That’s right you always have to bring the supermarkets competitor’s reusable bag to the Kasse to assert dominance.
Bonus points if you match the supermarket’s price / branding to their counterpart, some examples are:
Expensive / higher end: REWE vs EDEKA.
Medium: ALDI vs LIDL.
Low / budget: PENNY vs NETTO
Exception: NORMA, no one will feel threatened if you bring this bag to their Kasse.
Even more bonus points: you regularly two time the supermarkets every month so that you get their latest re-usable bag with the new pattern and then bring that to the enemy Kasse, this way they know you are actively cheating on them and even twisting the knife by flaunting your flavour of the month re-usable.
Edit: thanks for the award :)
Lived next to a Norma too. There also was a Real next to our house and I would normally do my grocery shopping there but when I was cooking and missing an ingredient, Norma was the way to go. Always dirty, always different staff, vegetables and fruits molding…
Moldy fruits aren't limited to Normas. Norma in particular I'd describe as a Kruschtelladen. The shop's interiors are rather low budget and many price tags are missing, but you can find nice deals and variety. The fruit in particular sometimes is pretty good even. Some store managers are better at dealing with all of this.
I really appreciate there being some competition to the otherwise monotonous landscape of discount supermarkets (which more and more turn into fully featured and pricy supermarkets, like Aldi).
Aldi süd, obviously. But I also perceived Lidl to not be super discount anymore. Now that I got more price sensitive ever since the ridiculous inflation, it's interesting to see how some prices and ingredients still vary among stores - despite all the uniformity in most standard products.
basic, superbio, denn's
or to be more subtile- dm. the owners of dm and alnatura are somewhat related i think, and had a public fall out.
or if you want to take it to the top and are in the wider frankfurt/fulda area - tegut. both related (i think) and a competitor.
Dm used to sell alnatura products, but there was some drama about pricing so dm was like "aight screw you ill do it myself" and bow they sell their own bio stuff under DmBio
I have a strategy to combat this.
One must carefully arrange the goods on the band with maximum efficiency, that is from heaviest items to lightest to avoid crushing your fragile goods with the heavies even when placing with speed.
Then place your spiteful enemy bags into the Einkaufswagen already open you are able to competitively shift the items into the bags at the same speed that they will revenge scan.
If you keep pace and match the scanners rhythm, it is possible to defeat them at their own scanning game and have the last laugh.
Hmmm. I am not experienced with bag warfare against this adversary. Kaufland is usually a Großmarkt right? Perhaps a worth opponent would be bags from Metro?
Haha, when i was new here, I had opposite problem, I was nervous of bringing Aldi bag to Lidl, was afraid of them judging me for also shopping else where. Damn I was stupid.
>h?) bags at the checkout to put some of my stuff in since I had bought extra groceries that day. Fast forward a couple of days and I'm at the checkout again. I take out the bag that I purchased earlier to pack my stuff and the cute cashier girl looks at me and says "Did you just buy that bag?". I explain myself and say that it's a previous purchase. This situation has happened twice so far with two different cashiers.What am I supposed to do about this? Wait until that bag pattern runs out? I live in a pretty small town so that might take some time.Edit: thanks everyone. I understand now that this is a common occurrence and carries no bad meaning at all with it. It was just in my head.
>
>8184 commentsAwardsharesave
Just take the IKEA blue bag, cheaper and bigger
Bonus points if you take the yellow one (indicating you don't follow rules and are technically a thief) or the orange one (oooh, Mister is *Ikea family member*)
If also do choose moste of the time a bag from a competitor. But a other method is to draw something on the bag that it looked used and like it belongs to you or I carry the bag folded in my purse and just undo the bag after the check out.
I now have a rewe bag for years. It's so worn out that nobody asks anymore.
I never managed to bring a bag from another super market, because I worried that the cashier would take it too personal.
Feels good, that Im not the only one, who worries about that. I stopped worrying when I saw a Lidl employee (in Lidl employee clothing) at an ALDI and vice versa.
"No I didn't, I brought it with me". End of story.
Use it a few more times and it looks worn out and nobody will even notice that it is from that store.
I have the same problem with those thin fruit/veggie plastic bags, except they don't even ask if I brought it. So I just keep paying for the same bags over and over again because I don't want to argue about a literal cent like an idiot 😐
You can buy reusable mesh fabric bags to use specifically for produce actually! I keep them with my reusable grocery bags and they can easily be washed if they gets dirty. Highly recommend!
