Do you try before you buy when it comes to food shopping?
Are you the sort of shopper who picks a grape (or two) to sample before deciding if you’ll buy them while in the grocery store?
Or do you see it as stealing, and only sample things once they’ve been bought and paid for?
An argument has been raging on Reddit and social media thanks to the comments of a couple of news anchors who couldn’t agree on the subject.
Some people insist it’s stealing, while others say you’re well within your rights to check you’ll like something before buying it.
A Reddit thread asked whether try-before-you-buy is stealing or not, and grocery store employees chimed in with their thoughts.
One commenter replied: “Former produce employee, and IMO tasting a single grape is not a big deal.”
However, they added a warning: “Fresh produce is not washed so plenty of other people touched the grapes before you try one, however if you sample cherries and leave the pits everywhere, you’re disgusting.”
“Produce employee here too, I don’t care. A little dirt never killed anybody,” said another.
Someone else said you should just make life easier and ask somebody if it’s okay: “Just ask an employee — hey, can I try the grapes to see if I like them? They will tell you yes! Also, unwashed grapes are absolutely filthy, so you know, good luck with that. If you ask, they might let you have a few washed ones from the veggie market!”
Who knew that the produce was all so dirty? If you’re a habitual snacker, you might now be thinking twice before picking at your purchases before putting them through to be bagged up.
One supervisor added that it depends on how many we’re talking about: “I don’t care about one or two but when you walk around eating half the bag, that’s a problem. Also, remember that someone might have dropped a bag or two on the floor and that’s what you’re eating.”
Another manager chimed in: “As a manager at a grocery store, I view it as stealing if you eat something before paying for it. If you’re that hungry, pay for the item you wish to eat first and then continue shopping.”
Mmmm, germs and floor dirt, just what we all want to be eating.
Elsewhere, TODAY anchors couldn’t agree on whether it counted as stealing, with Craig Melvin, Sheinelle Jones, and Dylan Dreyer debating whether it was okay.
The latter two were in favor of trying a grape or two before you buy, while Melvin strongly disagreed.
“That’s called stealing!” said a horrified Melvin. “You can’t wait until you get home to eat the food?”
“Have you ever shopped hungry?” joked Jones, as Dreyer quipped: “Or seen the line at Whole Foods?”
Viewers were also horrified at the idea of taking food, with only a few agreeing it was okay, saying it was ‘parenting 101’ and a ‘survival tool’ for shopping with young children.
Scary Mommy spoke to attorney Betty Wang of Find Law, who warned that it’s technically illegal to snack on something before buying – but it’s up to the grocery store whether or not to press charges, as most won’t mind if you eat a grape or two.
Wang stresses that if you eat a food that you pay for by the weight, or if the packaging isn’t brought to the cashier, it’s technically shoplifting.
Still, some places appear okay with you eating food before purchasing, as long as you pay before leaving.
