Do you sort your items as you place them on the conveyor belt at the grocery store?

[KristinaBreece]

Another specific pet peeve...the time my lettuce was ruined because it was packed with frozen items.

 

I often shop in the middle of the night and a big reason is Kenny the checker...always kind and packs everything perfectly!

 

BTW: I push a cart but a friend pushes a buggy!

 

 

:lol: I grew up in Ohio pushing a grocery or shopping cart... but as a college student in Tennessee, I began pushing a buggy, because it was easier to say buggy than to question it. Now I generally push a cart, but will slip into that southern dialect on occasion. :D

[Gretchen in NJ]

Yes, I place all of my cold stuff together on the belt first. Then, I place all of my fresh fruits and vegetables that must be unloaded and put right away.

 

I feel I never know what might happen on the way home. I may need to get my perishable items away quickly.

[Jennifer in MI]

Baggers are often trained to put items together to form a rectangle inside the bag and to distribute weight. This may result in odd things (in the consumers minds) to be put together. ie a block of cheese is used as a wedge between cans, not put with other refrigerated items. A bag of frozen corn, can be tossed into just about any space to hold other items upright (it isn't going to get bruised like the pears are).

 

A few cans will get spread around, so one bad doesn't have all the weight.

 

Boxes are used to build 'walls' on the outside of bags, loose items go into the middle.

 

 

They may seem disorganized from the pantry view, but they are more sturdy in the car (less likely to fall over) and every bag has a similar weight to make it easier to carry into the house (or at least you don't have one bag that will rip out with a bunch of cans together).

:iagree:

 

I usually bag my own at Trader Joes because the person checking me out usually is the bagger and it takes too long for my tastes. So I bag. And, this is how I bag. I form that rectangle with boxes and put single items in the middle. I only put a couple cans in a bag so that it won't rip when I take it out of the car.

 

But, I live 2 miles from my grocery store, so I'm not worried about things melting or getting warm on my drive home.

[Parrothead]

:lol: I grew up in Ohio pushing a grocery or shopping cart... but as a college student in Tennessee, I began pushing a buggy, because it was easier to say buggy than to question it. Now I generally push a cart, but will slip into that southern dialect on occasion. :D

I'll push a cart or a buggy depending on who I'm with. Now that I've been out of the deep south so long I'm pushing a cart more and more.

 

I go to the market and do the marketing. I rarely go to the store to do the shopping. I'd like to go to the shops. I think it is cool the way the English do.

 

I unload my cart on the conveyer at the market in a particular order only during the dog days of summer and the dead of winter. I want my cold stuff together so my ice cream doesn't melt in the summer and I want my produce in the cab of the truck in the winter so it doesn't freeze. I lost $50.00 of produce to the cold one day.

[scrappyhappymama]

YES!! So funny you should ask, because I've often wondered if I was the only sorter at the conveyor belt. I'm really picky about it too. Heavy, unbagged items first, then heavy bagged items like cans and boxes, refrigerated/freezer items, lighter weight boxes, produce, non-food items- heaviest to lightest, then eggs & bread. :D

[kdeno]

I try to keep the frozen stuff in its own bag but it is generally every can for itself.

 

I always admire the people with organized shopping carts. :001_smile:

[Mrs Mungo]

I try to sort.

 

I think the more important question, though, is what do you call the thing you push around the store?

 

Buggy? Trolley? Cart? Something else?

 

Mostly cart. But, my mom says buggy, I say buggy sometimes. The thing our baggers have is definitely a cart though. It is a pushcart thing with shelves.

 

Seems my dh should have married Mrs. Mungo. :lol:

 

If it makes you feel better my sorting drives my dh *crazy*. If he's there he's always putting random stuff up there while I'm trying to sort. Which, is funny, because he is much more type a than I am with most things.

[Ravin]

As a cashier, I always appreciate it when people sort. There are certain things I simply won't bag together, no matter how disorganized the customer is--I'm not putting hazardous chemicals like Raid in a bag with food or anything people touch/ingest (toiletries, etc.) If I have a line and the customer apparently doesn't care, I might put cold in with shelf items, but I still won't put squishables under other things. I ALWAYS appreciate customers who sort.

