Taking bags to the supermarket...

[Patchninja]

Supermarkets here just don't give bags away. If you want your shopping, you take your bags or buy the equivalent of bags for life. The difference in the pollution levels is dramatic, apparently. You certainly don't see them blowing about any more. They used to wash up on the beaches in quantity.
I don't see why anyone can have a problem in taking their own bags and you don't have to buy one made by cheap labour unless you choose to!
I'm all for proper bags, but then again, I'm another one who can remember the world before plastic bags

[zazen999]

I don't understand why it is the supermarket's job to also supply bags, pack them for you, carry them to the car etc etc. They are a shop not social services.

I stood behind a lady last week who insisted that the cashier pack all her bags; including heaving them over the counter to put the bags in the trolley - heavy ones at that. This 'lady' was MORE than capable of packing them - as I'd been behind her on more than one occasion as she managed to drag boxes of cakes and beer INTO her trolley; and she just stood there whilst this waif of a girl nearly put her back out trying to move the bags into her trolley.

Oh, did I mention that her husband also stood by and watched.

I asked if that happens often and she said yes. I doubt they will have trouble getting the food out of the car, into their houses and onto their [possibly paper] plates; so why couldn't they bag up their own food?

This 'service' is supposed to be for people who have trouble packing - not just for the incessantly lazy.

Oh sorry, I thought I was on the rant thread. Oops.

[OllieMartin]

I stood behind a lady last week who insisted that the cashier pack all her bags; including heaving them over the counter to put the bags in the trolley

In fairness, they do always ask, "would you like any help with your packing?", if it was only for people who otherwise had trouble they should be more specific. The service is open to interpretation and I can't say I blame people for taking advantage of it. Perhaps they should ask, "Do you have trouble packing yourself?" or something like that.

I always try to have a laugh with the checkout assistants. In my Mum's home town all the Tesco regulars become very friendly with them, in fact one of them came to my Step-mum's funeral they had become so close.
They always smile and always show a genuine interest in you.
In Hull, they just do the automated, "How are you today?", but you can tell they don't care what the answer is. A while ago a girl asked me that and I replied, "I'm very well thanks, how are you?", she didn't respond, I felt used.

[Snadger]

Maybe 'Camo' bags are the manly answer? I usually have a placcy bag in my pocket anyway in case the dog does a whoopsie!

I have bought loads of reuseable bags from the supermarket but never seem to have them with me when I go shopping (no clubcard either)

[Flummery]

I use my home-made patchwork bags. They are stong and light. I would use them just to show off even if there were no environmental issue here.

[Jeanied]

I use my home-made patchwork bags. They are stong and light. I would use them just to show off even if there were no environmental issue here.

Quite right too, Flum - it looks gorgeous.

[jackie j]

My OH does the weekly shop and takes his own bags and make's sure he gets the points for them. He takes a bag into town if he knows he is going to buy something, on the odd ocassion he doesnt have one with him I offer him myplain green nylon one that I keep in my handbag and he refuses to use it.

[pjh75]

We used to take our own bags all the time, OH has no problem carrying them.

The problem for us is that we use the scan your own tills and since they changed them to get rid of the belts (apparently it means they can fit more in) every time you put your bag down to pack it says "unexpected item in the bagging area" and you have to wait for an assistant to tap a number in.... every single time! So it got annoying and we rarely take our own bags now. They tried to fix it by adding a button to say that you are using your own bags, but it doesn't work. They also cover up where you put the coupons (I assume because people were abusing it) so you need an assistant for that too - defeating the object of doing it yourself... I seem to have turned this into a moan about the self-service tills - I'll go now.

[OllieMartin]

I don't believe in the self service checkouts, they're promote the death of customer service in my opinion.
I was in B&Q last weekend with my Step-Dad with a basket full of stuff and he asked if we should use the self service checkout, I replied that I didn't believe in them so we used a manned one. 3 of our items had dodgy bar codes and one had to be changed as it was damaged...if we'd used the self service it would have taken twice as long and we'd have been calling someone over to help every 10 seconds. I felt suitably smug

[Guttata]

The problem for us is that we use the scan your own tills and since they changed them to get rid of the belts (apparently it means they can fit more in) every time you put your bag down to pack it says "unexpected item in the bagging area" and you have to wait for an assistant to tap a number in.... every single time!

To stop this scan an item and put it in the bag then put the bag down to pack. Since I started doing this I have never had that problem again.

Ollie self service tills have their place. They are quicker if you only have a couple of items and others have trolleys full and you don't stuck behind a person who gets the staff to pack their bags even when they can do it themselves. If I am getting bulky stuff or a lot of stuff then it is go to the staffed tills.

[Alison]

the ordinary free bags at checkout are made of biodegradable cornstarch anyway, ( this is why you sometimes find them crumbling away) so the bags for life are just a way of saving the supermarkets money. the bags for life have been sewn using low paid labour, so imo are the worse of the options. i therefore just use the free ones, which i have been charged for in the grocery bill anyway ( nothing is free!) i then recycle them to pick up my dogs muck.

The ordinary bags don't rot down for an eon and whilst they do deteriorate they stay around for ages.

I use my home-made patchwork bags. They are stong and light. I would use them just to show off even if there were no environmental issue here.

I'm guessing that as you didn't pay yourself for your lovely bags then you are indeed the low paid labour which Lindyloo is so worried about Yes some of the bags probably do have dubious ethical credientials but so do a lot of things, so you avoid clothes from most high street shops for example?

[Flummery]

The ordinary bags don't rot down for an eon and whilst they do deteriorate they stay around for ages.



I'm guessing that as you didn't pay yourself for your lovely bags then you are indeed the low paid labour which Lindyloo is so worried about Yes some of the bags probably do have dubious ethical credientials but so do a lot of things, so you avoid clothes from most high street shops for example?

I am indeed thoroughly exploited! I don't pay myself anything. (The grub's not bad though!)
I do agree with Alison though, that cheap stuff is generally exploitative. You have to make your own decisions on these things.

[Two_Sheds]

there's almost no way a gent like me is going to carry that down to the local supermarket ...it's not the look of the bag, it's just the notion of taking my own

Are that unsure of your own sexuality?
Men carry holdalls, rucksacks, manbags etc. Are they manly enough for you?

I have 3 of those collapsable plastic boxes in the car boot and pile everything from the trolley straight into those.

they work well

I dont do it out of principle. Why should I? Its not my responsibility what the supermarkets make their bags out of

Ah, but it is. They will supply what they think the consumer demands.

I stood behind a lady last week who insisted that the cashier pack all her bags

what a twit: does she need help packing her cupboards too?

[valmarg]

Hasn't anyone else got any Sainsbury's smart boxes? They were 99p each for every £20.00 you spent when they were issued. They are wonderful. Sainsburys have special trolleys to accommodate them. They are very sturdy, have uses other than shopping, ie gardening - chucking the weeds in before tipping into the recycling wheelie - keeping potatoes in the kitchen (with lid), taking washing out to hang on the line, etc, etc.

I also have two large and two smaller free Waitrose shopping bags, and a coolbag. I have recently acquired another free Waitrose hessian bag.

I do love it, on the odd occasions I visit Tesco, using my Waitrose bags, and getting the 'points'.

valmarg

[Madasafish]

We store our bags in the car boot.
No forgetting.
SImples.