None of the usual explanations seem tot apply. The greed of store owners is not a good explanation because it does not prevent them from buying chairs for office clerks. Besides, standing all day makes people more tired and thus decreases their productivity, and that alone may offset the cost of buying chairs.
Another possibility is the expectation of "service" (translation: ass-kissing) on the part of the customers. Thus people in "waiting" or "service" jobs stand rather than sit to demonstrate their "readiness to serve." The problem with that explanting is that it remains a moot point whether the US-ers are, on average, more service expecting than the rest of the world. I am not aware of any comparative studies in this area, except perhaps an observation made by the sociologist Peter Berger who claimed to make an observation in international conferences he attended that North Americans tend to be less demeaning toward hotel staff than Europeans, who in turn tend to be less demeaning than South Americans. That observation itself is of questionable validity, however, because given Berger's occupation, is likely to be limited to sociologists which at least in this country are a wussy and bleeding-heart profession.
Are there any occupational studies showing the benefits of standing over sitting? Or perhaps any other explanation?
Wojtek