 

And feel free to tell Nancy to bag the way you want!

[Desert Rat]

I was raised by a grocer. I sorted groceries on the conveyor belt by the time I was 10. :) Still do. I've gone so far as to bag my own just so it can be done the right way. I make my daddy proud.

(He retired several years ago with over 40 years in the grocery game.)

[Imprimis]

Oh, I'm definitely a sorter. :001_smile: Not only that, I supervise the baggers ever since I had one throw packages of meat in with my sleeved (in other words, not wrapped in plastic) french bread---I discovered this as I unpacked at home and found my bread "drizzled" with raw meat juices :glare:

[wendybird]

Another sorter here, and I absolutely avoid clerks who do not bag well. :)

[Cinder]

But, am I the only compulsive conveyor belt arranger? Or does everyone else do this? I've tried to spy on the other shoppers and see what they do, but I haven't been able to tell.

 

I don't know about everyone else, but I always sort my items as I put them on the conveyor belt. Generally large stuff that won't be bagged goes first, then cold items, cans and boxes, produce (I even place the heavier produce first then tomatoes and bananas last), and bread/chips. I teach my dc to load the belt this way and gripe to them when I discover the groceries haven't been bagged properly. Actually, part of the bagging problem is that the cashier can swipe faster than the bagger can bag, so stuff gets all mixed up along the way. I still gripe about it though. :D

[AngieW in Texas]

I always put all my cold stuff on first, but that's the only sorting I do.

[~Tara~]

Yes, I sort. In the cart, on the belt and do not like for that to be disturbed when bagged. But it pretty much always happens to some extent.

 

And commenting on the one who said the stores don't let customers bag..feear of them using too many bags..really? I mean the 'too many bags' part. Have they seen how places bag lately? I go in for 4 items and come out with 6 bags. Do THAT math! LOL

 

Really, it;s ok if you put the rubber bands with the cat food. Or the bandaids with the detergent.

[cin]

Am I the only slob?? C'mon, ladies, there must be some others on here!

 

 

I use to be, until I got home with 2 doz eggs UNDER several cans of stuff. And broken apart.

[homeschoolmom]

I do. I put the cans together, the boxes together, the frozen stuff together.

 

:iagree: Yes. I bag my own when I can and I check each line before I select a line. Some clerks just cannot handle coupons and rainchecks and I usually have both.

[Hannah C.]

I think the more important question, though, is what do you call the thing you push around the store?

 

Buggy? Trolley? Cart? Something else?

 

In my Tom Thumb (owned by Safeway) training, they were referred to as baskarts. I have no idea why, nor am I sure that's the correct spelling. (The store employees just called them carts.)

 

And we did receive training on how to bag items. So sometimes it happens. :)

[jewellsmommy]

I do. I put the cans together, the boxes together, the frozen stuff together. I do it for a few reasons:

 

I want my cold stuff together, so it all keeps each other cold longer.

I don't want my soft items squished (ie: I keep the grapes away from the cans.)

I think it might be easier for the clerk (do they still call them clerks??) to bag the groceries.

 

There's one clerk (Nancy)who will NOT bag things the way I put them on the conveyor belt. She will hold things aside so she can bag them incorrectly together. She'll bag frozen stuff with boxes (so the frozen stuff thaws next to the box and makes it wet.) I think to myself, "Why would she specifically HOLD something back, just to bag it with something WRONG, when I had already sorted it out for her?!?!"

 

I avoid Nancy's line, even if it's the shortest.

 

But, am I the only compulsive conveyor belt arranger? Or does everyone else do this? I've tried to spy on the other shoppers and see what they do, but I haven't been able to tell.