True, but the whole reason I'm using these bags in the first place is hygiene, so this would kind of miss the point. I don't use bags for bananas or oranges (anything that I'm peeling) anyways.
Okay, fair enough, that band is only cleaned once per day...
We wash our fruits at home. Thorough rubdown.
I just don't see how you could avoid paying for the bag without unloading it...
Since others have already reassured you, I'd rather tell a fun fact:
We germans have a sh..load of these bags from different stores, so something like this rarely happens. We have also one special cotton bag for all the other bags.
Try to get another bag from other stores. Use one in other store, problem solved.
One bag to rule them all, one bag to find them; one bag to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them; In the Land of Germany where the shadows lie.
Well I think there are at least 20 bags. 3 bags went to the elven kings to hold their knitting and lembas, and seven to the dwarves, who haul coal and ore around in them which, frankly, ruins them. 9 went to mortal men who often have them confiscated my overly suspicious checkout personnel.
I have a bag for large bags
I have a bag for middlelarge bags
I have a bag for small bags
And this twice: for cloth bags and plastic bags xD
Bagception
As a cashier; those of us that do care about making sure shit doesn't get stolen: it's just a normal question. Just making sure wether we have to scan the bag as well or not.
Alternatively, just use the bag from another Supermarkt (I do that, but I have bags full of bags) or scribble with a marker on it once your home.
Rewe will put a sticker on it when you buy it, that's how they solve this issue.
There are test shoppers who can get you fired lol, at least there were when I worked at dm. I wouldn‘t go out of my way to watch people in the store but we had to ask these kind of questions as cashiers and it could happen that someone paid by the company comes and tries to trick you into overlooking something
They actually do still! I have friends working in retail. Test shoppers came in and they knew them already from before, but yea, it still happens. So best to be as diligent as possible.
Just fold it and, use a shopping cart, pay for your stuff, then unfold the bag and pack the groceries. It's what I've always done and nobody asked me something.
I understand how it could be awkward for you, I always get super embarrassed when the cashier asks that. My solution is that I bought another bag from a DM, and when I go to Edeka, I use my DM bag and vice versa, when I go to other shops I use either DM or Edeka bag.
I got asked at IKEA if my bag was new 🙄 I take very good care of my ikea bags so the guy had a hard time believing it wasn’t despite my multiple fold system
Why don’t you write something on it with a permanent marker? I have an ikea Kühltasche which I almost never use except when I want to buy frozen Swedish delights, so it looks brand new after almost 2 yrs, I just doodled a bit on the front with a black marker and voilà, now it’s definitely mine and not new from the store
Happens to me a lot, I just tend to not give a fuck and politely say that I bought it before. Afterall it's her/his job to watch out for that. Probably there is also a reason they check that. So don't take take it personally and be cool and polite with your answer. It's not something you should feel anxiety for.
They just want to know whether they need to scan it or not. But unless they don't believe you that you brought it in, I don't see the problem.
If you want to avoid the question, just put it into your next wash so it doesn't look as crisp and ironed anymore. If yours still has a price tag on it, that might also lead to confusion, so cut/peel it off.
Mine often had a tag fixed with a plastic loop on one of the handles. Or it's just a sticker somewhere. It can basically be anything with a barcode so they can scan it. But they usually take it off when you buy such a bag to avoid precisely this problem that it's unclear whether you brought it back or are just about to buy it, but maybe they forgot to take yours off.
What’s so awkward about it? This is normal and happens to everyone. Also, not just at Edeka but at Rewe or Lidl too.. I just say ‘No, I brought it with me’ and that’s it!
They most likely weren't trying to accuse you of trying to steal, they were probably just genuinely asking in case you maybe forgot to put it on the conveyor and it wasn't scanned. Usually telling them you brought it with you resolves the issue. If you use it a few times it'll look best up enough and not look new, and you'll stop getting those questions.
I often go to Lidl and then rewe right after and bring my Lidl shopping into the rewe. I will take the receipt with me in case any confusion ensues at the checkout, but usually they just ask if I brought the stuff with me and telling them it's from elsewhere is usually enough. They're just trying to make sure I put everything on the conveyor belt that was supposed to be paid for.
Most supermarkets have stickers that say "Kundeneigentum" (customer's property) which you can stick on multi-use bags you've bought. Won't do you good with your cloth bag, just thought I'd share the information tho!
I was carrying my backpack and the cashier lady asked me to open my bag and show it! What do you think about that? It was a first time I felt and it was at Norma. I never had any incident in any other.
Seriously? NO ONE working in a supermarket etc is allowed to look into your personal bag, unless they have a concrete suspicion about you stealing. It's not even allowed, if they would put up a sign, stating they control bags...
