A Coles shopper was left confused when a worker at the self-service checkout asked her to scan a box of mineral water before continuing her shopping.
Teya, who runs the Me Mama I maternity shop in Victoria, described the encounter as “very strange” and “awkward” after going to her weekly shop.
And when she shared a TikTok video asking for advice, other Supermarket workers intervened and revealed they had to ask shoppers to scan heavy items first as these are the ‘most commonly stolen items’.
“I used the self-service checkout, the one with the conveyor belt,” Teya said in the video.
‘I wanted to buy a carton of mineral water, and the lady overseeing the area insisted on helping me.
Teya, from Victoria, was surprised when a Coles employee asked her to first scan the heavy items at the self-service checkout. Supermarket staff then confirmed that heavy products should be scanned first as these are often the ‘most stolen items’
‘And I thought, “No, it’s fine, I’ll be in the self-checkout. I’ll just do it myself.”
‘She said, “Okay, but can you scan it first?” And I said, “Okay, that’s a little weird. I don’t know why.”
‘But she was adamant that I should scan the box first. I (didn’t) know I had to do that.’
Teya then asked for advice on why groceries should be scanned in a ‘certain order’ at the self-service checkout.
The small business owner described the encounter as ‘weird’ and ‘awkward’ (stock image)
One TikTok user responded in the comments: ‘As a former Coles service worker it’s because bulk items are their most stolen item.
‘Even at the normal checkouts they first ask if you have bulk items. It’s hard for the employees.’
Another person added: ‘As a Woolies employee I don’t often shop at Coles but to be fair bulk items are checked for theft. I’m not saying all customers would steal, but the loss of bulk items happens every day. Same as fruit and vegetables.’
“I work at Coles and we carry barcodes for bulk items to ensure we can scan them for people in the self-service area,” said a third.
A Coles spokesperson said FEMAIL staff are always happy to assist shoppers with checkout (stock image)
A Coles spokesperson said FEMAIL staff are always willing to assist shoppers at the checkout.
“Coles is always looking for ways to improve the way we serve our customers and provide exceptional customer service,” the spokesperson said.
“Our team members are always encouraged to assist our customers wherever possible. If a customer has certain items, which may be bulky or heavy items, our team will offer to assist them in scanning the items at checkout.
‘It’s all about providing our customers with good service and helping them through the checkout quickly and efficiently.’