 

 

Yes I do! Boxes with boxes, jars with jars, produce with produce (in the back so it ends up on top) :D. I also bring my own bags. We have baggers at our store, but I love it when one is not there and I can sneak over and bag my own. :lol:

[Slartibartfast]

I am an obsessive sorter. I use my own bags, I send down heavier items first and sort by temperature. If I happen to find meat and veggies in the same bag I will call to let them know, but not crankily

[iamrachelle]

I'm also a sorter... but I'm not going to worry that I have a problem until I start to color code them as well.:D

[MinivanMom]

Are there people who don't sort? If you're putting stuff in your cart as you follow the aisles, then it's already in order in the cart. I put all the cold stuff together, then cans, then boxes, then produce. Bread and eggs are last.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

if I wasn't so stressed and rushed whenever I do my grocery shopping I'd say YES....but sadly NO....usually it's a struggle just to get everything onto the belt before the cashier has it all bagged waiting for me to empty the buggy and load the bags up LOL

[KidsHappen]

Yes I sort and yes it irritates the heck out of me when someone bags incorrectly, even more so if it seems that they went out of the way to purposely put things in the same bag that don't go together. I always wonder why in the world they do that and I have yet to get a satisfactory answer. I will stop at the end of the counter and rebag if I need to.

[Nestof3]

Most definitely. I even place my scannable produce together and the produce to be weighed after that. I figure it makes the process easier for the cashier.

 

I really think baggers (usually guys at my store) should be taught how to handle produce.

[lollie010]

I am not even going to sound off about all the dripping meat and bruised fruit, because I actually have a deeper issue. I cannot stand it when the bagger ties the tops of my bags together. Can't stand it! Then they have to be ripped open to get the items out. The bag is then rendered useless.

[Garga]

I practically play TETRIS with the grocery store conveyor belt.

 

:lol::lol:

[TN Mama]

I do. I put the cans together, the boxes together, the frozen stuff together. I do it for a few reasons:

 

I want my cold stuff together, so it all keeps each other cold longer.

I don't want my soft items squished (ie: I keep the grapes away from the cans.)

I think it might be easier for the clerk (do they still call them clerks??) to bag the groceries.

 

 

This is me! And at Kroger the baggers will come and help you unload your cart. When they ask, I usually thank them and tell them I'll do it, but I've gotten ugly looks. I like it my way. :D Glad to hear I'm not alone. And I'd toally avoid Nancy's line, too.

[Scuff]

I am not even going to sound off about all the dripping meat and bruised fruit, because I actually have a deeper issue. I cannot stand it when the bagger ties the tops of my bags together. Can't stand it! Then they have to be ripped open to get the items out. The bag is then rendered useless.

 

:iagree:

[TN Mama]

I am not even going to sound off about all the dripping meat and bruised fruit, because I actually have a deeper issue. I cannot stand it when the bagger ties the tops of my bags together. Can't stand it! Then they have to be ripped open to get the items out. The bag is then rendered useless.

 

:iagree: Uh... All of that makes me nutty.

[Scuff]

I did rdturn squished food once. It was when they first started having reusable bags. I don't think many cashiers knew what to do withthem. I had 7 or 8 loaves of bread in one bag. The lower half was so squished it was about 2 inches tall. So I took those 4 loaves back. I would have definately takes the blood dripped bread back. Yuck!

[Nestof3]

See, I but my hard, dry goods first -- cans, bottles, etc. Then, I put my boxes. Freezer goes next followed by refrigerator. Then produce, then bread, chips and eggs.

 

Yes, I place all of my cold stuff together on the belt first. Then, I place all of my fresh fruits and vegetables that must be unloaded and put right away.

 

I feel I never know what might happen on the way home. I may need to get my perishable items away quickly.

[JeneralMom]

My mother always sorted very precisely and it is one of her habits that I picked up. When I moved to Kansas, the clerks would take the things off the conveyor belt and just toss them down into the bagging area and get it all mixed up and they would just stuff things in to try to fill bags up. I asked once that they bag it in the order I sent it and was informed that they do not have "time" to be fussy about packing groceries and that all bags need to be filled. Needless to say, I packed mine as often as I could. I get the same thing here in Texas with them just shoving things down into the packing area, but they seem a little better about keeping cans with cans, and frozen with frozen, etc.

