As of: March 18, 2024, 1:43 p.m
By: Moritz Bletzinger
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Many people do it, but very few people give it much thought.
But: With this seemingly small thing, supermarket customers are making themselves liable to prosecution.
Kassel – A little taste before you buy.
Who hasn't considered it?
Eating a piece of fruit or vegetable at the store can't be that bad, right?
But is that legally okay?
A Lidl branch manager provides information.
Am I allowed to do that?
Eating fruit in the supermarket or opening packaging – Lidl store manager explains rules in the supermarket
“Can I just open fruit and vegetables or other items in the store and eat them?” asks “the branch manager”.
With over 80,000 followers on his Tiktok account, the young Lidl employee dispels numerous shopping myths - including the question of snacking in the store.
The answer is not entirely clear.
“It's a little more difficult with fruit and vegetables,” he begins his explanation: “With items that have to be weighed, that's a form of theft.
Because: If you eat a banana, I can't weigh the banana at the checkout." Another banana could serve as a reference, but that's all.
Am I allowed to do that?
The Lidl branch manager explains the rules in the supermarket.
© Screenshot/Tiktok
But what about packaged products?
The barcode on the packaging makes it possible to calculate the correct price at the checkout, even if the contents have already been consumed.
However, customers should not simply open the products.
However, if hunger plagues you or your circulation drops dangerously, you don't necessarily have to go without it.
In principle, sampling in the store is theft - but Lidl employees give a tip
The store manager gives some pragmatic advice: “I would always talk to the cashier or any salesperson in the store.
And say, 'Hey, is it okay with you if I open this and give it to my child or eat it myself?'" The answer can vary from branch to branch, some are lenient, others are not.
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Ultimately, the legal situation is clear: until the goods have been paid for at the checkout, they belong to the supermarket.
Customers who access beforehand are legally committing theft.
This is based on Section 242 of the Criminal Code, which applies to all supermarket chains.
Although most operators are not so strict about it, customers should still ask.
“This is how you play it safe and don’t commit any offense,” emphasizes the Lidl branch manager.
This can quickly happen unnoticed during everyday activities, for example if customers do not use a shopping cart.
(moe)
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.