in comparison to their annual event, where people waited in lines for coveted scents like champagne toast. I was immediately seized upon: “What brought you in?,” “Do you prefer fruity smells or musky?,” “Follow me! Maybe you’ll like this one.” I explained that I was in to browse and was getting along fine, but that didn’t stop the barrage. By the time an associate offered to retrieve a candle I didn’t ask for, while I was in the middle of washing my hands, my flight or fight...
