Shopper's Controversial Prank Sparks Outrage: Is it Hilarious or Just Plain Cruel?
- Replies 13
Pranks are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they can be a playful and entertaining way to inject some humour into our daily lives. On the other hand, they can be a nuisance and cause unnecessary trouble for others.
Recently, a Woolworths supermarket was the victim of one such prank. A clever imposter, pretending to be a store employee, took to the intercom to announce an unbelievable deal that sent shoppers into a frenzy.
Even though it was done in good fun, this prank caused chaos for shoppers at Woolworths.
In a now-viral video uploaded on social media by Ashton_ttv, a man was shown walking down the supermarket aisle, before grabbing the intercom system's microphone and calling for the attention of all customers.
‘The refrigerator system is temporarily broken so, for the next two minutes, everything in aisle 15 is now free. Thank you,’ he said and quickly walked away before anyone could see him.
The prank caused some shoppers to flock to the freezers, open the doors and toss the goods in their trolleys. One man was even seen stacking tubs of ice cream in his arms while his child stood to watch.
The person who uploaded the video called the unnamed man a ‘menace to society’. However, the comments section was split as to whether the prank was funny or outrageous.
‘Legend,’ one wrote.
‘My guy just started a full-on social experiment,’ added another.
One said that the man should’ve suggested a shopping aisle number that doesn’t exist, and watch as people go look for that aisle.
‘Hope they honoured that announcement,’ commented one.
‘I would love to see more of the aftermath,’ said another.
However, some people felt like this was a ‘cruel’ prank since it created more work for the supermarket staff. They would have to put all the discarded items back in their proper places, or even face the wrath of disgruntled customers who fell for the joke.
‘The problem is the hardworking people that have to put [the items] back,’ stated one.
‘Depending on how much was thrown away after being in shopping carts, can’t the store sue?’, asked one. The person was probably referring to the strict health and safety regulations that Aussie supermarkets adhere to.
Stores like Coles or Woolworths must keep fresh food such as meat or dairy at a certain temperature to avoid spoilage. If they cannot be kept at a certain temperature, they cannot be sold and must be discarded. This is what happened to Woolworths late last year after the store was forced to clear out hundreds of items after a power outage. You can read that story here.
‘People believed it was the sad part,’ another social media user said.
Impersonation of staff at supermarkets might lead to more abuse towards the staff, especially since people react differently to pranks. In December last year, Woolies implemented a new security measure in select stores to prevent shoppers from getting aggressive towards employees. You can read about that here.
However, a spokesperson from Woolworths believed that their customers wouldn’t be fooled by the ‘cruel’ prank.
‘Our customers are a savvy bunch and would see right through this,’ they said.
You can watch the prank video below:
Whatever your stance may be regarding the man’s prank, one thing that came out of it was a demonstration of the concept of impulse buying and the power of suggestive marketing.
Impulse buying, characterised by an unplanned decision (and spurred on by emotions), fuels a consumer to buy items on impulse. This can be fuelled by several marketing factors, such as price promotions, eye-catching ads or devices, as well as the atmosphere of the retail space.
Seeing a simple ‘Sale’ sign can trigger an emotional response in consumers because they’re likely to buy things that would make them ‘happy’. This ‘mood-boosting’ response tends to triumph against practical or sensible options, and would lead to people buying things that they don’t necessarily need.
What are your thoughts on this, members? Do you think this was a harmless joke or did the man go too far? Let us know in the comments below!
Recently, a Woolworths supermarket was the victim of one such prank. A clever imposter, pretending to be a store employee, took to the intercom to announce an unbelievable deal that sent shoppers into a frenzy.
Even though it was done in good fun, this prank caused chaos for shoppers at Woolworths.
In a now-viral video uploaded on social media by Ashton_ttv, a man was shown walking down the supermarket aisle, before grabbing the intercom system's microphone and calling for the attention of all customers.
Do you think this was a ‘cruel’ prank? Credit: Woolworths
‘The refrigerator system is temporarily broken so, for the next two minutes, everything in aisle 15 is now free. Thank you,’ he said and quickly walked away before anyone could see him.
The prank caused some shoppers to flock to the freezers, open the doors and toss the goods in their trolleys. One man was even seen stacking tubs of ice cream in his arms while his child stood to watch.
The person who uploaded the video called the unnamed man a ‘menace to society’. However, the comments section was split as to whether the prank was funny or outrageous.
‘Legend,’ one wrote.
‘My guy just started a full-on social experiment,’ added another.
One said that the man should’ve suggested a shopping aisle number that doesn’t exist, and watch as people go look for that aisle.
‘Hope they honoured that announcement,’ commented one.
One man was stacking tubs of frozen treats in his hands while his son watched. Credit: Ashton_ttv/TikTok
‘I would love to see more of the aftermath,’ said another.
However, some people felt like this was a ‘cruel’ prank since it created more work for the supermarket staff. They would have to put all the discarded items back in their proper places, or even face the wrath of disgruntled customers who fell for the joke.
‘The problem is the hardworking people that have to put [the items] back,’ stated one.
‘Depending on how much was thrown away after being in shopping carts, can’t the store sue?’, asked one. The person was probably referring to the strict health and safety regulations that Aussie supermarkets adhere to.
Stores like Coles or Woolworths must keep fresh food such as meat or dairy at a certain temperature to avoid spoilage. If they cannot be kept at a certain temperature, they cannot be sold and must be discarded. This is what happened to Woolworths late last year after the store was forced to clear out hundreds of items after a power outage. You can read that story here.
‘People believed it was the sad part,’ another social media user said.
Impersonation of staff at supermarkets might lead to more abuse towards the staff, especially since people react differently to pranks. In December last year, Woolies implemented a new security measure in select stores to prevent shoppers from getting aggressive towards employees. You can read about that here.
However, a spokesperson from Woolworths believed that their customers wouldn’t be fooled by the ‘cruel’ prank.
‘Our customers are a savvy bunch and would see right through this,’ they said.
You can watch the prank video below:
Whatever your stance may be regarding the man’s prank, one thing that came out of it was a demonstration of the concept of impulse buying and the power of suggestive marketing.
Impulse buying, characterised by an unplanned decision (and spurred on by emotions), fuels a consumer to buy items on impulse. This can be fuelled by several marketing factors, such as price promotions, eye-catching ads or devices, as well as the atmosphere of the retail space.
Seeing a simple ‘Sale’ sign can trigger an emotional response in consumers because they’re likely to buy things that would make them ‘happy’. This ‘mood-boosting’ response tends to triumph against practical or sensible options, and would lead to people buying things that they don’t necessarily need.
.png){kind=icon}
