Customers have reached a new low

[mharbourgirl]

This seems like the best place to put this, but if I'm wrong please let me know.

Over the last year or so, local grocery stores have made a big push to get rid of plastic bags and get people to use reusable shopping bags. Something I totally approve of, as my trunk full of various cloth shopping bags can attest to.

There are two major grocery chains here, Sobeys and Superstore (Loblaws). Sobeys has lovely large reusable bags for about a dollar, Superstore has smaller ones but still a decent size for the same price. They've both gone plastic-free, technically, but while Sobeys WILL give you a plastic bag if you ask for one for free, Superstore charges 5 cents for a plastic bag. This is not the suck, just the background.

I went in to the local Superstore last week to pick up a couple of things, and couldn't find any handbaskets by the door where they've always been. No biggie, I go over to the service counter and ask where they've been moved to. They haven't been moved. They've all been stolen, by customers who feel that since they don't get free bags, they're entitled to just take the big plastic handbaskets away with them.

This particular store is considering not ordering any more in, because they've lost 80 in the last six months and it's getting expensive. I can't say I blame them, even if I hate using a big cart for just a few things.

Holy crap, people suck the galactic muffin.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I try to use the canvas bags as often as possible (I have 5 regular grocery-bag-shaped ones from one particular store, and 2 others that can be folded into their own pocket). Most of the stores are no problem, but there's one Pathmark that tends to completely ignore the bags sitting right on top of my stuff. They'll set them aside and then stick stuff in plastic (they use the bag carousels so there is no belt or counter for the cashier to put stuff on). It really bugs me, especially since they sell their own reusable bags as well! They also tend to use way more bags than is truly necessary. It's one of the reasons I prefer ShopRite where I can bag my own stuff.

[fireheart]

We had a similar issue when we first banned plastic bags. People kept asking us if they could take the handbaskets and they said they'd bring them back. We outright refused them regardless of how honest they looked. Regardless, we get people bringing in baskets from other stores. Because they look identical to ours, we usually take them. If they're obviously from another store, then we return them to said store.

Oh, and we can also call security for them

[raw456]

This probably explains why I can never find a basket at one of our local supermarkets

[tropicsgoddess]

Damn, that's low. The Sav-A-Lots in my area don't use bags, you have to bring your own in or they have used boxes that you can put some of your groceries in your car. Some people bring their own little tote bags.

[bainsidhe]

We still use plastic bags at *big box retail*, but each of our handbaskets has a security hard tag to set off the alarm if someone tries to leave the store with it. Because people just like stealing them for some reason.

There was also one customer that argued with the CSMs about how he deserved to take the handbasket. You see he always took a basket and kept it in his truck for the next time he came to *big box retail*. Since he always used it there, it was perfectly fine for him to hang onto it, because sometimes baskets weren't available when he came in. Um, ya think? Just how many baskets did this idiot think we have?

[HawaiianShirts]

Haven't seen them taking the plastic baskets out of the stores around here yet, but I'm sure it's not far off. My neighbors like to bring their shopping carts home from the nearby shopping centers and abandon them in random places (usually next to dumpsters) on the apartment complex grounds. I've even seen one IN a dumpster when there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I can kind of understand it if they've got a lot of groceries, no car, and they go to the Wal-Mart that's about a half-mile away. But surely they could take the cart back when they're done! I've spent several early mornings now collecting the carts and taking them back to the stores myself. Of course I get dirty looks from drivers as I try to cross a six-lane road with a train of eight carts in front of me (even when I have the "Walk" signal), but at least I can keep the apartment complex clear of carts and keep the stores from having to sacrifice someone's hours on the labor budget to replace missing carts.

The worst, though, was a few months ago. (Sorry if I've mentioned this already; I don't think I have.) I saw Guy #1 walking down the sidewalk from Wal-Mart with Guy #2. Guy #2 was in a wheelchair, and Guy #1 was pushing it, which was nice of him. But Guy #2 was pushing a Wal-Mart shopping cart in front of him (so, by extension, Guy #1 was pushing a wheelchair AND a shopping cart) that had only two bags in it!

At least my sightings are just laziness. I hope I don't have to see someone taking home a shopping cart because they think they're entitled to it.