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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Asda are wrong to put this sign up

101 replies

kslatts · 23/11/2013 17:45

Went to customer services in Asda today and noticed a sign that said only 4 unaccompanied school children were allowed in the shop at a time before 9am.

To me this seems very unreasonable, implies all school children can't be trusted. Even verging on age discrimination.

My dd (14) walks to school with about 6 friends everyday and often buys her lunch from tesco's on the way and has never had any problems, they have always gone in together.

Anyone else think this is unreasonable?

OP posts:
PigOnRollerskates · 23/11/2013 18:11

I totally agree OP. Really annoys me and agree if it was any other age or group there'd be uproar.

In my local co-op there's a sign saying they won't sell school children eggs or flour. My dd is a keen baker and has applied twice for junior bake off. She has to wait for me to meet her out of school if she wants to bake. I hate how discrimination against teens is still considered acceptable.

retiredgoth2 · 23/11/2013 18:15

...don't think ASDA is a suitable place for kids anyway.

They'll probably offer them a zero hours contract (payment in sportswear crafted by slave children in Bangladesh)

Seriously. Won't use the place after their disgraceful treatment of bereaved families in the collapsed Bangladeshi factory. At least Primark took some ownership of the problem and offered a degree of aid.

Alisvolatpropiis · 23/11/2013 18:16

*yanbu even!

It used to really annoy me when I was in my teens.

Having worked in a supermarket for years previously I can categorically say the majority of shop lifters are not teenagers.

FortyDoorsToNowhere · 23/11/2013 18:20

I would have been in a difficult position when i was a teen, my house bound nan couldn't do her own shopping and i used to do all her shopping.

When about the children/teens who a carers, this policy could mean them not being able to shop

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 23/11/2013 20:12

ASDA are not being unreasonable IMO. Quite often I have been in the local one after school and there are groups of very young kids of about 9 or 10 in there running around , unsupervised, like lunatics. I can't understand before 9 am though.

BeerTricksP0tter · 23/11/2013 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

noblegiraffe · 23/11/2013 20:26

Police ask local shops here not to sell eggs or flour to teens around Halloween because it is better to do that than deal with the aftermath of hordes of kids rampaging the neighbourhood egging houses.

If it hadn't been a problem, they wouldn't have to do it. Blame the craply behaved kids who force these policies, not the fed up shopkeepers!

Original poster
kslatts · 23/11/2013 20:48

Mist - she doesn't have school lunch for a number of reasons, but mainly because there is often a long queue to buy the food and on some days she does things in her lunch break like football training.
I never mentioned sandwiches, in fact she makes her sandwich at home but then gets a drink and some fruit from Tescos and what she has for lunch wasn't really the point. She doesn't congregate, she walks to school with a group of friends and they call in tescos on the way.

OP posts:
Original poster
kslatts · 23/11/2013 20:51

I just think it's unfair to make all school children feel unwelcome in a shop just because they fall into a particular age category.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 23/11/2013 20:51

But they aren't saying no school children allowed, they are limiting the size of the group and if they have had trouble with gangs of school children then I can fully understand them doing that.

BeerTricksP0tter · 23/11/2013 20:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BenNJerry · 23/11/2013 21:01

I don't think this sort of sign is unreasonable. It doesn't necessarily mean it was a shoplifting incident! There could have been groups of kids in there who have been messing about or teenagers who have intimidated staff or something. It is unfortunate that all kids are tarred with that brush but sometimes it is necessary.

greenbananas · 23/11/2013 21:02

Is age discrimination, and young people do not need to be seeing signs like these. Most are law abiding, even where I live.

wannabedomesticgoddess · 23/11/2013 21:02

It has very little to do with shoplifting I would guess, and more to do with the messing around that goes on, and whether its right or not, large groups of teenagers can be intimidating to other shoppers.

I once had to ask three school boys to leave my shop after they were messing around and pushed over a display. I then had one of the mothers in yelling at me that her son had came in to buy a gift alone and was kicked out. Err, no. It took me to show her the CCTV before she would stop yelling at me and see that her son wasn't the little angel she thought he was.

Your DD is well mannered I am sure, and yes its unfair, but shops don't have to serve anyone they don't want to.

FortyDoorsToNowhere · 23/11/2013 21:06

Then ban the teens that are causing trouble.

Why limit the amount of children that can go in.

Sirzy · 23/11/2013 21:08

Because banning people really is impossible to police. Asking children not to come in in large groups is much easier to control.

Really is it that much of a hardship? They can still go in and buy what they want just means they can't wander around in a large group.

WorraLiberty · 23/11/2013 21:13

To me this seems very unreasonable, implies all school children can't be trusted. Even verging on age discrimination.

It implies nothing of the sort

They probably just can't cope with being flash mobbed first thing in the morning.

Annunziata · 23/11/2013 21:16

We used to do the same thing in our shop. The kids were fine on their own but they were horrendous in groups.

VelvetSpoon · 23/11/2013 21:22

In our local Asda I think the limit is 2 unaccompanied schoolchildren. Certainly less than 4.

It is unfair, but there are 3 secondary schools in very close vicinity, meaning the town centre at 3.30 is chaos with hundreds of schoolkids messing around. The result is there is now a regular police presence at the main bus stops after school to ensure the kids get on their buses home promptly and don't just mill about...

Hulababy · 23/11/2013 21:23

Its very normal to see such signs near schools ime, especially in the smaller stores.

I would asume the store has aalready had issues with bigger groups of children in the shop - so expect they are acting on what wrks best for the.

Bigger groups can still wait outsode - but just go inside in 2s or 4s, depending on the signs.

curlyclaz13 · 23/11/2013 21:30

I wish the little Sainsburys near me would do it, go in when the school opposite is on a break and it is full of kids but only about four actually buying stuff, I can't see why the one who needs to buy a shit load of chocolate stuff can't manage to do so without his six mates standing round while he does so. There is not enough room in the shop for them all !

LimitedEditionLady · 23/11/2013 21:41

I dont think its unreasonable,they wouldnt havent done it lightly.Ive worked in a store in the past and unruly kids were a pain in the arse.Spent more time dealing with problems and watching over them as they were causing problems than getting work done.I cant imagine theyd turn away potential customers for no reason.

IamInvisible · 23/11/2013 21:49

I don't think they are unreasonable. I don't like it very much, but totally understand why they do it.

I have 2 teens, I hate they way they are all tarred with the same brush, but imo there is no other way for Asda to address whatever problems they are having.

Our local Spar won't allow more than 2 kids in at a time and they have to leave their bags outside.

icclemunchy · 23/11/2013 22:09

having worked in ASDA and see the havoc those little angels cause I don't blame them!! Tbh the shoplifting is the least of it, sadly young teens do silly things and are infinitely worse when being egged on by their mates. Why should staff have to deal with it??

threepiecesuite · 23/11/2013 22:47

Agree with Asda on this one, and especially if it deters kids from buying 6 bottles of Lucozade Sport each and drinking them on the way to school.