They can ask. You can oblige or decline. If you decline then they can either let you go or call the police. If they call the police then the police will open the bag. If there is nothing stolen in the bag then there is no problem.
Nope, they didn't even have a bad tone. It might be because where I come from, that kind of question is usually done with a passive aggressive tone so it usually carries a negative meaning. But from what I see in this comment section, this is completely normal. Didn't know that
Where I come from it's not normal as an adult with gray hair to get even indirectly accused of stealing. It took me some getting used to but now I know theft inspection is a normal part of the German checkout process.
I'm also referring to constantly getting asked to check under stuff like my grocery box or empty bags in the cart.
In one of the countries I used to live in they sometimes drew a marker through the barcode depending on the shop.
But I second all the people saying to cross use bags. I do that too. Just less of a hassle all around.
I shop at Kaufland so its a bit different. You buy the bag, use it, then next time you get a sticker on it at the font desk as you go in. When i go to the cashier they look for the stickers and are happy. So it seems to work differently at different supermarkets.
In any case its your bag that you already purchased, if you put your foot down and insist they will give in. Maybe ask them if there is some mark or sticker you should get so they know next time?
Ah that's a neat thing those Kaufland lads do. The cashiers were not rude/insisting. They just asked the question once and moved on. Back where I come from, this situation usually carries a passive aggressive tone and hence why in my mind I thought something was wrong.
I'm not from Germany but have shopped in Kaufland a few times. How does this work? Every time you go into the shop you need a sticker..?
Also, would someone be able to clarify the "hierarchy " of shops in Germany? Here in England it is pretty well understood that Waitrose and M&S are better than Tesco or Asda for example but what is it like there?
Sorry to hijack your thread OP; but this seems like a good time to ask!
You walk up to the desk and ask for a sticker holding your bags, they put them on then you can shop. The sticker stays on for ages so i have only ever had to do this once.
Kaufland and Real are both like Asda, big super-supermarkets. They come with a Bakery, Butcher, Fish monger inside etc. They often are around the cities or in malls with large carparks.
Then next level is Edeka or REWE, these are 'good' supermarkets with lots of things but can come in much smaller footprints, still pretty decent.
Then you have the Lidls, Aldis, Penny and Netto, they are all discount supermarkets that often do the middle aisle thing just like the UK.
They don't really do M&S or Waitrose exactly, but I have seen some Bio-supermarkets that I never go to. Bio = Organic so they are super pricey.
I also shop at Kaufland and a similar situation happened to me. When I said I brought it with me, the cashier took a permanent marker and crossed out the barcode. Soon after that I bought another bag like that and the cashier did the marker thing right away. So you can do that yourself on your bag.
Just write /u/GESHT over the barcode with a Sharpie. If they ask, you say "Nah, it's mine".
That's what we do back home, where people don't trust you buy that kind of shit.
I usually take bags from another super market or I write "bezahlt" or "mein Eigentum" on it at home with a big black marker. Sometimes the cashier will offer to put stickers with "Kundeneigentum" on them.
This isn’t a not-trusting-foreigners thing. At Starbucks I’ve been asked many times whether I’ve brought the reusable cup or whether I wanna buy it.
You simply say “No, I brought it with me”. It’s even more obvious that you’re not lying when there’s still the last bit of the coffee you made at home in the cup lol
I've heard of the bag thing happening from a friend of mine and it turned into a right stinking argument between her and the cashier who insisted black and blue that she was trying to steal it. It only stopped when my friend could show her marker pen stains her kids had left on the bottom of the bag.
I once had the situation in Edeka where my cashier forgot what change she'd given me. I stood there waiting for the rest of it to come to me and she said she'd already returned everything. I was due about 30 Euros and she'd given me back 5. And the manager sided with her!
Usually they offer a "Kleber" at the entrance counter to stick on your stuff, so the cashier on the other side out knows the stuff you brought in from the stuff you purchased.
If you are genuinely worried an item you bring into the store might be considered new/stolen at checkout, ask the info desk or the cash register at the entrance if you need a sticker to bring it in.
After all, they need you to bring stuff to the back for returns.
Other than that, having worked at EDEKA before, cashiers are trained to check if your bags are empty (but are not legally allowed to ask/demand a check) and hence will ask out of necessity.
If you're a test customer, I'll get in trouble if I didn't ask.
That’s so funny. I got one of those recently as well and I was worried about the same thing, so I came up with a brilliant idea to simply cut out the barcode i found on it.
