Do You Graze at Supermarkets?
By bostonphil
@bostonphil (4459)
United States
May 1, 2017 8:04pm CST
I live next door to a wonderful organic supermarket. I live next door to HEB's Central Market which is similar to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.
I do almost all my shopping there and go almost daily spending about $100 a week for just me.
Samples are given out and I do my share of sampling. I also "sample" one piece of chocolate candy every time I go from the bulk candy. It is a treat to me because I am diabetic and can not eat very much candy.
I was with a friend today who has retired well. She bought me a nice lunch in the Cafe at this supermarket and then we did a little shopping. I went to the candy and took my one piece of candy. She became very irate with me and accused me of shoplifting. She gave me a very bad time.
There were samples all over the store and she told me that it was ok to sample if it was offered but not to take. she told me I should have weighed the one piece of candy and paid for it.
This friend has retired well. I have not.
When I got home, I looked up shoplifting on line and apparently "grazing" is seen as a form of shoplifting. Supermarkets lose a lot of money every year from customers "grazing" as they call it.
What is your opinion of shoplifting vs grazing. Do you graze.
From what i just read on line, about 25% of consumers graze regularly.
2 people like this
2 responses
@FourWalls (62518)
• United States
2 May 17
I tend to not graze because of food allergies and the fact that I'm trying desperately to stay off statins. And candy isn't the only thing that gets "grazed," I'm sure lots of grapes disappear from the produce aisle, one at a time.
"Legally," it is stealing; however, it would cost more in manhours and supplies (putting one piece of candy into a bag and having it weighed at the check-out) than you would pay.
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
2 May 17
I have never even thought of it like that. First, there are a lot of available samples throughout the store but in produce, I always taste a grape or cherry or tomato when I walk by the stands that have them loose. I know others do also. I have even seen the staff sample.I have done this for years, often in front of staff, and no one has ever said anything to me. There are also sealed bags of fruit and produce. I don't open those.
At the bulk candy, I have seen signs that say "no grazing" but because I am in Texas, I thought that it was just Texas cute. You know, grazing like cows ...
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
2 May 17
Your friend is really ridiculous. If supermarkets loses a lot of money, they will increase the price on something to cover their loss.
Over here, the rule is stricter.
Unless there are promoters offering samples, it is not right to just take and eat.
That will be shoplifting.
Those samples usually have the sticker or label "sample" sticks on it.
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
2 May 17
Does that include sampling one candy from the bulk candy? What would they do if they saw you sampling one grape or one piece of candy? Would they take you to jail?
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
2 May 17
@bostonphil I have never seen people doing that. There are CCTVs everywhere, and if they want, they can show to the police.
It is considered theft in supermarket, though in the wet market, you can ask if you want to try one.
