To think that the free fruit offer in tesco shouldn't be abused

[Frazzled50yrold]

Was shopping in tesco about half hour before closing last Sunday. I noticed a 30 something yr old female filling a plastic bag with the oranges/apples/bananas which are provided free for children. Initially I wondered how she would pay for them as they were all mixed together then realised she wasn't going to as she went up to her husband at the self service till and walked out with him. I'd estimate she had at least 20 pieces of fruit, it made me so cross

I'm sure Tesco's profits will cope

WTF's that got to do with anything? I really don't get that attitude. You're basically saying if you're rich, you deserve to be stolen from.

If he seriously can't cope with supermarkets, why put him through that? Why not shop online and have your food delivered to you? There must be a supermarket that delivers to you? (Genuine question)

Because sometimes even after an online shop, you still need to do a top up shop. Sainsbury's minimum spend is £25 and its still £7 delivery. If all you need is milk bread and loo roll for the weekend you're not going to be spending £25.

We don't put them through it for fun. I do mostly online shops but We still need things. He still needs things. His sister still needs things. Our coping method is giving him my phone so he 'zones in' on one thing and it stops him from bolting off round the shop (google proprieception). Somebody else's method is giving them a piece of fruit- again concentration. It's just those five minutes which enables you to get in and out.

Turns out she was taking this fruit for her dc's break as they loved fruit but she couldn't afford to buy it

DCs last school used to sell their fruit too. Only problem was DD was using all her money to buy someone else some who kept saying they couldn't afford it! (knew the kid and the parents weren't stretched by any means). I know quite a few parents who used to get cross at this so they started to send their DCs in with fruit from home so they didn't carry money on them at all.

Current school now has an option of you bringing your own fruit in for snacktime but it's not mandotory.

I only ever let mine take one piece each! (3 eldest) although if one doesn't want anything I have also let one of the others have two

How do you know she didn't have permission to take a bag of fruit?
Maybe she has an arrangement with the store that just before closing any that is left is collected for the local homeless shelter or similar????
Really people! Some families/people really do have to survive on next to nothing. Benefit sanctions (for whatever reason) homelessness, job losses & even people who work can struggle to make ends meet.
I can't find it within myself to judge somebody taking something/somethings that are being GIVEN away! It does not affect you in any way. It did not come out of your shopping trolley after you'd paid and they are not shoplifting large chunks of meat!
Nobody deserves to be hungry or have scurvy in this day and age 😕

Tesco do free fruit?we never shop.even though dh works for them (warehouse) too expensive imo even with his colleague 10%card.

Only in Mumsnet would posters jump to the the defense of a thief.

I was on my daughter's allotment, three boys between 8-10 came (with carrier bags) and started digging up potatoes, carrots, turnips and picking fruit, they went to several plots on their mission, it took about 3 mins just to pick my jaw off the floor, cheeky little buggers just walked off, no shame.....

Actually Tesco’s loses nothing as any losses are recouped from insurances which is then recouped by increasing the prices on other items. The fruit isn’t really free as such, as it’s a marketing tool and again paid for by prices increases. So in a sense yes anyone who is abusing this system is stealing from the shoppers. In a similar way that if a shop has increasing shop lifting the costumers pay for the losses. But I am not actually worked up over it it happens and is bound to happen people view acts like this as victimless, Tesco know that and have it covered and they pass the losses to us the shoppers. .

i remember an elderly couple doing this in a supermarket they had got cooked chicken portions and ate it whilst doing their shopping then disposed of the package on a shelf ...security guard came up after they had paid for the rest of their basket of shopping and told cashier to add the chicken ....he said they had already got away with it a few times

Only in Mumsnet would posters jump to the the defense of a thief.

We don't yet know that she is a thief. I collect a box of fruit from my local supermarket every Sunday night for my classroom by agreement with the store manager. You may think I'm stealing if you saw me walk through the door with a box of fruit that I don't pay for.

I haven't RTFT but I'm wondering what others do with apple cores or banana skins when their DC finish eating and hand it over mid shop? I've spent many a shopping trip clutching the skins and cores and i find it hinders my shopping performance.

Former supermarket employee here. If it's that close to closing time, they would have been binned anyway. Better someone takes them so they don't go to waste IMO.

The store security guards or other staff would have seen her so either it's fine for customers to do that before the store closes or she has a special arrangement as other posters have said to give it to a school, homeless shelter, OAPs home, etc.

Actually - they don't give out the fruit as a marketing tool. It's to stop people who nicked the fruit from the actual fruit aisle. The free fruit is a slightly different quality so isn't sold with the other stuff.
I don't really get why people are so down on places like Tesco. Yes a big corporate company but just feel that doesn't make these places 'bad'. I prefer to shop independently at times but supermarkets are def a godsend!