Are you still doing these three things at the grocery store? Looks like everyone else has stopped

Australians are rethinking the rules of grocery shopping, and what was once considered polite behaviour is now frowned upon.

Rising costs and new supermarket technology have made everyday habits feel risky, even when the intention is simply to avoid paying for poor-quality produce.

The rise of grocery prices has forced households to adapt, with the average Australian family of four spending $240 per week—$12,480 per year—on groceries.

Seniors on fixed incomes feel this pinch acutely, making the temptation to bend the rules more understandable.

Yet, the social standards around shopping are tightening.

A recent survey revealed that 43 per cent of Australians changed how they shop following last year’s ACCC inquiry into supermarket pricing.

Twenty-three per cent said they were now much more cautious at major supermarkets, while 17 per cent shopped there less frequently.

Heightened awareness of pricing and ethics has made some previously normal habits unacceptable.

Scanning cheaper versions of produce

Trying to pass off expensive mangoes as cheaper tomatoes has become almost impossible, with 60 per cent of Australians now considering it unacceptable.

Self-checkouts now use advanced scanning systems and individual barcodes to identify produce, making old tricks ineffective.

While technology has made fraud harder, this behaviour was always theft, even when self-checkouts were new.

Sampling produce before purchase

Tasting grapes or checking berries for sweetness used to be standard shopping sense, but 57 per cent now consider it unacceptable.

The pandemic accelerated this change, and supermarkets are now protecting their fresh produce investments.

Shoppers may feel frustrated paying premium prices for fruit that isn’t up to standard, yet the rules are clear—sampling is discouraged.

Removing inedible portions before weighing

Only 42 per cent of Australians found this unacceptable, so many still considered it reasonable.

Snapping broccoli stalks or removing corn husks before weighing made sense when paying by weight.

Some supermarkets discouraged this practice with signage, while others resolved it by pricing items individually, eliminating the incentive for modification.

How supermarkets responded

Retailers intensified technology to counter rule-bending, with some Australians still admitting to occasional cheating at self-checkouts.

Modern systems included visual recognition technology, weight sensors, overhead cameras, and algorithms flagging unusual purchasing patterns.

These measures increased the risk of dishonest practices, with legal consequences extending beyond the cost of a few mangoes.

The real cost of groceries

Australian households now spent an average of $178 per week on groceries.

Thirty-nine per cent of shoppers reported financial stress from grocery bills, up from 29 per cent three years ago.

Prices rose in 27 of 30 product categories, with fruit up 9.5 per cent, eggs 9 per cent, and vegetables 8 per cent.

Smart shopping strategies

Shoppers increasingly sought legitimate ways to reduce costs.

In 2025, 71 per cent monitored specials, up from 63 per cent in 2024.

Sixty-one per cent shopped around to find better deals.

What shoppers really wanted

Sixty-three per cent of Australians prioritised low prices across all products over convenience, variety, or rewards.

Only 10 per cent valued loyalty points or offers most, suggesting consistent value outweighed flashy promotions.

The changing landscape

Australians adapted by opting for frozen or bulk items, showing creativity in maintaining budgets.

Rising grocery costs made bending the rules tempting, yet improved technology and social expectations made shortcuts riskier and less acceptable.

Seniors navigating these changes benefited from ethical, strategic shopping to maintain fairness and community respect.

If you found these grocery shopping tips useful, there’s a related story that explores how one major supermarket is changing the way people shop.

The piece highlights new features designed to make shopping more efficient and cost-conscious, offering real-life examples of how technology can improve the weekly shop.

It’s a practical follow-up for anyone looking to get the most out of their trips and navigate changing store practices.

Read more: ALDI reveals new features changing shopping habits: 'We're incredibly excited'

Have rising prices changed how you approach your weekly shop, and do you think these new standards are fair given the cost pressures families face?