How you act in a supermarket often says a lot about how considerate you are of other people.
Leaving items everywhere
You grab a product and then decide you’ve changed your mind. However, you decide to simply leave it on a random nearby shelf rather than put it back in its correct spot. It’s even worse when the item is something that needs to be refrigerated, like dairy or meat, because a worker may not come across it until it has already spoiled.
Make an effort to return them to their proper spot and save a worker the trouble.
Blocking the aisle
Stopping to look up a price or double-check your trolley is a normal part of shopping, and you may not notice that you’re blocking other shoppers’ carts.
When that happens, simply let others go by or move your cart out of the way. But if you’re chatting with a fellow shopper and your carts are basically blocking the whole aisle, other customers will find it pretty irritating.
Picking through produce carelessly
There’s nothing wrong with checking over your fruits and vegetables before buying. But if you squeeze every avocado on display, dig through a bag of apples, or handle softer fruit carelessly, the next person will end up with damaged produce. And some people even pull grapes off the bunch and just leave them lying about.
Ignoring the cashier
Some people check out of a store with no acknowledgement or even a glance to the cashier. They’re usually on their phone, barely glancing at the cashier, and then they just walk out. You don’t have to have a long chat with the cashier, but you can at least acknowledge they exist and utter a greeting.
Abandoning your cart
It’s tempting to leave your shopping trolley next to your car or parked in an empty bay when you’re done with it. But this leads to problems: your trolley could roll into someone else’s car or end up blocking a parking bay. It also creates extra work for supermarket staff, who have to walk around the car park gathering up trolleys that people have left behind.
Crowding the checkout
You won’t make the checkout line go faster by crowding the person ahead of you. Sometimes, shoppers will start putting their things on the belt the moment the person in front begins emptying their trolley or basket. Getting too close can stress people out, especially when they’re trying to pay. Just show some consideration and leave room around you.
Opening unpaid products
It’s generally fine to crack open a snack or drink at the supermarket if you’re going to buy it afterwards. But there are some people who leave a partly eaten snack sitting on the shelf or give the cashier sticky or soggy packaging. Some even let their kids sample things without checking first whether they are sold individually.
Arguing over small discounts
Letting a shop know when something’s mispriced is completely fine, and so is asking if they’d consider a discount. What crosses the line is deliberately inconveniencing cashiers over expired coupons or promotions that aren’t valid for your purchase. Holding up a line of people behind you over some small store policy is just rude.
Taking the freshest items
Everyone should be mindful of best-before or expiry dates when shopping. Some people rummage through the back of the shelf just to grab the one with the latest date and then leave everything else scattered on the floor or shelf. Obviously it’s fair to select what works best for you, but please don’t ransack the shelves in the process.
Missing the express lane
Express lanes are for customers with only a few items. However, there are those who fill up their cart and then pretend to be shocked when someone mentions the item limit. They may try to argue that multiple copies of the same item should only count as one or that they are in a rush. Other people in that lane might be in a hurry too, and that’s exactly why they picked it.
Making employees clean up
Accidentally dropping a jar or spilling something can happen to anyone. What’s rude is walking away without notifying an employee when it’s on the floor for someone to slip on. Some shoppers even notice the contents of a package leaking but leave it on the shelf for someone else to buy. You don’t have to clean it up yourself, but at least inform someone.
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