Roger Thibodeau, the clerk of the family-owned store, told KTUU he initially thought it was a dog but became "kinda freaked out" after seeing the snout and realizing it was actually a bear.
"I think that was the closest I've ever been to a bear," he told KTOO. "I was basically kind of stunned when I saw it."
Before the bear was able to make its choice from the selection of candy bars, a customer began clapping his hands and shooed the bear away to the Harri Plumbing and Heating next door.
Bob Dilley of the Juneau Police Department said the bear likely just followed its nose into the store.
"That place probably had some food in there that smelled so it wanted to check it out," he said.
Dilley added that he's rarely seen a bear behave the way this one did in his 19 years working as a community service officer.
"It's fairly rare that they actually walk into a front door like that," he said. "It's a matter of luck that they come by and the door's open."