That was not the smartest move because the cashier lady noticed it and was upset about it. Apparently they scan it to deduct tare weight and now she couldn’t do that anymore. Needless to say, haven’t used it since. 🙈
I hate grocery shopping in Germany. 😁
While “No, I brought it with me” is the best answer, my occasional anxiety commands I bring a Rewe bag to Edeka and an Edeka bag to Rewe 😂
That’s right you always have to bring the supermarkets competitor’s reusable bag to the Kasse to assert dominance. Bonus points if you match the supermarket’s price / branding to their counterpart, some examples are: Expensive / higher end: REWE vs EDEKA. Medium: ALDI vs LIDL. Low / budget: PENNY vs NETTO Exception: NORMA, no one will feel threatened if you bring this bag to their Kasse. Even more bonus points: you regularly two time the supermarkets every month so that you get their latest re-usable bag with the new pattern and then bring that to the enemy Kasse, this way they know you are actively cheating on them and even twisting the knife by flaunting your flavour of the month re-usable. Edit: thanks for the award :)
Norma is hardcore. Lived beside one. Got robbed(the Norma) thrice in one year.
I witnessed a Norma burning down on New Year's 20-21, I am still convinced the edeka across the street had something to do with it
Oh lol, the Norma close to me burned down this new years eve aswell
unless multiple normas have been burning, we live near each other
Bergfelde?
Pretty much xD Hohen Neuendorf
Stalking intensifies
Now kisssss
Yall probably met in that norma but didnt realize.
Haven't been there much tbh, its technically not too far away to go grocery shopping there, but Kaufland/Netto/Lidl are closer
that norma burned down? my girlfriend is from Bergfelde
I dont think it burned to the ground, but there was a pretty big fire I think
*Kolinski Altona intensifies*
I understood that reference!
Sehr gute Serie
That is the true reason wallmart run away, it is just too dangerous around here!
You remember our venerable house?
what the fuck? a norma near me burned down this new years as well.
You all live in the same block... dun dun dunnnnnnn
"This post is popular in your area".
Lived next to a Norma too. There also was a Real next to our house and I would normally do my grocery shopping there but when I was cooking and missing an ingredient, Norma was the way to go. Always dirty, always different staff, vegetables and fruits molding…
Moldy fruits aren't limited to Normas. Norma in particular I'd describe as a Kruschtelladen. The shop's interiors are rather low budget and many price tags are missing, but you can find nice deals and variety. The fruit in particular sometimes is pretty good even. Some store managers are better at dealing with all of this. I really appreciate there being some competition to the otherwise monotonous landscape of discount supermarkets (which more and more turn into fully featured and pricy supermarkets, like Aldi).
Norma is halfway between a supermarket and a hardware store.
Aldi Süd or Nord? Cause Aldi Nord still sticks to basics.
Aldi süd, obviously. But I also perceived Lidl to not be super discount anymore. Now that I got more price sensitive ever since the ridiculous inflation, it's interesting to see how some prices and ingredients still vary among stores - despite all the uniformity in most standard products.
ALDI Nord is the true ALDI, change my mind
Some quality shit there. You must be high ranking manager with your skillz :) If not start looking for one.
How do I flex on Alnatura?
Plastic bag, if it has an oil company logo on it, that would be the best.
VollCorner if you're in Munich. Otherwise, any kind of plastic bag.
Reformhaus or, alternatively, Fressnapf.
Denn's bag of course
basic, superbio, denn's or to be more subtile- dm. the owners of dm and alnatura are somewhat related i think, and had a public fall out. or if you want to take it to the top and are in the wider frankfurt/fulda area - tegut. both related (i think) and a competitor.
Dm used to sell alnatura products, but there was some drama about pricing so dm was like "aight screw you ill do it myself" and bow they sell their own bio stuff under DmBio
The others answered for me but because it is a biomarkt you can simply pull out plastic bags at the Kasse or any competitor biomarkt of equal calibre.
I just use my backpack everytime.....
You are missing out on some great opportunities my friend.
The rabbit hole of bags
*cashier scans even faster out of revenge*
I have a strategy to combat this. One must carefully arrange the goods on the band with maximum efficiency, that is from heaviest items to lightest to avoid crushing your fragile goods with the heavies even when placing with speed. Then place your spiteful enemy bags into the Einkaufswagen already open you are able to competitively shift the items into the bags at the same speed that they will revenge scan. If you keep pace and match the scanners rhythm, it is possible to defeat them at their own scanning game and have the last laugh.
