Supermarket Sleuths: The sneaky grocery shopper habit now deemed unacceptable by Aussies

There are three sneaky grocery shopper habits now deemed unacceptable in Australian supermarkets – and at least one used to be common practice, even welcomed.

A survey by Canstar Blue has revealed the changing attitudes towards these practices which have become more commonplace as fruit and vegetables have continued to increase in price.

These days, you'd be in a spot of trouble for doing any of them, according to the new data.

Scanning cheaper versions

The first time I head about this one was during mango season a few years back, when self-checkout had first been introduced. Shoppers were putting pricey mangoes through as tomatoes, paying a fraction of the price.

Back then, supermarkets didn't have the elaborate technology that has now been put in place to prevent this.

These days, self-checkouts have scanning technology that can identify the fruit or vegetables placed on the scales at the checkout.

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Other fruits and vegetables have had a barcode secured to them.

It's just as well, because 60 per cent of those surveyed by Canstar Blue now say it is "unacceptable to scan a cheaper version of a fruit or vegetable at the self-checkout".

I would honestly get indigestion if I tried something like this. It's never even occurred to me – not even this week, when the first delicious mangoes were put on display at $4-$5 each.

My mango price point is more like $2, or $20 for a box. Not to long to wait now.

Tasting produce in-store

This is the most divisive of all the grocery shopper habits that have fallen out of favour – the ability to sample produce before purchasing it.

There's nothing worse than buying grapes or blueberries or cherries or strawberries, only to have them taste sour, unripe or like nothing at all.

But it's just not done anymore, not even with grapes. Fifty-seven per cent of those surveyed agreed "tasting produce in-store before purchasing" is not on.

I do wonder what would happen if I attempted to return tasteless fruit to the supermarket. I've never tried. It's always a bit of a disappointment and feels like a waste of money.

Although, you can always blend them into a smoothie or mix them into some yoghurt so they don't go to waste. Just don't try to sample them – that could actually land you in trouble.

Reducing the weight ahead of purchase

Next we have customers' attempts to reduce the weight of produce before purchasing it. This is particularly common with fruit and vegetables purchased via weight.

Forty two per cent of those surveyed say "reducing the weight, such as removing broccoli stalks or lettuce leaves, is also unacceptable".

This also means most Aussies who participated in the research think this one is still OK.

We've seen this most recently when it comes to such items as broccoli, which some shoppers have taken to snapping in half to remove the stalks, or with cauliflower, corn in the husk and other produce that includes inedible parts.

Certain supermarkets have taken to leaving signs warning customers against doing this to items like broccoli. (Some like me consider the stalks the best part and would never do this anyway!)

I also remember my local Coles having to place a rubbish bag out for corn husks when they were selling them by weight. The next week they were selling them for $1 each, which fixed the problem.

Ideally, fruits and vegetables have been prepared for sale properly so customers aren't left with much of the inedible portion at all.

How shoppers are reducing their fruits and vegetable bills

Aussies are now spending an average of $49 per week on fruit and vegetables, up from $39 the previous year.

Canstar Blue attributes this to shifting shopper preferences for fresh produce as well as the more likely culprit being higher prices due to adverse weather conditions impacting growing regions throughout 2025.

The breakdown is also pretty interesting. Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) spend the most on fruits and vegetables, approximately $56 per week.

Gen Z comes in next (those born between 1997 and 2012), spending $53 per week, much more than Boomers (1946 and 1964) who spend just $38.

It is also thought a preference for organic fruits and vegetables may explain the higher amount younger generations are spending, as they tend to be more expensive.

The survey also revealed most shoppers are actively trying to reduce their fruit and vegetable spend, with 87 per cent of respondents only buying produce they can afford, choosing imperfect fruits that are cheaper, and turning to frozen varieties rather than fresh.

It was Aldi that earned top ratings from customers overall satisfaction when it came to fresh produce, showing just how far they have come since they first opened and weren't known for this.

Shoppers consistently rated Aldi five stars for value for money, and freshness of produce, proving the supermarket really is Aussies' pick of the bunch for buying fruit and vegetables, when compared to Coles, Woolworths and IGA.

This week, Choice released the results of their latest cost comparison and named Coles as having the freshest strawberries when compared to Aldi, Woolworths and IGA.

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19 to 25 punnets from each of the four supermarkets were monitored. Shoppers were asked to assess the state of the strawberries on day one, and again on day five, storing them in their original packaging in their fridge's crisper drawer.

Coles was the winner, with 100 per cent of punnets showing no signs of decay on day one. Woolworths came in next with 92 per cent, followed by Aldi at 75 per cent, and IGA at 50 per cent.

By day five, Coles was still in front when it came to strawberry freshness, with 58 per cent of punnets containing fruit with no signs of decay.

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