Most of the time, I don’t wake up early enough to catch stores opening. Each time I have woken up early enough to be one of the first to enter large stores, I’ve noticed a big difference from the US.
In the US, store workers are often in the background or at the cash registers when a shop opens. In Taiwan, however, store workers often line the pathways around their shops and stand at attention, welcoming, even while customers are browsing shops.
There are a couple greeters here on the food court level from different eateries waiting to welcome customers.
It’s only until someone is ready to purchase, requires assistance, or after some time that these workers break away from greeting to carry on normal shop duties.
What I’ve also found interesting is that store opening at many large stores is often heralded with music as if to signal to everyone that the building is ready for business.
What kinds of etiquette have you noticed abroad when stores open?