A small detail in this Coles photo has customers fuming: 'Happens every day'

What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


shop1.jpg
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


shop2.jpg
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways
  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
 
Sponsored
What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
While I'm sure it is mostly adults putting items where they don't belong, sometimes it is toddlers sitting in the trolley. The parent probably gets home and wonders what happened to an item that they know they bought. At one stage with my kids, I would park the trolley in the middle of the isle to stop them grabbing things off the shelf or putting stuff in the trolley. Of course it was annoying to other shoppers.
 
If I decide I no longer want an item and cant put it back I then give it to the cashier.

Just leaving fresh items mixed with groceries will result in unnecessary waste.

If I saw someone doing this I would tell them to either put it back or give to the cashier
 
  • Like
Reactions: gordon1940
What would I do? I'd encourage him/her to sign up for membership of the YouJack Society, seeing the care factor was 100% in that demonstraion, although by doing so I'd risk a public mouth-off at the least, a bunch of fives at the most. These people just DON'T BLOODY CARE!
 
Just take
What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below
 
Just take the unwanted items to the checkouts- the operators will ensure the items are returned properly. It’s just not nec to dump items.
 
  • Like
Reactions: terri
Happens all the time but I see staff walk passed things like that and do nothing unless I mention it then some times I get a dirty look I don't put up with that and let them know
 
What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Grubs. Its all ages doing it. It's entitlement.
" keep someone in a job", " I spend enough money anyhow", " the company can afford it", " not my problem",

I'm suue you can add many more weak excuses.

These sentiments are rife throughout the community.

Sadly, respect and decency seem to have left our world.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StephenA
If it is spotted on the store cameras then a photo of that person dumping items they no longer want should be on display so other customers can see which person is causing the cost of groceries to keep rising. No excuse for laziness.
 
What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
It annoys the crap out of me, especially frozen, meet, and cold stuff what a waste. I must admit sometimes there’s stuff in my trolley I end up not wanting, either too expensive or just changed my mind, I can’t walk all that way back due to bad feet so as I’m going through the checkout I’ll give it to the girls/guy just saying I change my mind, better than leaving it all over the store.
 
Harking back on my supermarket days, it was and obviously still is a massive problem. Food wastage is a nightmare. But expecting overworked workers to spot these products before they are ruined is an impossible mission. I did the closing shift three nights a week and was often on my own for two hours prior to closing. That has changed in recent years but only by one team member, so retuning stock that has been deliberately misplaced as well as the stock that is no longer wanted being left at the checkout is a very time consuming task. And it was the duty of the service people to do that as well as continuing to serve people through the checkout. There were no superheroes working on my shifts.
 
What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
If these lazy sods get shamed for their pathetic attitude, they won't come back to shop at that store, and that is worse for the business. You just can't win.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pommyoz
What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Lot of lazy people out there !!
 
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If I saw someone do this I might pick up the item and say to the person, “Why don’t I take this back to where it came from?” It might make him or her embarrassed enough to at least not do it again! 🤣🤣
 
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What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
this gets on my goat lazy lazy ...but the main thing thats gets on my goat is people go into stores with food or a coffee in their hand and just leave the empty container or half eaten item on the shelf .....blooming pigs
 
  • Like
Reactions: POG and StephenA
What’s your biggest pet peeve while grocery shopping? For many, it’s the rising costs of essential items, and others would say it’s the long queues at the checkout or the lack of stock.

But for one shopper, it’s finding a rogue item tucked away in an unlikely aisle. According to them, this ‘laziness’ results in ‘thousands of dollars’ worth of food waste.



We can all relate to the frustration of seeing food go to waste. And it’s no secret that some shoppers can be a bit reckless when it comes to leaving items behind in our supermarkets, as a photo taken inside a Coles store in Perth recently demonstrated.

In it, boxes of washing powder can be seen piled up on several shelves, but among the products were also a loaf of bread and two bananas.


View attachment 17669
The statement struck a chord with other exasperated customers. Credit: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels

‘I don’t understand why it’s so hard to just put the items back where they were rather than dumping them in the cleaning aisle,’ the poster wrote on Reddit.

‘I get that some people are lazy or in a rush, but it’s only a 20-metre walk most of the time,’ they continued.

The statement clearly struck a nerve with exasperated customers and supermarket employees alike, who shared their experiences in the comments section.



One staff member from Woolies wrote: ‘The amount of bananas I find scattered around the store is nuts. Some people leave things around because it’s funny; some leave things because they’re lazy.’

‘I work at a supermarket, and all day, every day, this happens,’ another responded.

‘Just yesterday, I found two packets of frozen fruit sitting on a display of biscuits that was next to the frozen fruit! It breaks my heart because that’s $15 down the drain, and we can’t donate it or sell it. Straight to the bin,’ they continued.

Others agreed that leaving chilled items elsewhere is a ‘low act’.

‘The bananas don’t bother me as much as people who leave freezer/fridge items in the aisles. They’re the real jerks,’ one explained.


View attachment 17670
The shopper uploaded this photo alongside their post on social media. Credit: Reddit

Another agreed and said: ‘Especially when it’s something pricey like meat, ... (and) when there is a fridge very close by.’

Someone else jokingly shared that they become ‘homicidal’ whenever someone puts a cold item on top of a fridge or a display next to it.

‘These are the same people who won’t walk the trolley the 10m to the trolley collection bay but instead dump it to roll around the car park into someone’s car,’ one stated.

‘Worse is when it's a whole chicken, which I've seen before. Like that bird lived and died so some lazy person could dump it on a shelf so it could get chucked in the bin,’ another one replied.



However, not all social media users agreed with the poster’s statement. One person insisted that it was up to the supermarket staff to return the items.

‘They have workers who will put it back. Nobody is going all the way from laundry to fruit to put back a banana,’ they wrote.

Others took the opportunity to joke around in the comments.

‘You don’t add a banana to each wash?’ One quipped.

‘How else are you supposed to know how big the packets are without a banana for scale?’ Another replied.

Food wastage in supermarkets is very common, not only because of the dumped stock (or people leaving behind items in aisles where they don’t belong) but also because produce sometimes doesn’t fit the supermarket’s ‘cosmetic standards’.

According to figures from the Department of Environment, Australians waste the equivalent of 312 kilograms of food per person annually, costing the economy an estimated $36.6 billion a year.

This comes after reports that supermarkets throw out food ‘by the tonnes’ if the shape or size is not considered ‘perfect’ by their standards.

The report into food security recommended the government impose restrictions on the major retailers that would limit the amount of produce rejected and sent to waste.
Key Takeaways

  • A photo taken inside a Perth Coles store showing misplaced food items sparked customer complaints about wasted food and laziness.
  • The post received support and agreement from exasperated customers and supermarket employees.
  • Many commenters specifically condemned leaving chilled or frozen items out of their proper storage areas.
  • One Reddit user argued that supermarket staff should be responsible for returning misplaced items.
Have you ever seen items left around the supermarket? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Probably placed on shelves by the same people who complain about rising costs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StephenA

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