[6packofun]

I like to try to get all the heavy, canned stuff on the belt first so that it's in the bottom of my shopping cart and other things can go on top...but the canned items are already AT the bottom when I get to the belt so it's not always easy. LOL!! I do try to get frozen stuff all together, and the people who bag--usually my own kids most of the time now--tend to bag like items together anyhow.

 

That brings me to an issue that bugs me about grocery stores nowadays: NO young men or young women bagging anymore!! There are barely a handful of stores that still have people bagging and I'm sad about that. It's a perfect job for a teen and I like the help! So many stores have self-checkout--which I do like, but this has possibly lessened the need for baggers--and have even made the conveyor belt things *shorter* and the cashier, while blabbing away, slooooowly packs my stuff as he/she goes along and it takes forever!!!

[Just Robyn]

Yes, I do and for mostly the same reasons. Also sorting it like that makes it easier to put away when we get home.

 

:iagree:That's why I do it too.

[2cents]

I always arrange my items on the belt. I also make sure the scanner bar is down too (helps make things go a little faster). I also try to group things together that will make a 'bag'.

 

I don't think it is a compulsive thing. I just like to be as quick as possible when I go to the grocery. I organize my grocery list according to the store layout too. I even time myself to make a game of it. I really don't care for grocery shopping so any way that I can make it fun is a good thing.

[Nestof3]

That brings me to an issue that bugs me about grocery stores nowadays: NO young men or young women bagging anymore!! There are barely a handful of stores that still have people bagging and I'm sad about that. It's a perfect job for a teen and I like the help! So many stores have self-checkout--which I do like, but this has possibly lessened the need for baggers--and have even made the conveyor belt things *shorter* and the cashier, while blabbing away, slooooowly packs my stuff as he/she goes along and it takes forever!!!

 

We still have many of them, but it's amazing how slow so many people are. When I was 16, I worked at a five and dime. We had to ring up every item by entering the amount into a cash register. The items were sticker-priced. We also bagged our own items. I didn't chat with employees (we weren't allowed to). We were allowed to wear pants but no jeans. We weren't allowed to chew gum.

 

I was a speed demon. I was accurate. I was friendly.

 

So many baggers look like they need a serious cup of coffee. The guys spend much of their time scoping out the women walking through the front doors. They chat with the cashier. Half the time, they ignore me completely. They work at a snail's pace. If they are so worn out at 17, I cannot imagine what they're going to be like when they're my age. LOL

 

We had some employees like this as well at my place of employment, but they were soon fired.

[5forMe]

I am thrilled for this thread! I thought I was the only one who sorted their groceries while putting them on the belt.

 

This may be taking it too far (I confess, I haven't read all replies yet)...but I even put my stuff in piles how I want them bagged and with the reusable bag I want them placed in.

 

Most of the clerks at my store know me from years of shopping and I always go to the ones who bag my groceries how I have them sorted. I also am happy to bag them myself while my debit card is processing.

 

I was in a rush the other day and ran in for 4 things. A rotisserie chicken, which I immediately placed inside the insulated bag to keep it warm, and a few other things. The self check out lines were all down and the clerk with the shortest line was new, I place my items on the conveyor belt and the chicken inside the bag on the conveyor belt. While she was still waiting on the customer in line in front of me, she took my chicken out of the insulated bag. I said "that was in there to stay warm", "it's for dinner" and she left the chicken out of the insulator all the while the customer in front of me has a hand full of coupons and then writes a check. I was mad and made a mental note not to get in this woman's line again. :glare:

[southcarolinamom]

I usually shop at Aldi, where the cashiers have to scan about 50 items per minute. They are so fast, that I barely have time to fling my items onto the conveyor belt before they get scanned! :D

[happyWImom]

I am a sorter, also. All of the frozen stuff together, the produce together, refridgerated items together. I do it for myself, but also I thought I was helping the checkers! I haven't noticed if they mix it all up again.

[Lady Florida.]

I'll go back and read the replies, but am going to give my answer first. That answer is: Sort of.

 

I do sort meats, frozen, and refrigerated foods. I also try to keep cleaning products separate from food. It just makes it easier to put everything away when I get home. However, if I have a lot of cans or other heavy items, I spread them out.