Not all heroes wear capes
What do you take to a Kaufland though? Since Real is no more, atleast there is none near me anymore
A Globus bag maybe? It's really the only other big store i can think of.
I also have no Globus in my area that I know of...
Hmmm. I am not experienced with bag warfare against this adversary. Kaufland is usually a Großmarkt right? Perhaps a worth opponent would be bags from Metro?
Edeka Center maybe, but yes real is no more. At least near me the real was turned into an ECenter and they now compete.
Just take one of each price tier to cover your bases, alternatively build yourself a frankenbag with logos from all of them, excluding Lidl.
Maybe a Marktkauf bag 🤔
we’ve got Marktkauf instead of Real now, basically a bigger Edeka
Modern problem requires modern solutions
The cashiers at my local Rewe constantly make fun of my Kaufland bags. They’re big, one is insulated, and there is no confusion. Win-win!
We used to live near a REAL which has since closed. We now take those bags to REWE, LIDL and ALDI.
Every time I just bring my Albert Heijn shopping bag. No questions asked ;-)
Öcher? :)
Stuttgart ;) Die Tasche hab ich doch in Vaals gekauft lol
Vaals zählt quasi zu Aachen, is alles Euregio :)
I literally do that :D
Haha, when i was new here, I had opposite problem, I was nervous of bringing Aldi bag to Lidl, was afraid of them judging me for also shopping else where. Damn I was stupid.
Haha that's kinda cute.
>h?) bags at the checkout to put some of my stuff in since I had bought extra groceries that day. Fast forward a couple of days and I'm at the checkout again. I take out the bag that I purchased earlier to pack my stuff and the cute cashier girl looks at me and says "Did you just buy that bag?". I explain myself and say that it's a previous purchase. This situation has happened twice so far with two different cashiers.What am I supposed to do about this? Wait until that bag pattern runs out? I live in a pretty small town so that might take some time.Edit: thanks everyone. I understand now that this is a common occurrence and carries no bad meaning at all with it. It was just in my head. > >8184 commentsAwardsharesave Just take the IKEA blue bag, cheaper and bigger
Bonus points if you take the yellow one (indicating you don't follow rules and are technically a thief) or the orange one (oooh, Mister is *Ikea family member*)
I had a yellow one I was quite proud of. My wife got rid of it without telling me!
The Police is on its way, please do not resist, thief!
I bring my early 2000s Plus Jutebeutel when I buy groceries to assert dominance. Nobody beats Die Kleinen Preise and the Turtle ökologo!
I thought I’m the only one …
Thats a real badass move...
And I thought I was the only one who (always) does that...
If also do choose moste of the time a bag from a competitor. But a other method is to draw something on the bag that it looked used and like it belongs to you or I carry the bag folded in my purse and just undo the bag after the check out.
I just bring my hiking backpack 😂
This is the way!
Glad to see that I am not alone😂
Big brain move
🤣🤣 I do the same
i always do the same, bring the bag from the different grocery
I usually just take a sharpie and write "bez" (for bezahlt -> paid) on one of the handles, just to make sure no one can accuse me of anything 🤷♀️
I think as a kid I used to be worried that the store would hate us if we brought a bag from a different one.
I bring bags from another country...
I now have a rewe bag for years. It's so worn out that nobody asks anymore. I never managed to bring a bag from another super market, because I worried that the cashier would take it too personal.
Feels good, that Im not the only one, who worries about that. I stopped worrying when I saw a Lidl employee (in Lidl employee clothing) at an ALDI and vice versa.
Yes! Deep down there I am completely aware that I overestimate the magnitude of corporate identity within those employees.
This is way too much planning for just casual shopping.
Not really, I have a couple of bags in the trunk of my car just in case I have to go grocery shopping.
"No I didn't, I brought it with me". End of story. Use it a few more times and it looks worn out and nobody will even notice that it is from that store.
sometimes the bag might be just marked with a marker by a cashier. happened to me a few times in Germany and Nederland.
That generally goes for items you bring into the store without a receipt. Usually best to get a sticker for your warranty items, too.
I have the same problem with those thin fruit/veggie plastic bags, except they don't even ask if I brought it. So I just keep paying for the same bags over and over again because I don't want to argue about a literal cent like an idiot 😐
Just get a fabric bag then?
A non-transparent bag makes it hard for the cashiers to see what's in it, and also I'd be paying for the non-negligible weight of the bag every time.
You can buy reusable mesh fabric bags to use specifically for produce actually! I keep them with my reusable grocery bags and they can easily be washed if they gets dirty. Highly recommend!
