Woolworths gives away FREE fruit to children, but some shoppers are taking advantage
- Replies 33
A series of recently uploaded videos have shed light on the 'disrespectful' behaviour of some Woolworths customers towards the 'Free Fruit For Kids' displays that are located in the supermarket.
In the videos posted on TikTok, two adult customers shamelessly boast about how they walk around the store eating the complimentary apples, bananas, and mandarin oranges that are intended for children.
Aside from eating the free fruit provided for children who accompany their parents in the supermarkets, the two customers also mentioned that they do not make any purchases in the store.
'Walking into Woolworths for the free fruit, pretending to shop whilst eating them and then leaving without buying anything,' the man wrote in his TikTok video. He filmed himself walking around the store while eating a banana, but neither a shopping cart nor a basket can be seen.
The same goes for the second Woolies shopper, who shared a clip of herself eating a banana in the store, along with the caption: 'Woolies employees watching me walk in, grab the free fruit for kids, walk around a bit then leave without buying anything.'
At Woolies, two adults admitted to taking the free fruit meant for kids. Credit: TikTok.
It came as no surprise that there was a backlash from several users on the platform after the two Woolies shoppers shared their behaviour while in the supermarket. Most said that the fruit is for kids, and that adults shouldn't be taking them.
'I feel like it's illegal doing it,' one person wrote in the comments, while a second described one of the shoppers as a 'menace to society.'
'You definitely shouldn't be going in just for this, knowing you're not going to buy anything,' said a third.
A fourth agreed and added, 'This is how good things will always come to an end. The idea is for kids to eat fruit, not for cheapskates taking advantage of the system.'
Surprisingly, not everyone reacted negatively to the two shoppers. Some of them admitted that they do the same thing sometimes, taking one or two fruit for themselves while in the store.
'My fiancé gets me one when we go shopping together,' one person commented, while another wrote: 'Not me going in with my baby pretending that's it's for him even though he is too small to eat.'
Someone who claimed to be a Woolworths team member has also commented on the post and said that these types of situations have been a recurring issue at their local store.
'As a fruit and veg worker at Woolies, I see this all day. The number of adults that do this…' the employee said.
The goal of the national 'free fruit' program is to encourage kids to eat more fruit. Credit: Triple M.
Woolworths first introduced its popular 'Free Fruit For Kids' campaign in 2015, offering a range of fresh produce for kids to enjoy while shopping with their parents.
Ever since the program started, children all across the country have been able to get free apples, bananas, pears, and mandarins when they are in season at Woolies locations.
The supermarket company estimates that more than 14,000 tons of free fruit, which is enough to fill more than six Olympic-sized swimming pools, have been given out to kids so far.
Paul Turner, the General Manager of Fruit and Vegetables at Woolworths, said, 'At Woolworths, we want to help kids get their recommended daily intake of fruit.'
'Providing Australian kids with more than 100 million pieces of free fruit is one of our largest community initiatives. It not only makes fresh fruit easily accessible for kids across Australia but is helping build a healthier future for our country.'
What are your thoughts, folks? Do you agree that these free fruit should be strictly for children only? Or do you think the adults can also get themselves a piece or two? Let us know in the comments!
In the videos posted on TikTok, two adult customers shamelessly boast about how they walk around the store eating the complimentary apples, bananas, and mandarin oranges that are intended for children.
Aside from eating the free fruit provided for children who accompany their parents in the supermarkets, the two customers also mentioned that they do not make any purchases in the store.
'Walking into Woolworths for the free fruit, pretending to shop whilst eating them and then leaving without buying anything,' the man wrote in his TikTok video. He filmed himself walking around the store while eating a banana, but neither a shopping cart nor a basket can be seen.
The same goes for the second Woolies shopper, who shared a clip of herself eating a banana in the store, along with the caption: 'Woolies employees watching me walk in, grab the free fruit for kids, walk around a bit then leave without buying anything.'
At Woolies, two adults admitted to taking the free fruit meant for kids. Credit: TikTok.
It came as no surprise that there was a backlash from several users on the platform after the two Woolies shoppers shared their behaviour while in the supermarket. Most said that the fruit is for kids, and that adults shouldn't be taking them.
'I feel like it's illegal doing it,' one person wrote in the comments, while a second described one of the shoppers as a 'menace to society.'
'You definitely shouldn't be going in just for this, knowing you're not going to buy anything,' said a third.
A fourth agreed and added, 'This is how good things will always come to an end. The idea is for kids to eat fruit, not for cheapskates taking advantage of the system.'
Surprisingly, not everyone reacted negatively to the two shoppers. Some of them admitted that they do the same thing sometimes, taking one or two fruit for themselves while in the store.
'My fiancé gets me one when we go shopping together,' one person commented, while another wrote: 'Not me going in with my baby pretending that's it's for him even though he is too small to eat.'
Someone who claimed to be a Woolworths team member has also commented on the post and said that these types of situations have been a recurring issue at their local store.
'As a fruit and veg worker at Woolies, I see this all day. The number of adults that do this…' the employee said.
The goal of the national 'free fruit' program is to encourage kids to eat more fruit. Credit: Triple M.
Woolworths first introduced its popular 'Free Fruit For Kids' campaign in 2015, offering a range of fresh produce for kids to enjoy while shopping with their parents.
Ever since the program started, children all across the country have been able to get free apples, bananas, pears, and mandarins when they are in season at Woolies locations.
The supermarket company estimates that more than 14,000 tons of free fruit, which is enough to fill more than six Olympic-sized swimming pools, have been given out to kids so far.
Paul Turner, the General Manager of Fruit and Vegetables at Woolworths, said, 'At Woolworths, we want to help kids get their recommended daily intake of fruit.'
'Providing Australian kids with more than 100 million pieces of free fruit is one of our largest community initiatives. It not only makes fresh fruit easily accessible for kids across Australia but is helping build a healthier future for our country.'
What are your thoughts, folks? Do you agree that these free fruit should be strictly for children only? Or do you think the adults can also get themselves a piece or two? Let us know in the comments!
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