15 Things You Should Never Do at the Grocery Store

Faux Pas Grocery Store

Have you ever seen a shopper with no etiquette? We all have it. Leaving your cart in the middle of an aisle, using express checkout for too many items, etc. Please don’t do any of this at the grocery store!

The following banned grocery store foods are not endorsed by current or former grocery store employees. These are the worst offenses that the average consumer can unknowingly be guilty of.

Read on to make sure you don’t do any of these things at your local grocery store.

Leaving things in the wrong place

Sure, you might not think it’s a big deal to leave a box of cereal in the baking aisle when you realize you don’t really need it, but it’s inconsiderate of the employees who will have to clean it up later. “I hate it when people randomly put things back on the shelf where they don’t belong,” one said. Reddit a user who worked in a grocery store. “Especially if it’s refrigerated or frozen food!”

“Whenever I find something like pie left on, say, golf ball caps, I always imagine the scenario that happened there,” joked another Reddit user who used to work at a grocery store. “Some customers have been faced with the dilemma of choosing pie or golf balls, but not both. – Sorry, pie. You lost!

Passing the express line with too many items

“I had an older guy come through the 12 items or less express lane I was serving the other day. He told me he’s “pretty sure I have 12 items,” but when he starts unloading his groceries, I realize it’s about double that amount, one Reddit user said. “Then he had the nerve to tell me that it seemed like I was bored anyway, so he came over to give me something to do.”

Don’t do this! The purpose of the express lane is to provide convenience for those who are really just carrying a few things. If you accidentally missed an item or two, it’s not a big deal, but deliberately trying to get into a shorter line isn’t cool.

Leave the cart in the middle of the aisle

Leaving your cart in the middle of an aisle while you run to get your item elsewhere may seem convenient for you, but it creates traffic jams for other shoppers trying to navigate already cramped aisles.

“When they’re not looking, push their cart to the other end of the aisle. I used to work in a supermarket and did this all the time,” jokes one Reddit user. “They turn around, and he’s 50 meters away!”

Not being ready for the checkout

If you’re waiting in line at the checkout, the least you can do is have cash or a card ready so you’re ready to go as soon as it’s your turn to scan and pay for your items. Don’t just scroll through your phone and be surprised when the cashier looks at you expectantly.

“We hate these people as much as you do,” said one Reddit user and grocery store employee. “The cashier scans your items and bags them. They calculate the score and report it to “Forgetless”. The key 5 minutes of searching for a credit card, a customer loyalty card, that coupon they received that has probably expired but they still want to use. These people have always pissed me off the most because there is no excuse for them. While you wait for someone to call you, you can take care of everything!”

Touching products and bulk food

“The most evil person I have ever met in my life was one of our sales people. He was so proud of his work, but hated every person who shopped in his department,” one Reddit user explained. “The number of people who touch tomatoes, apples, potatoes, onions, nuts, seeds and the like is insane. And see what they do with their hands before touching the product? Terrible.

In other words: Don’t be that person who touches and feels every piece of product before choosing the perfect one. Chances are that most of the produce will be of similar maturity and quality.

Dispute with cashier

“I hate it when people sit and argue with the cashier about the coupons they have, and then start looking for and offering new ones that are also clearly out of date, all for the sake of saving $2 on over $150 worth of groceries,” one said grocery store buyer. “Can I just give the cashier my 20 and leave? They can even keep the change!”

Too specific approach to the grocery store

“Yeah, we all like the cuts a little different, but I guarantee you won’t notice the extra 1/32-inch thickness,” said one shopper. “Also, if you need 1 pound of turkey and the small scale says 1.01, just roll with it. I don’t want to sit and wait while they try to make your damn order absolutely perfect without you even noticing.”

Excessive chattiness with the cashier

You might think that making small talk with a cashier is polite, and it can be done, but having long conversations while others are waiting in line is simply inconsiderate and puts the cashier in an awkward situation. “I don’t care if you have nothing better to do than talk to the cashier and hold up the line, everyone else wants to be somewhere else,” said one frustrated shopper.

Leaving the cart in the middle of the parking lot

“I hate pulling into a parking space only to find a cart at the end,” another shopper said. “You have to back park, get out, move the cart and park properly… All because the customer couldn’t walk 20 feet to the corral?!”

Not only will this disappoint your fellow shoppers, but it can also be very dangerous. Always push the cart into the pen and make sure it is secure before returning to the car.

Leaving the checkout line for the last item

If you’re next in line and just realized you forgot something on your list, the right thing to do is to leave the line and go get the item rather than leaving your items in line and running to the store. “My ex would wait until we were next in line and then he would tell me, ‘Oh! I need to get XYZ and run away,” one Reddit user explained. Let’s just say there’s a reason they’re exes now.

Ask where everything is

According to one former grocery store employee, asking where something is is normal. A couple of items are fine, but going through the entire list just because you’re too lazy is not. “I helped an older gentleman find things on his entire list, and he kept asking me to find things we had already found,” the former employee explained. “His wife finally caught up with me and made me put it all back because apparently he had Alzheimer’s. This is the person I can forgive, not the lazy dad who always says “one more thing.”

Demanding cashiers look behind your back

Many grocery store employees experience the same anxiety: when customers ask them to check “back” for items that are out of stock or out of stock. Most grocery stores place all items on the shelves, so requiring employees to check the elusive “behind” won’t get you very far. If something is missing and you want to make money on the sale price, just ask for a rain check.

Blocking passages during a conversation

“I hate it when people stand in the middle of the aisle for a full-length meeting and don’t move,” said one shopper, adding that it’s annoying and inconsiderate. Instead, if you run into a friend while shopping, consider catching up with them at the end of the aisle or simply agree to meet up later.

Break something and leave

“It’s not cool when someone breaks something, makes a huge mess and just walks away or acts like a jerk, thinking someone else will clean it up when they find it,” said one former employee. “This happened to me twice: once with a carton of milk, another time with a carton of sugar. In both cases there was a small hole at the bottom, and they walked back and forth along each passage, pouring in a steady stream. In one case, a person saw it was leaking and I caught it when they were trying to hide it on a shelf!”

Shuffling around aimlessly

“It’s so frustrating when people stumble around like zombies. They move slowly down the aisles, stopping when the cart is askew and you can’t get around it,” said one shopper. “They stand in front of soup or chicken or whatever and spend the next 10 minutes looking at the food. They give you sour looks as you quickly maneuver around them!

It’s one thing to enjoy grocery shopping and checking out new products, but if you’re taking your time at the grocery store, be mindful of those around you who want to get in and out as quickly as possible.

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This article was originally published on Cheapness

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