Not allowed in Iceland because I had shopping bags??

[tulippa]

Went into Iceland this morning after visiting two other shops. I was carrying one bag with items in from the other shops and one empty shopping bag.
I was approached by the security guard who told me I wasn't allowed to bring bags into the shop. Don't know if it was because of the full bag or the empty bag or both.
I responded 'Really??', he said 'yes'. I wasn't in the mood for an argument so just left to go and buy ice creams elsewhere.
Is this a thing in shops now or did I just encounter an over zealous security employee?

When in Spain it was fairly common in some shops not to allow shopping bags, but they provided lockers to put them in, never encountered it here though. I'm not surprised though,was in Aldi other day and a lad walked in with empty shopping bags and cleared the shelf of steak and walked out, no security in there.

I must have looked shifty! What are you supposed to put your shopping in or do you have to buy new bags each time? The shopping I had was both own brand items from a different shop so clearly not sold in Iceland or I had a receipt for.

That's really bizarre - did he seem to have issue with the full bag or empty bag? Considering we're all meant to be bringing our own shopping bags with us to cut down on plastic waste, it's a pretty odd policy. I definitely haven't come across it anywhere I've been!

Were you attempting to shop without a basket or trolley? If they don't let people in with empty bags, then what's their policy on personal shopping trolleys? He must have this wrong. I'd email CS and get free vouchers.

What a daft policy, if people want to shoplift which is I assume what the policy was for having no bags with them won't stop them.

Meanwhile what are the rest of us who aren't intent on casing the joint meant to do with our bags? I would have asked him as I'd love to have seen him try to apply some critical thinking to what he was asking you. It's hardly unusual to have shopping bags with you when going into a high street shop.

@PumpkinTruffles Don't know. I should probably have asked him to explain the policy in more detail but I was that I just left.

@Ponoka7 I picked up a basket as I entered. Yes might be an opportunity for free vouchers.

Well that certainly makes the idea of using bags for life impossible!!!

I'd also email and ask. People are struggling with CoL. Having to add bags to the cost every trip will not be good cost wise and that doesn't even take into account the environmental issues.

Email in. It annoys me so much.

I get followed in m&s when I have my son in the pram. Never get followed on my own. It's like they think I'm going to hide things under his blanket or something. Very annoying

@SeeingSpots Exactly. Shoplifters just wear big coats on hot days like they've always done and shove bottles of vodka in their pockets.
Meanwhile the rest of us can only buy what we can carry in our hands.

@Namechangeed prams are one of the most common methods of shop lifting!

I know, haha. Still doesn't feel fair to stalk me around m&s 🤣

Think a lot of us been subjected to pram following - there was a thread about it the other day.

I'm a bit paranoid about this because I think it would be quite easy to accidentally shopllft with a pram. Sometimes I go to the local shop on the way back from crèche and I put items in the bottom of the pram and occasionally in my handbag if I run out of space. I always take them out and pay for them at the till, obviously. But if you were really sleep deprived, which obviously a lot of people with prams are, it would be easy to miss something.

Also I don't know whether it's different where I live or maybe I'm not very observant, but I'm not aware that I've ever been followed. Not even when I put stuff in my handbag.

@SeeingSpots What a daft policy, if people want to shoplift which is I assume what the policy was for having no bags with them won't stop them.

It will obviously make it much harder for them, or where would they put all the stolen goods? There’s a limit on what can fit in a pocket.

Around here they would just pick it up and walk out with it.

People who want to steal will do so, yes it will make it a little bit harder but it won't stop them doing it.

It does seem like a strange policy if they don't have lockers.

It's reminded me of an incident in the flagship M&S on Oxford Street one Christmas. There was a lady in a cloak and hat, laden with shopping bags from expensive stores (Tiffany, Selfridges etc) and an M&S basket full to the brim of expensive small items who was imperiously sweeping through the food hall adding to the basket with the world's most conspicuous store detective in tow. She was a woman on a mission, striding around at a pace, flouncing in her cape like a Shakespearean actor. He was darting around trying to keep up with her in a comedic Inspector Clueso fashion.

The lady stopped next to me and was loading bags of chocolate coins into the basket while trying not to drop anything, the security guy hovering behind her. She was clearly fed up with being followed. Without even turning round to look at him, in a loud voice and a cut glass accent that would have made the queen sound common, she said, "If you are going to follow me everywhere, be a good chap and make yourself useful and carry my shopping. You can check the receipts while you are at it as you obviously want to," and proferred her shopping to him without even a glance.

He slunk off without a word. She rolled her eyes at me and headed to the tills.

I mean, I know he was ony doing his job. It's just he was doing it so badly in a way that made it obvious to the entire shop he was tailing her.

In all fairness, I'm always accidentally using my five finger discount when I've got my GC in the pram.

Weird I shop in Waitrose every day and uften pop into Iceland straight after to get some ice lollies. Never been stopped doing this

I once saw a lad run out of Iceland carrying a shopping basket full of stuff so lack of bags doesn't stop them although he did drop a pizza.

I go into Iceland with a shopping trolly and I've never been stopped, but I must look shifty as Sainsburys security try and fail to covertly follow me, in Wilkos the security is that blatant I ask them to carry my basket, while their wasting time with me someone who is a thief could be helping themselves.

I hate shopping with a passion

I think its not personal to you , but all shops now are wary of SL TBH. The Telegraph had a piece about a middle aged woman who "forgets to pay for one or two items!" Sainsburys have security staff on the door, and will stop people when their bags are triggered and the alarm goes off!Same with M and S and Tesco .Prams are seen as easy to put stolen items in !

Just checked out Iceland's policy. They request that you don't put items into bags as you're doing shopping in the store. Only after you've paid for it. Fair enough I suppose (although an item cannot be assumed stolen until you've left the shop).
It doesn't mention shopping from other stores though.

One of my kids nicked loads of stuff when in the buggy. I was very dutiful in returning it usually but got into a load of bother in mothercare trying to return something which slightly put me off. Thankfully it was a short lived phased. I prevented a fair few but had two under two and wasn't at my sharpest or most mental alert back then.

The cashier in my tesco demanded to see the receipts from the other shopping in my bag despite it being for items they don't even stock that I had bought in Wilko I complained at the time to the manager but they didn't really care,

I think that was my godmother! Either that or exactly the same thing happened to her; she still tells the story every Christmas.