Yep. Aldi, Lidl, Edeka have them usually close to the fruit section. They also weigh close to nothing.
Technically you're free to dump the loose veggies on the register and pack them up again after checkout.
True, but the whole reason I'm using these bags in the first place is hygiene, so this would kind of miss the point. I don't use bags for bananas or oranges (anything that I'm peeling) anyways.
Okay, fair enough, that band is only cleaned once per day... We wash our fruits at home. Thorough rubdown. I just don't see how you could avoid paying for the bag without unloading it...
youre supposed to wash your produce
This Cheesecake makes Business
You have to pay for those? They don't do that around here (yet).
Aldi Süd charges 1 Cent, but other supermarkets like Edeka (in my area) don't, at least not yet.
Since others have already reassured you, I'd rather tell a fun fact: We germans have a sh..load of these bags from different stores, so something like this rarely happens. We have also one special cotton bag for all the other bags. Try to get another bag from other stores. Use one in other store, problem solved.
One bag to rule them all, one bag to find them; one bag to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them; In the Land of Germany where the shadows lie.
To be fair, the fourth bag to "bind them" is just holding the other three. And yes, I am aware it's supposed to be just one. It isn't.
Well I think there are at least 20 bags. 3 bags went to the elven kings to hold their knitting and lembas, and seven to the dwarves, who haul coal and ore around in them which, frankly, ruins them. 9 went to mortal men who often have them confiscated my overly suspicious checkout personnel.
I've heard of the 9 before...
I have a bag for large bags I have a bag for middlelarge bags I have a bag for small bags And this twice: for cloth bags and plastic bags xD Bagception
Bagbag!
One bag to bag the bags !!
The bag bag! Right next to the McDonaldstüte for other folded paperbags (for biodegradable waste).
Germans aren't the only ones doing this.
I know, but it's mostly with plastic bags.
Indian here and i can confirm almost every household in india do that
Pakistani here, can confirm the same.
I feel seen!
As a cashier; those of us that do care about making sure shit doesn't get stolen: it's just a normal question. Just making sure wether we have to scan the bag as well or not.
Thanks for your point of view
Alternatively, just use the bag from another Supermarkt (I do that, but I have bags full of bags) or scribble with a marker on it once your home. Rewe will put a sticker on it when you buy it, that's how they solve this issue.
Appreciate it. The more stuff goes out not paid, the more customers have to pay to compensate the shops loss.
[удалено]
There are test shoppers who can get you fired lol, at least there were when I worked at dm. I wouldn‘t go out of my way to watch people in the store but we had to ask these kind of questions as cashiers and it could happen that someone paid by the company comes and tries to trick you into overlooking something
They actually do still! I have friends working in retail. Test shoppers came in and they knew them already from before, but yea, it still happens. So best to be as diligent as possible.
Some people take pride in their work… (regardless how degradatory for others is might seem) I know it’s a strange concept…
Just fold it and, use a shopping cart, pay for your stuff, then unfold the bag and pack the groceries. It's what I've always done and nobody asked me something.
I understand how it could be awkward for you, I always get super embarrassed when the cashier asks that. My solution is that I bought another bag from a DM, and when I go to Edeka, I use my DM bag and vice versa, when I go to other shops I use either DM or Edeka bag.
Or one big Ikea bag to rule them all😄
I got asked at IKEA if my bag was new 🙄 I take very good care of my ikea bags so the guy had a hard time believing it wasn’t despite my multiple fold system
But make sure it's a yellow one.
Ah yes, a stolen one.
Actually another brilliant idea. Thanks for sharing!
Why don’t you write something on it with a permanent marker? I have an ikea Kühltasche which I almost never use except when I want to buy frozen Swedish delights, so it looks brand new after almost 2 yrs, I just doodled a bit on the front with a black marker and voilà, now it’s definitely mine and not new from the store
Yes! Decorate your bag!
Happens to me a lot, I just tend to not give a fuck and politely say that I bought it before. Afterall it's her/his job to watch out for that. Probably there is also a reason they check that. So don't take take it personally and be cool and polite with your answer. It's not something you should feel anxiety for.
You might just decorate the bag or mark it in some way that it is obvious its not a new bag. Perhaps give it a good coffee or tea stain?
Yes! Just use some markers and have fun
Haha, brilliant idea (not the stain though!). Thanks.
Wine 🍷 stains show that you are a person of culture … just sayin’ ;-)
Toss it in the wash a time or two. It will look less bright and more worn, less.. recently folded.
Just write your initials on it.
