Coles shoppers are still walking away confused as staff continue to push them to scan heavy items before lighter ones at the self-serve checkouts.
Shoppers are flooding Reddit and TikTok with their ‘awkward’ encounters, claiming staff ‘rush over’ when they have heavy items and ‘urge them’ to scan them before any others.
‘I was buying a few bits and pieces yesterday at Coles, including a 10 pack of canned bubbly water. At the self checkout, I scanned the smaller items first while I cradled the water and one of the helpers came to me a bit panicky,’ one recalled this week.
‘She asked if she could void the transaction so the waters would scan first. I said “it’s okay, it’s already scanned” and I was ready to pay, but she pleaded with me to let her or she’d get in trouble.
‘I was a bit confused, but she seemed genuinely worried so I let her. Can anyone explain why she needed to make sure the waters were scanned first?’
Many theorised the staff do so so shoppers don’t ‘leave it in their cart and “forget” to scan them’, but Coles insists it’s solely to do with their commitment to ‘good customer service’.
‘Coles is always always looking for ways to improve how we serve our customers and provide exceptional customer service,’ a Coles spokesperson told FEMAIL when the first report arose.
‘Our team members are always encouraged to help our customers where possible. Where a customer has certain items, this may include bulky or heavy items, our team will offer to assist them in scanning the items when checking out.
Coles shoppers are still walking away confused as staff continue to push them to scan heavy items before lighter ones at the self-serve checkouts
‘This is all about providing great service to our customers and helping them get through the checkouts quickly and efficiently.’
This ‘rule’ first made headlines earlier this year when a shopper claimed she was asked to scan a carton of mineral water before the rest of her shopping.
Teya, who runs the maternity store Me Mama I in Victoria, described the encounter as ‘really weird’ and ‘awkward’ after heading out for her weekly shop.
And when she shared a TikTok video asking for advice, other supermarket workers jumped in to reveal they are told to ask shoppers to scan heavy products first because they are the ‘most stolen items’.
‘I was using the self-service checkout, the one with the conveyor belt,’ Teya said in the video.
‘I was going to purchase a carton of mineral water, and the lady that was overseeing the area was very insistent on helping me.
This ‘rule’ first made headlines earlier this year when a shopper claimed she was asked to scan a carton of mineral water before the rest of her shopping
‘And I was like, “No, it’s fine – I’m in the self-checkout. I’ll just do it myself.”
‘She was like, “OK, but can you scan it first?” And I’m like, “OK, that’s a bit weird. I don’t know why.”
‘But she was very adamant that I had to scan the carton first. I [didn’t] know I had to do that.’
Teya then asked for advice as to why groceries need to be scanned in a ‘certain order’ at the self-serve checkout.
One TikTok user responded in the comments: ‘As an ex-Coles service employee, it’s because bulk items are their highest stolen item.
‘Even at the normal registers they’ll ask you if you have any bulk items first. It’s hard on workers.’
Another person added: ‘As a Woolies worker I don’t often shop at Coles but to be honest bulk items are monitored due to theft. Not saying that all customers would thieve – but loss of bulk items add up daily. Same as fruit and vegetables.’
‘I work at Coles and we carry barcodes for bulk items to ensure we scan them for people in self service,’ a third said.
