To look for a loaf for bread that doesn’t expire in the next two days??

[MelKarnofskyCrane]

Got a minor telling off in Tesco today. Went to buy bread. The loaves at the front of the shelf all had a best before of 18 October. The ones at the back were 21 October. So I took one from the back.

Got a tap on the shoulder (yeah) from a member of staff. “You should just take one from the front”. Had the conversation, taking one from the back because it’ll last longer. No, we need to sell these ones first, that’s why they’re at the front, you can’t take from the back.

Anyway, calm discussion, I’m not for fighting with anyone in public (once he was gone I switched them back and took the 21st one anyway to be honest). I wasn’t making a mess or damaging the bread or holding anyone up or anything - I just moved them aside them put them back again.

I’m not interested in complaining but I also don’t intend to stop doing this. As far as I’m concerned, if it’s on the shelf it’s fair game.

Unless my thinking is skewed on this one and I am in fact being unreasonable?

Should have told him to go manage his supply chain more efficiently.

I think you met a member of staff who wasn’t entirely familiar with how the world works. He’s been instructed to arrange the shelves in this way but hasn’t understood that you aren’t subject to the same rules.

Bless. He’ll learn.

I was more bemused than angry to be honest. Maybe he’s new and just a little over enthusiastic

Going against the tide here -

People doing this is a huge source of food waste which is absolutely shit for the environment.

If you are going to consume it in the next couple of days- please buy the one with the shorter shelf life because otherwise it might just go to waste.

People reaching past perfectly good food that would suit them just fine, to choose an identical product just because of the date stamp causes tonnes of food to go to waste.

I think stores need to educate consumers better about how this food is perfectly good. They need to not put out the newer stock until the previous stock is sold. They need to discount products that are closer to the expiry date.

That said- physically tapping you on the shoulder and telling you how to shop is out of order.

Who the fuck goes around touching strangers in public? Did we not just survive a pandemic or did I image all that? He'd have been whacked with a baguette if he tried that with me.

If they really wanted to they could restock the shelves once most of the short date stuff had gone.

Frenchie here.

Bread is unreasonable not to be fresh.

In British context, what you have done is totally fine, OP. Shop assistant was weird.

@DifferentHair Yes, but surely all of that is the supermarket's to sort out, not the consumer

He can't tell you what to buy, but I don't get why some people routinely do it for every item. If I'm going to be using the chicken/houmous/coleslaw in the next few days I prefer not to contribute to food waste by searching for one with a much longer date than I need.

@takealettermsjones

I'd say it's both.

I think people need to be more thoughtful consumers, and the supermarket can help that along by educating them about how their choices impact the environment and giving incentives for better choices. They could also make process changes such as not putting out new bread until the existing bread is sold, or having less stock overall- they would have a percentage of stock that they buy expecting it to be disposed of.

The tapping on the shoulder isn't the way to go about it though.

I choose one with the best date. If that means taking from the back then I'll take it

Totally. One of the things that puts me off online shopping is that the dates can be terrible.

I always do this and I tell my two daughters who are 11 and 13 to do the same when they go to the shop for me. Its my money so I will buy what I want.

YANBU

Stock rotation is their problem. As a consumer, if it’s on the shelf you can but it, just don’t damage other items or make a mess (which you weren’t). It’s normal for lots of people to prefer to buy longer dated stuff

I choose the bread that lasts longest, we go through bread slowly so it needs to last more than a few days, but it also does get used up so we aren't wasting anything. The shop assistant shouldn't have challenged you and it was a really odd thing for him to have done.

Also surely taking a load of bread that expires before you've used half of it contributes to more waste than choosing the one that will last you till you've actually eaten it?

When our boys + DD lived at home it didn’t matter s we went through a loaf a day usually but now it is just DH & I and I do the same because generally we eat between 0 and 6 slices a day. I don’t want something going off after two days and the hens have the ends but I don’t want them eating mouldy bread either.

I would just carry on and if challenged again I would say - I tell you what I shall take my custom elsewhere.

I live alone so I always go for the longest date as the product is used up much less quickly than by a family.

My response would probably have been "then I won't buy it at all as 48hr date is of no use to me - I'll throw half of it!"
I also would have gone round again and picked it up when he wasn't looking.

The shoulder tapping would have got a bigger reaction!

If everyone buys short dated bread and ends up throwing it away, surely that will result in more food waste than if supermarkets realise they are over ordering bread and adjust their stock levels to reduce the number they are having to chuck?

I always take a loaf of bread from the back of the shelf to get a date further ahead.
As far as I’m concerned,if an item is on display on the shelf then I’m quite entitled to buy it regardless of the date on it and I wouldn’t let a shop employee tell me otherwise.

Anyone with common sense buys the longest dates on everything.
I’d be annoyed enough by this to complain @MelKarnofskyCrane

Of course they need to rotate stock properly, but everything out on display is available to purchase regardless of date.

I get my son these ready made mac and cheese from lidl. Easy for him heat up etc. I always get the latest date as I dont go there loads and stock up. Never been told off. If I know using a product that day get an earlier date.

I work for a rival supermarket as an online picker and we are told to pick from the back and send the best dates out. When stacking shelves the oldest does go to the front, partially to encourage the sale of that first and also to help staff when they do their daily check on the dates to ensure no out of date items on display and reduce items that are very short dated. I can only think the staff member you saw is new and hasn't got the hang of things yet.

I always do it. Surely anyone with sense does - if they want to sell the ones with the crap dates on they should put a reduced price sticker on it.
Unless the worker was on some special bread commission I really don’t understand why he’d give a shit - I’d tell him to get a life quite frankly.

My money my choice. Any supermarket instructing their staff to do this would start to lose customers!