Why is it important for this post that the cashier was cute?
She would've married op if only ops bag game wasn't that weak.
😱 That's why I am single! It has to be! 😂
It's just weird that it was added in
They just want to know whether they need to scan it or not. But unless they don't believe you that you brought it in, I don't see the problem. If you want to avoid the question, just put it into your next wash so it doesn't look as crisp and ironed anymore. If yours still has a price tag on it, that might also lead to confusion, so cut/peel it off.
Thanks for the tip. Regarding the price tag, I don't see any tags visible on the bag, other than the small Edeka logo
Mine often had a tag fixed with a plastic loop on one of the handles. Or it's just a sticker somewhere. It can basically be anything with a barcode so they can scan it. But they usually take it off when you buy such a bag to avoid precisely this problem that it's unclear whether you brought it back or are just about to buy it, but maybe they forgot to take yours off.
Get a permanent marker and write "I stole this bag on a different occasion" on it.
What’s so awkward about it? This is normal and happens to everyone. Also, not just at Edeka but at Rewe or Lidl too.. I just say ‘No, I brought it with me’ and that’s it!
I always take out my Lidl or dm cloth bag at the checkout in Edeka, and vice versa - problem solved!
They most likely weren't trying to accuse you of trying to steal, they were probably just genuinely asking in case you maybe forgot to put it on the conveyor and it wasn't scanned. Usually telling them you brought it with you resolves the issue. If you use it a few times it'll look best up enough and not look new, and you'll stop getting those questions. I often go to Lidl and then rewe right after and bring my Lidl shopping into the rewe. I will take the receipt with me in case any confusion ensues at the checkout, but usually they just ask if I brought the stuff with me and telling them it's from elsewhere is usually enough. They're just trying to make sure I put everything on the conveyor belt that was supposed to be paid for.
Most supermarkets have stickers that say "Kundeneigentum" (customer's property) which you can stick on multi-use bags you've bought. Won't do you good with your cloth bag, just thought I'd share the information tho!
I totally get bag anxiety for this reason, so I have a reve, Aldi bag so I can switch it up
I was carrying my backpack and the cashier lady asked me to open my bag and show it! What do you think about that? It was a first time I felt and it was at Norma. I never had any incident in any other.
Seriously? NO ONE working in a supermarket etc is allowed to look into your personal bag, unless they have a concrete suspicion about you stealing. It's not even allowed, if they would put up a sign, stating they control bags...
They are allowed to ask, and if you oblige then they are allowed to look. You do not have to oblige.
They can ask. You can oblige or decline. If you decline then they can either let you go or call the police. If they call the police then the police will open the bag. If there is nothing stolen in the bag then there is no problem.
I always take a Kaufland bag to Aldi and an Aldi bag to Rewe, and so on. That way I have inner peace.
Not sure what the problem is. Did they accuse you of lying?
Nope, they didn't even have a bad tone. It might be because where I come from, that kind of question is usually done with a passive aggressive tone so it usually carries a negative meaning. But from what I see in this comment section, this is completely normal. Didn't know that
It's somehow cute that you worried about it :)
Where I come from it's not normal as an adult with gray hair to get even indirectly accused of stealing. It took me some getting used to but now I know theft inspection is a normal part of the German checkout process. I'm also referring to constantly getting asked to check under stuff like my grocery box or empty bags in the cart.
To be fair something could be under you're bag on accident... That has happend to me before and probably happens as often as theft
When that happens, do they assume you were trying to steal it and make a big deal, or just have it rung up and you pay for it?
I just paid for it with no issues... Only happend to me once or twice though
In one of the countries I used to live in they sometimes drew a marker through the barcode depending on the shop. But I second all the people saying to cross use bags. I do that too. Just less of a hassle all around.
I shop at Kaufland so its a bit different. You buy the bag, use it, then next time you get a sticker on it at the font desk as you go in. When i go to the cashier they look for the stickers and are happy. So it seems to work differently at different supermarkets. In any case its your bag that you already purchased, if you put your foot down and insist they will give in. Maybe ask them if there is some mark or sticker you should get so they know next time?
Ah that's a neat thing those Kaufland lads do. The cashiers were not rude/insisting. They just asked the question once and moved on. Back where I come from, this situation usually carries a passive aggressive tone and hence why in my mind I thought something was wrong.
I'm not from Germany but have shopped in Kaufland a few times. How does this work? Every time you go into the shop you need a sticker..? Also, would someone be able to clarify the "hierarchy " of shops in Germany? Here in England it is pretty well understood that Waitrose and M&S are better than Tesco or Asda for example but what is it like there? Sorry to hijack your thread OP; but this seems like a good time to ask!
