You Should Think Twice About Bagging Your Own Groceries At The Store

Not many of us think of going to the grocery store as a fun destination outing. For almost everyone, even those who dislike food shopping, grocery shopping is part of a larger weekly routine. And those of us who juggle busy workweeks, hectic school pickup lines, and last-minute Zoom meetings might be looking for ways to speed up those regular supermarket trips. 

As you contemplate why grocery stores play music while loading your store's conveyor belt with bananas, crackers, and chicken, you might think bagging your own groceries will only speed up the checkout process. After all, you did make an effort to shop first thing Monday morning, which happens to be the most ideal time to grocery shop. What better way to speed up the experience than by helping your cashier?

Granted, there are additional steps you can take before you get to the checkout lane that will ultimately ensure a speedy grocery visit. Beyond taking stock of unused food at home, making an efficient list, and buying enough frozen produce to get you through the week, when it's time to pay, there are certain do's and don'ts when it comes to the checkout process. If you think bagging your own groceries is helpful, you may want to think again.

Besides the produce politeness rule to keep in mind when checking out, you may also want to reconsider bagging your food at the supermarket. There are obvious reasons you reach for those flimsy plastic bags and start shoving your food in hurriedly. Especially if you're in a rush, you probably think you're doing your cashier a favor and they will appreciate your efforts. However, stepping in and doing the job of someone who has been specifically trained to handle such tasks can disrupt the flow of that employee's organizational system behind the register. One cashier at K Town Supermarket in Queens, New York tells Reader's Digest that customers who bag their groceries "slow down the checkout process and create confusion."

Supermarket employees also know how to bag food and perishables properly so nothing gets damaged or broken on the way home. Especially if there is a specific "bagger" or someone assigned only to the task of properly packing groceries, it's best to allow that employee to do their job. 

If you still feel inclined to help out as you awkwardly stand there waiting for all your food to be packed, simply ask the cashier if bagging would be helpful. Every grocery store cashier has their preferences, and what annoys one employee may be seen as helpful to another.

Bagging groceries aside, what are some other important elements of being a polite shopper? You may not have even thought of the countless ways you're being rude at the grocery store, but you may have been doing things you didn't even know were impolite. 

First off, there are some obvious indicators of rude behavior: customers who take endless minutes counting out coins with a line of customers waiting behind them or those who bring 30-plus items to a "10 items or fewer" lane. But there are also some things you may be doing as a customer to be helpful but in turn, annoy employees as a result.

For instance, after loading your car with groceries, instead of walking your cart back to the front of the store, you may think placing it near the entrance is good enough. However, carts placed on curbs or near cart storage still have the ability to roll away and cause potential accidents. Even though you may have to walk a little extra, it's always best to return carts to their proper place. Additionally, if you think it's helpful to remove an item from unpacked inventory instead of asking an employee for help, you're wrong. Not only can you cause an unwanted mess, but you may be tampering with products not yet available for purchase. Next time you're at the grocery store, stay mindful and always communicate with employees, especially before taking matters into your own hands.