"Are you alright there?"

This is a phrase I've been noticing more and more here in the UK. It is usually used when I'm used to hearing, "Can I help you?" or, "How are you?" I find it somewhat annoying. What kind of a question is that? It just doesn't work for those situations. The other day I walked up to the fitting rooms in a shop and the guy said, "Are you alright there?" What if I said, "No, actually I've had a really bad day. I lost my job, my dog died and I got dumped?" All he really needed to ask was "How many items do you have?" Instead he used a phrase that didn't really fit the situation.

"Can I help you?" just sounds much nicer to the ears.