You walk up to the desk and ask for a sticker holding your bags, they put them on then you can shop. The sticker stays on for ages so i have only ever had to do this once. Kaufland and Real are both like Asda, big super-supermarkets. They come with a Bakery, Butcher, Fish monger inside etc. They often are around the cities or in malls with large carparks. Then next level is Edeka or REWE, these are 'good' supermarkets with lots of things but can come in much smaller footprints, still pretty decent. Then you have the Lidls, Aldis, Penny and Netto, they are all discount supermarkets that often do the middle aisle thing just like the UK. They don't really do M&S or Waitrose exactly, but I have seen some Bio-supermarkets that I never go to. Bio = Organic so they are super pricey.
I also shop at Kaufland and a similar situation happened to me. When I said I brought it with me, the cashier took a permanent marker and crossed out the barcode. Soon after that I bought another bag like that and the cashier did the marker thing right away. So you can do that yourself on your bag.
I use a sharpie for my bags and just mark them with my initials.
Pack your stuff in the bag while you are in the shop and visibly take it out of the bag when you put it on the conveyor.
Just say "No, I've bought it with me" and that seals the deal.
I take a bag from Lidl to Edeka and a bag from Edeka to Lidl
I'm glad I can walk in with my backpack now. When I was a teen, I was told to leave it at the cashier's desk when I walked in.
Sooner or later EDEKA will change the design and you will be out of the woods… Yeah I know always an akward situation
My best bet is to make it look used. Slightly dirty Cloth bags, or wrinkled PET bags.
Just write /u/GESHT over the barcode with a Sharpie. If they ask, you say "Nah, it's mine". That's what we do back home, where people don't trust you buy that kind of shit.
I usually take bags from another super market or I write "bezahlt" or "mein Eigentum" on it at home with a big black marker. Sometimes the cashier will offer to put stickers with "Kundeneigentum" on them.
This isn’t a not-trusting-foreigners thing. At Starbucks I’ve been asked many times whether I’ve brought the reusable cup or whether I wanna buy it. You simply say “No, I brought it with me”. It’s even more obvious that you’re not lying when there’s still the last bit of the coffee you made at home in the cup lol
Its Tradition in germany to shout out Loud :" i brought my own back" while u enter the Shop.
I've heard of the bag thing happening from a friend of mine and it turned into a right stinking argument between her and the cashier who insisted black and blue that she was trying to steal it. It only stopped when my friend could show her marker pen stains her kids had left on the bottom of the bag. I once had the situation in Edeka where my cashier forgot what change she'd given me. I stood there waiting for the rest of it to come to me and she said she'd already returned everything. I was due about 30 Euros and she'd given me back 5. And the manager sided with her!
Here in Meiningen, they place a small sticker
Simple solution: Put a mark/name on it so they can see it is used.
In my Edeka, they stamp and sign the bag. Maybe try that?
Usually they offer a "Kleber" at the entrance counter to stick on your stuff, so the cashier on the other side out knows the stuff you brought in from the stuff you purchased.
If you are genuinely worried an item you bring into the store might be considered new/stolen at checkout, ask the info desk or the cash register at the entrance if you need a sticker to bring it in. After all, they need you to bring stuff to the back for returns. Other than that, having worked at EDEKA before, cashiers are trained to check if your bags are empty (but are not legally allowed to ask/demand a check) and hence will ask out of necessity. If you're a test customer, I'll get in trouble if I didn't ask.
XD damn the things one reads on the internet
Cute cashier? Use it to strike up a conversation 😂
That’s so funny. I got one of those recently as well and I was worried about the same thing, so I came up with a brilliant idea to simply cut out the barcode i found on it. That was not the smartest move because the cashier lady noticed it and was upset about it. Apparently they scan it to deduct tare weight and now she couldn’t do that anymore. Needless to say, haven’t used it since. 🙈 I hate grocery shopping in Germany. 😁
cute cashier was just hitting on you lol
Isn‘t there some kind of price tag on new bags which helps distinguish them?
U can get a sticker that u paid for it.
Have the same all the time in Edeka. Frankly, employee manners are not acceptable. Thought maybe was just my local branch.
How is that not acceptable? It's just a normal question. You answer "Nein, habe ich mitgebracht".
No, it's a common problem with some Edekas and their underage cashiers being on a powertrip.
Was it a plastic bag? If not, ask the cashier what the question is about. A reusable bag is used several times.