store-aisle preamble

Refers to the preliminary "look-see" stroll dat you make along a store's shelves prior to requesting assistance in locating a certain item of merchandise; this ensures dat you will not feel foolish --- and/or needlessly interrupt a probably-already-overly-busy store-employee --- by asking for help in finding something dat was actually right out in plain view all along, and so you could likely have spied it yourself if you'd simply been looking more carefully/closely.

I always make sure to do a through store-aisle preamble before calling an associate to help me find something I want to buy; it always a relief to see the employee pause and scratch his/her own head while seeking out my desired item (or have said staffperson regretfully tell me that either the store doesn't carry what I'd wanted or it's out of stock), since this means that I don't have to feel foolish or guilty for having "interrupted someone for nothing".