Grocery Store Workers Wish You’d Stop Doing These 6 Things

One thing the pandemic made clear is that grocery store employees are essential—not just to the economy, but to daily life. They keep shelves stocked, organize fresh produce and, in many stores, prepare everything from butchered meats and fresh seafood to baked goods and ready-to-eat meals. It’s safe to say most of us rely on grocery store employees to help keep our kitchens running.

For shoppers, a trip to the grocery store is a straightforward, weekly activity. Many of us are on auto-pilot when shopping, pushing our carts through the market, grabbing the items on our lists and checking out without much thought. For the employees, however, it’s a very different experience. Many spend 40 hours a week—or more—on the floor, and the small habits customers barely notice can make their jobs much harder.

We asked current and former grocery store employees to share things they wish customers would stop doing. The good news? With just a little awareness and effort, we can make their jobs easier and create a smoother shopping experience for everyone. Here is what they want you to know.

Leaving Perishable Food Throughout the Store

We’ve all been there: we get halfway through our shopping list and decide we don’t actually need that bag of carrots or package of chicken. But instead of returning it, some shoppers leave perishable items on random shelves and walk away.

For grocery workers, this isn’t just frustrating, it’s wasteful. One Reddit user says after working in large grocery chains for more than five years, they’ve seen basic etiquette failures everywhere: Abandoning perishable stuff you don’t want on random shelves is not just a pet peeve, but may actually result in that item getting discarded, the user says. “Leaving a box of salad out for hours and hours means we throw it out, losing money and depriving another customer of food.”

Another user who worked at a grocery store in high school echoed that sentiment: “Nothing grinds my gears worse than finding a steak sitting on top of canned goods. Like shoplifting, this raises prices for all of us.” 

So what should you do if there’s an item in your cart you don’t actually want? Simple. Return the item yourself or politely hand it to an employee. “It is not a big deal at all to give a product to the cashier and tell them you don’t want it,” one user says. “They can then easily call someone to restock it.”

Leaving Trash Everywhere

Some shoppers like to sample produce like grapes and cherries before making a purchase. While employees don’t necessarily mind the occasional taste test, they do want customers to clean up after themselves. 

Instead, many workers say they regularly find the remnants—especially during cherry season—left all over the store. One former Whole Foods employee says when they worked as an independent contractor and cleaned water machines, the drains were often full of sampled cherry pits. “Every single week, during fresh cherry season, the drains would be full of pits,” they said. “There was a trash can 3 feet away, but no, they’d spit the pits into the drain.” 

Another user says the amount of cherry pits and chicken wing bones found all over the store is simply disgusting. Many workers agreed, saying customers treat the store like a giant trash can, which is not only unpleasant, but also creates extra work and sanitation concerns.

The fix is simple: If you sample something or have trash, throw it away properly. Using a nearby trash can is always a better option than hiding it throughout the store.

Grabbing Ready-to-Eat Food Without Utensils

Another common irritation comes down to hygiene: handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands.

In self-serve areas like bakeries, prepared food sections and olive bars, utensils or tissues are always provided for a reason. Skipping them isn’t just inconsiderate; it can contaminate the food and force employees to throw out items that were otherwise untouched.

“Having worked in the bakery, please don’t allow your children to touch any self-serve item, cookie, doughnut, croissant, muffin, anything, please,” says a former Wegmans’ employee. “Also, use the sheets to pick up any self-serve item, from adult to adult, no one should have to remind an adult to not use their bare hands to touch self-serve items,” they add. “It’s a huge hazard and often the items are thrown away and other customers complain that particular item is now unavailable for the time being.” 

Confronting Workers on Food Costs

As a shopper, you have likely noticed food prices have gone up, but workers ask that you don’t take out your frustration on them—arguing with them about prices is a waste of your time and theirs.

Employees point out that they’re also customers, and feel the same strain at checkout. “I did not decide to remodel the store. I did not decide the price of ground beef. I shop here too,” one Reddit user shared, echoing a common sentiment among workers. 

Beyond being unproductive, confronting staff about prices puts them in an uncomfortable position. Many grocery workers said some customers even try to haggle on prices, but the workers can’t adjust any prices.

Leaving Carts in the Parking Lot

How customers handle shopping carts is another common frustration. Whether it’s leaving trash, shopping lists, receipts or used coffee cups in the cart, workers would like customers to clean up after themselves, and that especially pertains to shopping carts. But the biggest gripe has to do with what happens to the carts after customers finish shopping.

“I work helping hands (a service at Wegmans’ to help shoppers), and it would be great if customers didn’t leave carts everywhere but the cart corrals that they are supposed to go in,” says one Reddit user. “Some people put the effort into lodging the cart into a curb or bike rack when the same amount of effort could be used just walking to the nearest cart corral.”

Stray carts create extra work for employees and can block parking spaces or even damage vehicles. If you’re able, take a few extra steps to return your cart and toss any trash before you go.

Bringing Non-Service Dogs

Unless you rely on a trained service animal, workers ask that you keep your pets at home. While some customers enjoy bringing their dogs along, employees say it can create real issues in a food environment.

Dogs may bark, get loose or have accidents, raising sanitary concerns. Plus, non-service animals may distract or interfere with service dogs that are actively assisting their handlers.

Service animals are welcome, but for everyone’s safety and comfort, pets should stay home.

Our Expert Take

Grocery store workers play an essential role in keeping our food system running—from stocking shelves to preparing fresh meals, meat, seafood and baked goods. Small habits can make a big difference in their day-to-day work and improve the overall shopping experience.

Simple actions, like throwing away trash, using utensils for ready-to-eat foods and leaving non-service pets at home, help maintain a cleaner, safer store for everyone.

Employees say they are more than happy to help shoppers find items, put away unwanted food and even check prices for any unmarked products. In return, they simply ask that you treat them with respect—and that’s not much to ask for.