Anyone else do this in small shops?

Exactly!!!

I always use my own bag at local store and empty it at the till. I'm a regular shopper there. I also do it for a small shop in M&S and Lidl

I would think like your mother. I am always horrified when I see people doing this lest they get accused of shop lifting😳

I used to because the alternative was to wait in the queue for hours as they only had two trolley checkouts. Or I would have to use a trolley to carry milk because I am very weak and can't carry it in a basket and wait for hours in the queue. I could hang my bag and the shopping on my shoulder and then empty it at the self-checkouts where trolleys were not allowed. It was ASDA and I used to do it until somebody stopped me, I explained to her that I had been seen so many times at the checkout emptying my bag and nobody had stopped me but she was insisting that I was potentially shoplifting and "if you don't understand I will bring security to explain". The security guard was publically shouting at me and humiliating me while I was arguing that I couldn't carry a basket with the milk I needed, shoppers entering the store were all looking at me being called a thief. As I was leaving staff were gossiping hiding their mouths behind their hands, some smirking. DH went to complain later. I was too embarrassed to go back so he filled the form for me. The assistant even told him that she had seen us shop for so many years and was asking who complained. ASDA never replied. I am still so angry.

I thought I was clearly in the wrong so I started to cross the bridge over to Tesco which was farther away BUT was emptier, had many more manned tills AND their self-checkouts allowed small trollies!

You don't have to make a big show of emptying it out at the till, just empty it out at the till without the drama.

No, don’t do that either. In any store, large or small. Why draw unnecessary attention to yourself? You know you’ll be watched for shop lifting, because you ARE acting out of normal behaviour. If you don’t care what others think, you know how that is, don’t you? Why be that type of person?

I do it all the time and then make a big show out of emptying it completley at the till.

I do this, sometimes just don’t want to pick up one of their unwieldy wire baskets as these hemp bags are easier on the hand. I also do the strange behaviour of taking a trolley, and placing a wire basket into the trolley, and putting my shopping into the wire basket, not the trolley. Two reasons, bad back so can’t carry a heavy uncomfortable wire basket, and don’t get the check out lady telling me that trolleys are not allowed at this check out, only baskets! Well, I only have a basket sized amount of shopping so they can’t complain. It works and I don’t get angry looks from other people.

My husband does this and ridiculously I think it looks like shoplifting. I'll fold my huge, cumbersome bag right down and squeeze into my habdbag only to have to fumble with it at the till.

Don't shop in places that don't provide hygenic baskets.

Using your own bag is definitely inappropriate. Baskets can easily be checked to see they are empty. The checkout person has no way of knowing whether you have actually emptied your bag or not. You may know that you are being honest but it puts someone into an awkward position which isn't fair on them

Done it a few times in Aldi as I’ve gone in for a few things and then got more than I can carry, but feel yes I self conscious that I look like a thief!!

My local shop has a sign asking people not to do this. They do clean their baskets though

I've done it a few times but only if the bag is empty to start with.
Shoplifters don't put things into bags normally, they hide things on themselves!

I do this all the time. All shops, especially Sainsbury's, where I use the SmartShop app. But, I do it because my bags for life are easier to carry, and cleaner than supermarket baskets.

There's nothing dodgy about it all.

I do this every time! Unless it’s a big shop and I need a trolley. In sainsburys I use the shop and go app so makes sense to place straight in to the bag. If I go anyway else like Asda, Lidl home bargains I always place items straight in to my bag and then unload at the till. I hate the thought of touching baskets if it’s not necessary (and trolleys but needs must for a big shop). I’ve done this for 3 years multiple times a week and never once been stopped or asked about it.

@Ozgirl75 a handbag is very different to the shopping bag being discussed here though.

I do this all the time, every single time I’m doing a small shop with or without my small kids.

Who would want to carry a dirty, bulky and heavy metal basket when you could just put your items it your bag for life and take to the till as normal. You empty your basket to scan items anyways what difference does it make if you take them out your own bag to scan?

It’s the more smarter choice if you ask me, you carry a flexi bag without the weight. Never have I been stopped by security or been given funny looks by other shoppers.

I work in a small but busy shop. Lots of people do this and we don’t think anything of it. We know what to look out for with shoplifters, and most of them aren’t that brazen. Some are, but we keep an eye. Wouldn’t stop anyone putting their shopping in their bag before paying, there aren’t any rules about it.

The amount of people saying ‘this is not how we do things’ and ‘this is the proper way’ etc. It’s ok to think for yourself and do what works best for you! It’s up to shop security if they want to assume you are shoplifting. No crime is committed unless you leave the shop without paying. If you want to use a basket/trolley, go for it! If you want to use the bag you brought with you, do that!

I've been doing this since the pandemic. Since I stopped using baskets I can't quite believe how dirty they are.

I started doing it during lockdown. Means touching less and makes sense to me.

How so, do you think putting stuff in a bag rather than a basket turns honest people into shoplifters? How does that happen?

Well I went to Tesco this evening and was using shopping bag rather than basket; a shop assistant found me something I'd asked for and seeing as my hands were full HE TUCKED THE ITEM INTO MY SHOPPING BAG. Ha!

I do this. Never bother with baskets.

I always do this - I put my shopping in my bag for life as I'm going round. Various reasons but number one is I don't want to use the grubby baskets. A close second is it prevents me from 'over shopping' and over filling my bag and picking up more than I can carry. I have a lumbar back injury so it's important.

I have a local regular supermarket and they mostly leave me alone as they know me but once in a blue moon the security being a different or new person have directly accused me of shoplifting and I've had to explain.

Also I've noticed now and then plain clothes security following me which is kind of weird as you can overtly see that they're watching and closely following you whilst pretending to be a fellow shopper, if I was shoplifting I'd be well aware of who they are.