Getting your groceries seems like a pretty simple proposition. Unlike modern technologies that present a whole host of manners matters (we’re looking at you, voice texts and “reply all” email chains that never end), supermarket shopping is something folks have been doing for generations. Still, that doesn’t mean that it is without potential etiquette pitfalls—even if you have the aisle contents memorized and know the butcher by name.
To help you steer clear of any etiquette faux pas as you fill up your cart or basket, we tapped experts to spill about the most common grocery goofs, plus what to do instead.
Snacking in Store
It might be tempting to crack open that container of nuts to nosh on as you round up everything on your shopping list, but “it’s generally frowned upon to snack while shopping. It’s best to wait to open anything until after you’ve checked out,” according to Nick Leighton, a New York City-based co-host of the weekly etiquette podcast, Were You Raised By Wolves?
It’s definitely a “don’t” to take bites from the bulk bins or chow down on grapes from the bag (which will be impossible weigh and add to your tab at the checkout). As a general rule, refrain from opening food in the store until you pay for it, adds Jacqueline Whitmore, an etiquette expert and the founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach, Florida.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. If you have a hungry child, require snacks for a medical need, or if you scored the snack from the retailer’s sample station, it’s A-OK to eat. Just try to keep any potential messes contained and pay for all items besides on-the-house samples.
Blocking the Aisle With Your Cart
Have you ever been stopped in your tracks after a fellow shopper went searching for an item and left their cart in the center of the aisle? You’ll never be “that person” if you think of each aisle in the supermarket like a street, Leighton tells VERANDA. If you wouldn’t do it with your car, don’t do it with your shopping cart.
“This includes turning without looking both ways, stopping in the middle of the lane so people can’t pass you, and blowing through four-way intersections without looking,” he says.
Just like when you’re driving, Whitmore recommends staying on the right-hand side, and step aside to allow others to pass or reach for an item.
Ditching a Product Mid-Store
Many of us have been there: With a certain product in our baskets, say, a jar of jam from the nut butter aisle, when we discover a flavor we enjoy even more over by the fancy cheeses. If you’re in a hurry (or simply want to save some time and a few steps), you might simply place the first jam with its mismatched spread siblings and call it good.
But this is a bad idea, according to Whitmore, especially if the item you’re abandoning is perishable. (Ice cream on a shelf in the cereal aisle can turn into a soupy, drippy mess quickly.)
It’s just fine to change your mind about an item, but if you do, “return it to its proper place or give it to an employee,” even at the checkout if you don’t want to deal with it before then, recommends Lisa Mirza Grotts, a San Francisco, California-based certified etiquette expert and the founder of the Golden Rules Gal. The staff member can assist in returning the product to its rightful home.
Making a Mess (And Not Fessing Up)
Accidents happen. If you happen to drop a jar of marinara on the floor or knock over that pretty produce section pyramid of apples (we may or may not be speaking with experience after shopping with an overly spirited child), alert a store employee ASAP.
“This way, someone can clean it up immediately before someone potentially gets hurt,” Whitmore explains.
Breaking the Express Lane Rules When It’s Busy
Imagine you’re standing near the entrance of the checkout lanes, and look down at your basket. The express lane urges “10 items or less.” You have 11, but two are the same product so it’s basically 10, right?
Leighton and Grotts agree that rules are rules: “11 is not 10. If we start allowing 11 items, then how about 12? Whatever the number is, that’s the rule for that lane,” Leighton says. “Think of it this way: If you buy 1,000 boxes of Cheerios, that’s not considered ‘one item.’”
Still, if the supermarket traffic is sparse and there’s no one else in line, Whitmore is fine with a little more wiggle room. “Ringing up 11 items instead of 10 shouldn’t be a problem if no one is waiting after you,” Whitmore says. “One item is not going to make a huge difference, and who’s counting anyway?” (Just try not to make this supermarket etiquette stretch a habit.)
Dropping Your Basket on the Belt Without Unloading It
Perhaps you’re proud about how efficiently you packed your basket. Or maybe you’re simply trying to save time so you can flip through a magazine or send a quick text. No matter the reason, we’ve all seen folks place their whole basket directly on the belt and assumed the cashier would handle it.
The more courteous move, Whitmore says, is to “not to create extra work for the cashier. Empty your own basket unless you have a disability and can’t do it—or if the cashier offers to do it for you,” she says.
Whether he’s shopping with a basket or cart, Leighton likes to unload items onto the belt in the order he would like them placed in the bag(s). He stacks heavier items like cans and jars first, then ends with the light, delicate fare like marshmallows and boxes of berries.
Multitasking in the Checkout Lane
Modern technology makes it easy to multitask, which is occasionally lovely and efficient, but in certain contexts, can also be extremely rude. Save the phone calls and texts for later, acknowledge the presence of the cashier and the staff helping to bag, if they’re present, and have your payment ready to help expedite the process, Grotts advises.
“Be mindful of people behind you, too. Their time is just as important as yours,” Grotts reminds us.
And when it comes to signaling to the next shopper that you’re all set on space, it’s the first shopper’s job to place the barrier on the belt. “This is the next person’s signal that it’s acceptable to start loading up the belt,” Leighton says. “But if the person ahead of you forgets and they’re clearly done unloading their items, then it’s perfectly fine for the next person to take care of the barrier, too.”
Abandoning Your Cart
Rogue carts can easily roll and send grocery staff on a goose chase to track them down. They can also block the parking lot, or worse, slide right into a vehicle and ding or damage it.
As long as you have the ability to do so, after transferring your purchases from your cart to your car, return your cart to the store or one of the collecting areas in the parking lot. If you could use extra assistance, ask an associate, Whitmore recommends. They can often help you out with your groceries so they can take the cart back into the store.
Forgetting to Tip Your Grocery Delivery Driver
If you outsource the shopping and the driving, you can bypass all of these potential etiquette minefields. In this case, there’s still one very important matter to attend to: thanking your shopper.
“Much like restaurant servers, grocery delivery staff rely heavily on tips,” Grotts says. “If a service has been performed, a gratuity is in order, and 15% to 20% of the total bill is a standard guideline.”
Consider this the baseline, though, Leighton notes: “Certainly if the weather is horrible or you live six flights up in a walk-up building and you just ordered 20 cases of bottled water, you should also factor this into your tip, too.”
Karla Walsh is a Des Moines, Iowa-based freelance writer, editor, freelance writing coach and level one sommelier who balances her love of food and drink with her passion for fitness (or tries to, at least!). She has over 15 years of professional experience covering food, wine, travel, nutrition, health, fitness, psychology, beauty, relationships and beyond.