 

Anytime I (always politely) ask a bagger to please evenly distribute the heavy items, I noticed they have a harder time doing that if all of those items are together. If I spread the cans out, they are more likely to put a few cans in this bag, a few in that one, etc. I always tell them I brought a bunch of bags for that reason and that I'd rather have a lot of lighter bags than just a few heavy ones.

Edited March 23, 2011 by floridamom

[Lady Florida.]

I only use u-scan checkouts so I can pack everything just right :D

 

Wal Mart is the only store in my area that has self checkouts, and I don't shop there often. I sometimes wish more stores had it, but I also enjoy the customer-employee relationship I have with some of the clerks who have been at "my" grocery store for years.

[Lady Florida.]

 

When my dc are with me they will ask, "Mommy, can I help put things on there?" to which I reply, "No, just stand back and watch."! We have to train them well! :D

 

 

My mother did that, but before long she had me help. As long as there wasn't a line behind her, she would supervise and tell me what items to put next, and so on. That's how I learned, not necessarily how to sort, because my system today is slightly different from what she taught me, but that I should have a sorting system.

[Giraffe]

About bagging your own:

 

When I lived overseas we had to bag out own groceries. The cashier wouldn't do it, there were no baggers. I would try to bag quickly and in order, but it was almost impossible to do it and watch DD and pay for the groceries.

 

And if you didn't bag fast enough, the next shopper's order would start flying into yours and the groceries would be mixed up. So I got fast and furious!

[Crissy]

Am I the only slob?? C'mon, ladies, there must be some others on here!

 

I don't sort my groceries until I get home.

Sure, I avoid putting the canned beans on top of the bread, but that's about it.

Grocery shopping is my least favorite chore. I'm not about to add another level of stress to an already awful job.

[JFSinIL]

I, too, am a sorter. Heavy stuff first, cold stuff together, eggs and soft stuff last. Our stores bag it but we put the bags in the cart - so I can put the heavy stuff in the cart first, etc.

 

Now - I have to watch the male checkers - they seem to think it is cool to stuff a bag as full as possible, which makes it too heavy (and the bag rips). I remind them, as a public service, that not all of us are strong guys ;) (so they should adjust their bagging to suit the wimpiness of the customer.)

[Mom22ns]

Yes, I arrange mine. I have my own bags. I have insulated bags for cold stuff. I give the baggers (we have baggers that are separate from the checker) the insulated bags first and put the cold/frozen stuff on the belt first. Then, all the heavy stuff such as cans, sodas, bottles of juice, that way those things can go in the bottom of the bagger's cart as they load the groceries onto it. Next is all the bulky stuff like paper products. And so forth.

 

:iagree:

This is EXACTLY how I do it. That is almost scary.

[Hedgehog]

Well our checkout bods don't pack bags for you in most stores around here, so I guess I'm the lucky one; it's my way only! I sort my groceries on the conveyor belt, and then pack them myself on the other side. Definitely a control freak! :D

[MorganClassicalPrep]

When I unload my CART :D onto the conveyor belt, I always put all the perishable items together. Often I won't have time to unload the entire car, so this way I can just bring in the bags that need to be put right away, and get the others later. I thought I was the only one... glad to see others do it this way also!

 

(Oh, and it is always a challenge to do it that way since I end up criss crossing the store picking up items I've forgotten. I am the worst grocery shopper ever!)

[Ohdanigirl]

YES!!! I do this, and if the clerk rearranged my stuff it would drive me NUTS! I live in Mexico, where you tip baggers, gas and parking attendants, etc, so they tend to try to do a good job. I make sure the heavy stuff is first and the bread and eggs are last. I head to the US at least once a month to buy certain things, but happen to shop at a store where you bag your own groceries. I worked as a bagger when I was younger and these things are specifically addressed in training. Who knows why some baggers ignore common sense.:glare:

 

Rant over.

 

Danielle

[Scuff]

I usually shop at Aldi, where the cashiers have to scan about 50 items per minute. They are so fast, that I barely have time to fling my items onto the conveyor belt before they get scanned! :D

 

 

Aldi's is the exception. Those ladies know their stuff!