Paying for newspapers separately then do main grocery shop

[fmla]

Work at a medium-large supermarket.

We get customers who queue up at the kiosk to buy at least one newspaper. Nothing else - tobacco or lottery. Then ask for the receipt as they shopping in the supermarket.

My workmates have no idea why some customers do this. We have mentioned other customers pay for newspapers with their shopping. These people who pay for newspapers separately look at us with a blank stare. We are helping them to save time!

Why queue up twice?

My grandad does this. I don't know why.

Who on earth thinks you're being unreasonable?!
How is it any different to going into the shop buying a bunch of bananas asking for a receipt because you are about to do the rest of your shopping in the same shop. It's madness OP.

Why don't you put a sign on the newspaper stand saying that papers can be paid for with other groceries?

In my supermarket the newspaper part is before you go through the swingy entrance gate things. I would never take anything from there and think you could pay for it at the checkout! I might try and see what happens.

This is perfectly sensible. But if someone wants to do differently, it’s not unreasonable, just a bit daft.

Someone wishing to have a separate human interaction.
Someone wishing to keep those in kiosk jobs in a job.
Decades old habit.

Probably another 10 reasons. Just because you can do something, can save time etc doesn’t mean you should or have to.

I agree that it is odd. Why not just put it into your basket or trolley and pay at the end. Bizarre.

Same here! They are right round the corner separate to the other stuff so I always thought you had to get them at the end after you’d done your big shop🤷🏻‍♀️🤭

Annoys me when I'm desperate for me fags 🤣

Doesn't really, but I don't understand why people queue with an empty trolley and a newspaper. Bung it in, crack on!

I'd have to walk past the security guard with the paper.

Maybe it depends where you live. Where I live they are pretty much expecting you to steal something.

I do it because I like having a chat with the woman on the ciggy counter

Some people enjoy queuing.
Some people have habits
Some people like getting cigarettes, lottery, newspapers while other half is looking at clothes.
Some people just want as much human interaction as they can get
And some people just enjoy causing as much disruption as they can to other people.

My supermarket is the same. I put the papers in my trolley without paying then carry on with the rest of my shopping and pay all at once at the end. Never been stopped and in fact has never occurred to me to pay at the cigarette counter first.

I go to quite a large supermarket. The newspapers are near the cafe and the main groceries on the other side. Often I do the big shop and then get a paper and have a drink in the cafe. Occasionally the other way around. It’s convenient to get it at the counter then.

It is annoying that the newspaper are separate from everything else I often forget to get them and get a sad face when I arrive home. Why don’t they put newspapers in a sensible place?

In all the supermarkets I know, apart from lidl that don't have a kiosk, all of the newspapers are right next to the kiosk, in some cases the other (out) side of the checkouts so that's probably partly why, plus they probably just want some interaction with a human being. I know someone who works mostly in the kiosk at her supermarket and she knows loads of her customers by name. Which is lovely.

Using that logic... the pizza counter and salad bar are next to the newspapers at our supermarket, along with stuff like compost. Then you go through the gates. Would you pay for the pizza separately at the kiosk too?

People still buy physical newspapers?

Not as many of us and I think it will die out. I like reading opinion that isn’t listening or scrolling or reading on my phone. I already spend too much time on it.

It’s the older ones.

Our local rag is £1.80 for a thin paper every day Mon-Sat and sometimes the headlines was online 2 days previously!

They think it’s the end of the world if Smiths News (distributor who delivers papers and mags) has an issue with no papers. I have said enjoy a day without being depressed about the news.