A small red sign appears at Coles self-checkouts, helping customers save money.
The label is attached to the scanning machines and advises consumers to remove loose fruit and vegetables from non-supermarket bags before weighing them.
‘Are you using your own non-Coles fresh fruit and vegetable bags?’ it says.
‘Make sure you take your fresh produce from the supermarket before you weigh it at the checkout so you only pay for what you buy.’
The supermarket said this only applies to products sold loose, such as potatoes, onions, apples and tomatoes.
As the cost of living rises, Australians are trying to cut back and avoid unnecessary spending.
According to Finder’s latest research, 42 percent of Australians admit their grocery bill is one of their biggest financial stressors.
The average household spends nearly $10,000 a year on groceries, or $258 a week for a family of four.
The warning reminding customers to remove loose fruit and vegetables from non-supermarket bags before weighing them was spotted at the bottom of the screens
With so many people struggling to meet their basic needs, it’s no wonder that people don’t want to pay more for a product than they get.
Depending on the weight of the fruit and vegetable bags, which can be 10 grams or more, customers may be overcharged if they ignore the sign.
However, Coles says customers don’t have to worry about getting fresh produce out of the mesh bags they bought in the supermarket.
Consumers are also being told they can continue to weigh their fresh produce in the plastic fruit and vegetable bags provided in stores across the country.
“For the convenience of our customers, we have lightweight bags available that they can use when purchasing fresh produce,” a Coles spokeswoman said.
‘We also sell reusable fruit and vegetable bags from Coles, both of which are designed to work with our scales.
‘However, we also know that some of our customers like to bring their own bags when they shop with us. These signs serve as a gentle reminder for these customers to remove their items from the store before weighing them. The scale will then only calculate the weight and price of their items (without the weight of their bag).’