Sampling In Tesco - STEALING!?

Question

I have just been shopping and i am surprised that people 'eat' fruit and sample fruit and think that this acceptable behaviour.
What are your opinions, because i think this is stealing, YES Tesco makes a fortune each minute of the day but is this acceptable to do?

Answer 1

i used to work in the co op and there was one woman who used to get a bag of plums and just eat them as she walked round, it used to infuriate me! Not coz the co op needed the money i just thought it was so cheeky!! I used to put my finger on the scales if she came to my till just to increase the weight lol

Answer 2

If you go to any small food shop like a grocers they will always let you taste something before you buy if you ask them. This goes for just about any other small food retailer - i always ask to taste a bit of the cheese i am going to buy otherwise how will i know if i like it. Also very important is that if you sample something you might decide it was so nice you will buy some of the product you have sampled. I have shopped in tesco and they are always perfectly happy for me to try things before i buy if i ask - e.g. at the cheese counter so i don't think they would mind you tasting the fruit before you buy either. Obviously you wouldn't pick a banana up and eat the whole thing you have to judge if they will be ok by looking at colour of skin etc. I think it is all just common sense - a grape here or there isn't going to bring them down.

Answer 3

Yes it's stealing. I've also often seen mums put a bag of grapes in the trolley and let their kid pick at them until they reach the checkout, where they are then priced by weight! What kind of message is this to the little ones?

I also hate to see people (it's usually old ladies - my Mum's terrible) squeezing several items of fruit or veg before selecting one. A gentle pressure to check if something's ripe is one thing, but some folk give them a really hard squeeze and then leave them for the next person. Ever wonder why your fruit mysteriously seems to be bruised when you get it home?

Answer 4

The UK is kind of different to the USA, l was born and raised in the UK then moved to the USA 5 years ago, Is a different world, the first time l went to the market with my wife she would have a meal there while shopping but in the UK you would be shot for it.
In the USA no its not Stealing, Its just they way they do it out here, in the UK its very possible it could be and you could run up one big bill fast eating in Tesco at those prices.

Answer 5

it will be that she became only an eco-friendly cashier and made some blunders even as getting into the numbers on the until eventually eventually (I saved doing this when I first began operating- I artwork at Tesco) and did not propose to short replace you. people make blunders. Or may were in a hurry to end her shift as you reported she became no the position to be seen once you got here lower back 10 minutes later. it is quite complicated to tear-off Tesco tills. many people were sacked from my save for stealing money out of the tills. we've until eventually eventually readings and checks quite a few cases an afternoon. i ought to propose you're making a criticism to bypass workplace, they're many times quite good at managing lawsuits and that i'm particular they could compensate you on your loss. i ought to also write to the authorities of the save and deliver a photocopy of your receipt, as they could be able to work out who the guy became that served you. That way they could be able to save a watch on her/random search for her and if she is stealing money, they're going to study it.

Answer 6

It certainly should be stealing. The only time I've observed this in my local supermarket it was alcoholic/druggy types getting a free feed after blowing their dole in the pub.

However I recently visited Kentish Town in North West London, and in a little Lebanese supermarket they have open tubs of pickled olives and little cups to put the stones in. So its definitely Try before you Buy. How they would feel if you tried one of each and then left without buying I don't know?

Answer 7

the industry call this `grazing`and as a shop assistant i come across chery pips,apple cores empty containers of various produce including prawns which when left for a couple of days absolutely stink ,and its these people that complain when shopping about the prices of such goods...but grazing is much more common than shoplifting per se,because they know that they will get away with it ,if they haven`t got the wrapper or container by the time they reach the checkout then they don`t pay for it ....more fool the shops for not employing people to watch for these grazers!

Answer 8

absolutely! and you are also correct to say that a load of money goes through the cash registers -- but, and this is a little known fact, the typical supermarket generates only a 1 cent of profit on every dollar of food sales. so, that grape or cherry is costing a high percentage.

moral of the story -- don't do it!

btw, most of that other 99 cents goes to manufacturers and distributors -- the farmers and ranchers make next to nothing these days.

Answer 9

i also shop in tesco and im forever seen people walking around eaten grapes while there doing there shopping there not gonna pay for the stuff they eat so yes i would say this is stealing

Answer 10

I completely agree with you! Why should it be acceptable to taste the smaller fruits-we couldnt go hacking up a watermelon and eat, now could we! For me, I dont want to taste anything until I get it home and wash it thouroughly anyway., No telling who all has handled it and how many pesticide residue. ewwwwweeee

Answer 11

In my book to take something in a shop which doesn't belong to you without paying for it is stealing. The same goes for all those scavengers on that beach who took all those shipwrecked goods....... morally it was stealing. I'd have shot them all with a machine gun !!!