Grapes... try before you buy?!

[Ivycrescent]

I remember as a child shopping with my dad in the 80s, he would try a grape or a cherry from the bags of fruit on display, to see if he liked them before buying! Pretty sure he did it with the Woolies Pick n mix too!

Was this common back in the day or was my dad pushing his luck?!
(He was a politics / history lecturer btw, not a criminal type- well not an obvious one anyway!!)

If you sell 100 punnets of grapes and every person tries on (or a few) you lose 100 grapes.... that's more than a punnet's worth.... so you're losing money. It is stealing even though it's negligible.

The business only loses money is the punnets are being sold based on weight.

If they're sold as packs, it's the customers who lose out.

Supermarkets where I live put out free fruit for kids to eat as they are shopping. Bananas, apples, pears, oranges etc...just left there, to eat. For nothing.
I really don't think they care if anyone eats a grape as well.

In a market or fruit farm yes, not in a supermarket.

My ex used to do this. Once a woman gave him such a filthy look he peeled a banana and ate that too.

I actually think doing this is not only unhygienic and uncouth, it's also plain wrong.

I used to give small DS things to eat as he sat in the supermarket trolley, such as grapes, sometimes red peppers, never carrots unless they were paid for by pack rather than weight, all things to be paid for at the end.

I once put a half-eaten red pepper through the checkout & the young man serving asked "was this this the best one we had, madam?"

@GreyhoundG1rl

It wasn't a thing. Just because some people did it doesn't make it a thing.

Echo

What are you confused about, PussGirl? He clearly thought you'd gnawed your way through the entire selection till you'd found one you were satisfied with.

My children were always given a slice of cold meat at the deli counter in the German supermarket, they loved it!

Yes it was definitely a thing remember my mum doing it 2005ish

Definitely not, no

28/04/2021 13:22 Tlollj

My ex used to do this. Once a woman gave him such a filthy look he peeled a banana and ate that too.“

Presumably an example of why he’s now ex.

Correct Denise! One of many reasons.

Definitely a thing! I always remember my mum would let us ear something to keep us quiet while we walked around then would pay for the wrapper at the till. It used to really embarrass me and I'm not sure why!

I remember doing it and I’m 32

When my children were little I would let them have something and pay for it afterwards

I did get told off once by the checkout so after that, I paid for it first and kept the receipt. I always shopped with dh so it was easy for me to nip to what I wanted, buy it and go back

I would absolutely do this if the pack weren't sealed. Some grapes taste amazing, some taste of nothing, some taste like vomit. There's nothing more disappointing than finding you picked the wrong ones. Blueberries too.

I only buy watermelon from the shop that opens it for you and let's you test it. Their hygiene probably isn't A1 but they have the best melons.

Yes its a thing. The expectation is that you then buy them. If I go to my grocers and ask 'are these oranges sweet?' He would definitely offer me some of one to taste - pre covid. same with plums as we're fussy. In fact our grocer is always giving away fruit..

No it’s not a thing. You don’t sample the bread or an apple so why you’d need to check a grape is baffling. I have brought many hundreds of packets without needing to have a taste first.

I think it's a good idea but it everyone did it there be a lot of missing grapes on a bunch. I don't think you can anyway now in supermarkets at least everything is all sealed up

Fruit can definitely be sweet or tart and you don't know until you try it's a lottery sometimes think that's why it if you could in concept it's a good idea.

@TheYearOfSmallThings

I would absolutely do this if the pack weren't sealed. Some grapes taste amazing, some taste of nothing, some taste like vomit. There's nothing more disappointing than finding you picked the wrong ones. Blueberries too.

I only buy watermelon from the shop that opens it for you and let's you test it. Their hygiene probably isn't A1 but they have the best melons.

So there's a shop with loads of watermelons cut open and pieces taken out of them? What a waste!

9 times out of 10 you will buy the melon (or part thereof). They have total confidence in their fruit and they don't buy anaemic tasteless melons.