Most people don’t enjoy the weekly food shop, so you’d think we’d all be trying to make it a little easier for each other—yet there are people who will still have the poorest shopping etiquette when it comes to those supermarket trips. How many of these 19 rude things drive you up the wall?
Blocking the Aisles with Trolleys
You’ve seen it before: a trolley left smack dab in the middle of the aisle, often sideways, while its owner casually examines every label on the shelf or scrolls through their phone. A little awareness goes a long way here—just park your trolley neatly to one side so everyone can get by.
Handling Items They Don’t Buy
Picking up items, giving them a squeeze, and then putting them back is unfortunately all too common, especially in the produce section. While it might seem harmless to you, consider how many hands might have prodded that same avocado before you arrived—no one wants to end up with bruised fruit or squished bread because someone else couldn’t make up their mind.
Ignoring the “10 Items or Fewer” Rule
If you’ve got a big shop, head to the regular tills—simple as that—because there’s nothing more maddening than waiting patiently in the express queue, only to realise the person in front of you has enough items to feed a small army. These express lanes are meant for speed, not for someone to sneak in with 20-odd items and hold everyone up.
Abandoning Frozen Food in Random Aisles
We’ve all been there, picking up a frozen pizza on a whim, then deciding later it’s not what you fancy, but rather than trekking back to the freezer aisle, some people think it’s perfectly fine to ditch it next to the biscuits.
Not only does this create waste—since the item is now likely ruined—but it also means more work for staff who have to find and deal with it.
Leaving Trolleys in Parking Spaces
Whether you return your trolley or not is a true testament to the kind of person you are, and nothing ruins a perfectly good parking spot like finding an abandoned trolley parked there instead. For some reason, there are always shoppers who can’t be bothered to walk a few steps to the trolley return bay.
Not Controlling Children in the Store
Supermarkets can be a playground for some kids, but for everyone else, the sight of children running wild can turn a normal shop into a chaotic experience. When kids are grabbing items off shelves, racing down aisles, or having loud tantrums, it’s stressful for other shoppers.
Sampling Items Without Paying
Nibbling a grape or sneaking a sip from a bottle before you’ve checked out might not feel like a big deal, but it’s technically theft, and beyond that, it’s just bad manners. Other shoppers notice, and even if they don’t say anything, they’re probably judging you (supermarkets offer free samples for a reason).
Leaving Litter in Trolleys
Be it an old receipt, a crumpled wrapper, or even worse, finding litter in the trolley you want to use is an unpleasant way to start your shop. It only takes a few seconds to chuck your litter into a bin, but for some reason, people leave their rubbish for the next person to deal with.
Talking Loudly on the Phone
Of course, sometimes you need to take a call while shopping, but does the entire shop need to hear every detail of your conversation? Loud phone chatter is not only distracting but also incredibly rude, and other people are just trying to focus on their own tasks and get through the shop so they can go home.
Standing in the Middle of the Aisle to Chat
What’s worse than blocking an aisle with a trolley? Blocking the aisle so you can have a chat with someone you’ve just bumped into, ignoring the fact that aisles are busy places, and clogging them up with a long chat leaves other shoppers stuck or forced to awkwardly squeeze past.
Bringing Pets (When Not Allowed)
Unless it’s an assistance animal, it’s against the rules for a reason, and it’s not cute to bring your dog with you when food safety standards are strict. Having pets in the store—whether in trolleys or on leads—can make other customers uncomfortable, especially those with allergies or phobias, when you could just leave them at home.
Returning Damaged Items to the Shelf
Finding a jar of jam with a cracked lid or a cereal box torn open is one of those little frustrations that can sour a shop, and the people who leave damaged goods on the shelf are not only inconveniencing others, they’re also creating waste. Since these items often can’t be sold, the decent thing to do is hand any damaged items you find to a staff member.
Lingering Too Long at Samples
Free samples are meant to give everyone a quick taste, not to be a substitute for lunch, therefore going back for multiple helpings is greedy and prevents others from having a chance to try the product. Be fair by grabbing a sample, enjoying it, and moving on to leave some for the next person.
Taking Too Long on Self-Checkout
Self-checkouts are designed for speed and convenience, but that goes out the window when someone’s being slow by either blocking the line, walking slowly or taking an hour to put one item through. If you’re new to self-checkouts, going during peak busy time is probably not the best idea when there’s someone waiting behind you.
Skipping Ahead in Queues
Queue-jumping might be a cardinal sin in British culture, but that doesn’t stop some people from trying to sneak ahead, whether they pretend not to notice the queue or brazenly step in front of others. It’s a guaranteed way to irritate everyone, and we have to remember that queues work because they’re fair, so wait your turn like everyone else.
Leaving Perishable Items at the Till
Changing your mind at the supermarket isn’t uncommon, but if it happens after you’ve reached the till, abandoning milk, meat, or other perishables there instead of putting them back is wasteful. These items often end up spoiling because staff might not notice them in time.
Hovering Over Others While They Shop
Standing too close while someone else is browsing is uncomfortable, and leaning over them to grab something is downright rude. Everyone needs a little personal space, especially in busy aisles, so waiting a moment or politely asking if you can grab an item is going to improve the shopping experience for everybody.
Leaving Bags of Bread Open
When people open bread bags to check the freshness but don’t bother resealing them, they ruin the item for the next shopper, not to mention that it’s unhygienic and leads to perfectly good loaves going off. Either choose a different one or commit to buying the one you’ve touched.
Ignoring Staff Instructions
And finally, let’s have a little respect for the staff, who aren’t there to be bossy—they’re just doing their jobs to keep the shop running smoothly. So ignoring signs or being rude to employees doesn’t help anyone—a bit of patience and kindness goes a long way.