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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think reduced supermarket goods are for customers not staff?

254 replies

catlovingdoctor · 09/10/2016 16:44

I was in an upmarket supermarket chain today and a member of staff, in full uniform, had a trolley load of reduced packs of avocados. They're normally relatively expensive but I thought I'd get some since they were reduced. So I went to take one out the trolley and she literally blocked my arm with her hand, saying it was her own shopping. Surely if she wants to do her own shopping she shouldn't be doing it in company uniform? The stock is there for customers not staff!

OP posts:

Purplebluebird · 09/10/2016 18:24

This is the funniest thread I have read all day! Maybe she's opening a spa where they use avocado face masks? Yabu of course, but hahaha!

BowieFan · 09/10/2016 18:28

I can't begrudge low pay workers using those tactics when the job has no other perks.

That said, it probably wouldn't have killed her to let you have one packet.

crashdoll · 09/10/2016 18:28

Was it Waitrose?

DurhamDurham · 09/10/2016 18:30

Don't you just love Sunday afternoon on Mumsnet

KC225 · 09/10/2016 18:35

About 30 years ago, I worked a summer at Harrods and we were not allowed to shop for the first two days of the sale.

If she had a trolly load of avocados, she could have handed a pack over, how much Nigella toast is she making

pipsqueak25 · 09/10/2016 18:37

what happened to op? how many avocados where involved ?? avocadogate in the dm lead story .

badtime · 09/10/2016 18:37

You're quite right, OP.

How dare a lowly supermarket worker buy something that you want?

Doesn't she realise how much more important you are than her?

PortiaCastis · 09/10/2016 18:38

Let's be honest you were lurking at the door waiting for reduction time and someone snaffled the avocados you were gonna flog on the barrow tomorrow.
Cados cados luvverrly fresh ocadoes cheap as chips but may give you the shits

yorkshapudding · 09/10/2016 18:46

I refuse to be told I am being unreasonable!

Well, you've fucked up just a tad by posting in AIBU then, haven't you?

Seriously OP, no one is going to tell you you're justified in having a tantrum because a supermarket worker has had the audacity to do a bit of shopping after their shift and happened to beat you to picking up a bargain. You're being ridiculous.

darksideofthemooncup · 09/10/2016 18:47

I work in a supermarket on minimum wage and do my shopping on my break or at the end of my shift. No, I don't get changed to do so, why should I?
Obviously I am far too lowly to be afforded the same opportunities to buy reduced goods as our far superior customers. How terribly jumped up of me

alfagirl73 · 09/10/2016 18:49

It's would not be unreasonable to have asked her if she was putting out reduced stock (or at least watched for a second to see if she was!) and then, when informed of the situation, apologised for the error and gone on your way (without moaning about it on here after!).

It IS unreasonable to a) ASSUME that it wasn't her shopping and, more importantly, b) assert that because she works for the store in question, you are somehow a more superior customer!

I suspect that "trolley-full" is an exaggeration but even if it was overflowing with reduced avocados, that's tough! She got there first and she's entitled to buy every avocado in the shop if she wants and has the money to pay for them. Common sense would say she was probably hosting a party and wanted to make a load of guacamole but that really is neither here nor there.

Bottom line - she was as much a customer as you, she was entitled to purchase the avocados, she got there first, you were too late, tough! #avocadogate

Memoires · 09/10/2016 18:55

Oh I want to go to the guacamole gathering, Yellowshockedface. I want to jump in the guacamole-filled pool.

LittleMissUpset · 09/10/2016 18:56

Is #avocadogate going to be what people use when they name change, like Brian from hull and Pom bears etc

ZazieCats · 09/10/2016 18:58

Are you insinuating that she had somehow falsely reduced the avocados for own benefit? Or got her mate on the fruit and veg too?

How very dare you!

She was making guacamole for middle-class orphans out of the kindness of her own heart. She dishes it out with quinoa salad and naive ham after she takes them to play short tennis.

flopsypopsymopsy · 09/10/2016 19:00

Of course YABU!

limitedperiodonly · 09/10/2016 19:03

I'd have let her have the avocados because I don't want them.

Reductions are a waiting game and an art.

For instance, I've been waiting for weeks for Sainsbury's to reduce their fresh bearnaise sauce. When they do I will feast on my stockloaded reduced steak with chips, salad and vinaigrette.

Tonight we are eating reduced lamb shoulder, cubed and done in a Moroccan-spiced casserole thingy with various vegetables and saffron-scented couscous.

Nothing gets in my freezer without a yellow sticker

Eva50 · 09/10/2016 19:03

Post this on the low carb bootcamp OP if she had a trolley load she may be preparing and will see it there.

I quite often do a tour of our local convenience stores at reducing time to get bargains to freeze. One night I was looking through the reduced things at about 9:45pm and the assistant started telling me I'd better hurry up and they were about to close and the tills wouldn't accept anything after 10pm. Under the wilted lettuce, right at the back I found 6 big packs of cheese reduced to pennies and thought myself lucky despite the pretty horrible till assistant. After I got home I realised they were still about 6 Weeks in date. I bet she had these saved for herself! No wonder she was cross.

ChishandFips33 · 09/10/2016 19:04

Did she have a handbag on her or a purse - though she could have just had her card in her pocket I guess

Did you wait to see which way she headed? Back in to the stock room to stash for later or finish shopping/tills

Roystonv · 09/10/2016 19:05

I would expect anyone who has finished their shift to change or wear a coat so it is clear they are not on duty, prevents problems like this and makes clear to everyone customers, colleagues and management that they have finished for the day. Think all would benefit.

ClumsyFool · 09/10/2016 19:12

That's great apart from the fact that this last couple of weeks is the first time I've worn a coat to work since about May, we have a black cardigan as part of uniform and in addition to carrying handbag, shopping bags and sometimes work on the bus I'm not about to add a coat into that just to make it clear to one and all that I'm off shift. The handbag over my shoulder and pushing a shopping trolley should be enough.

GnomeDePlume · 09/10/2016 19:16

bananastar Sun 09-Oct-16 17:08:31
It's the best bit of working in a supermarket. We all share out which reductions we want and put the rest out for the customers. It's a perk of the job. Same when xmas or easter stock goes down to pennies. Why do you think there's never any good stuff left. It's cos the staff have bought it all.

You would need to watch that, manager at the store where my DH works was fired for doing exactly that. (mind he was doing it with televisions!)

YuckYuckEwwww · 09/10/2016 19:16

You're allowed to shop on your break, you can't shop at the end of your shift if you're working till close!

If worker had to change twice during their break they'ld never have time to eat the sambo they bought!

Its really not that confusing: person in uniform in queue to till with a trolly: not working. Person in uniform behind the till:working. Person browsing shop with a trolly: not working, person with a crate frantically stacking or pricing: working

Any grey areas: USE YOUR WORDS: "are you on duty?" "are these for sale?"

GabsAlot · 09/10/2016 19:16

well most of them dont have to change
my sister worked in a supermarket alays shopped at the end of her shift in unform

Sugarlightly · 09/10/2016 19:17

If you want reassurance, supermarket staff can be dismissed for reducing their own food, but not for buying it

limitedperiodonly · 09/10/2016 19:17

Common sense would say she was probably hosting a party and wanted to make a load of guacamole

Avocados are my third most hated vegetable item after beetroot. Olives are second. Common sense would dictate that I would let the woman have them, staff uniform or not.

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