What do grocery stores do with perishable returns??

[TaraPA]

Just got back from running errands & took a return back to my grocery store that got me thinking. It was a perishable dairy product (new, unused, unopened), so I assumed they would throw it out once I returned it. As I stood there filling out the return slip he called a girl over & asked her to put it back on the shelf. Now, I certainly don't want to see it go to waste, and I had it refridgerated right up until the drive there, but how did he know that? It could have been sitting in my car all day. Don't grocery stores have regulations about disposing returned items that are perishable?

 

[Piecey]

I had to return a box of cereal once.. but when I opened the box, the bag was open. Ick.
She threw it in a cart FULL of stuff behind the customer service counter- dairy, non-dairy, etc.

I would be pretty perturbed if they put it back on the shelf!

 

[raysnkaysmom]

I never in my life had even thought about returns at a grocery store... so I have no clue.. I've had bad product or open product before, but figured I was stuck with it, so I just threw it out...

 

[DawnCt1]

A couple of weeks ago, as I was checking out, I uncovered 2 packages of sliced deli ham that a shoplifter had left in the cart that I brought in from outside of the store. The cashier called the deli to come pick it up! I asked why it was being returned to the deli when it had been outside of the store. He didn't know. Now I am wondering myself.

 

[lil mermaid]

Just wondering....what did you return, and why did you return it?

 

[MM27]

At the supermarket that I go to the girl at the customer service counter told me that all food items that are returned are thrown away, even if they have not been opened. I don't know if it's true or not, but I hope so.

I've returned things before. If I spend money on something and it's not fresh or there is something wrong with it, I'm not going to waste my money. It's not about getting something for nothing, it's about getting the product you paid for.

 

[luvdzny]

I am a department manager at a large grocery store, I can't speak for all grocery stores but our policy is not to take perishable items back. Of course there are some exceptions to that rule. If the item is spoiled or damaged we will exchange it. although it is hard to tell if the product was damaged by the customer, we give them the benefit of the doubt. If they purchased the wrong item or decided they no longer want it, we will not take it back - unless the product has not left the building. If something comes back as a returned item it has to be returned to the department even if it is spoiled. We do not put damaged/spoiled items back on the sales floor. Each department has to keep track of their damaged items for inventory. Hopefully this makes sense!!!

 

[LisaR]

A few months ago I was sick so DH did the grocery shopping. He bought some jars of pasta sauce for a ridiculous amount of money. I can't remember the price now but I think they were like $7 a jar! I made him return them. The girl at Walmart told him that they would throw out the unopened jars and that they have to do that with all returned food. DH didn't believe her and assumed she didn't know what she was talking about. When he got home and told me the story, I posted the same question on The Dis. At that time I seemed to be the only person on earth that didn't know this rule because everyone that responded knew. I have vowed not to get sick again so DH doesn't have to go to the grocery store alone.

 

[TaraPA]

A few months ago I was sick so DH did the grocery shopping. He bought some jars of pasta sauce for a ridiculous amount of money. I can't remember the price now but I think they were like $7 a jar! I made him return them. The girl at Walmart told him that they would throw out the unopened jars and that they have to do that with all returned food. DH didn't believe her and assumed she didn't know what she was talking about. When he got home and told me the story, I posted the same question on The Dis. At that time I seemed to be the only person on earth that didn't know this rule because everyone that responded knew. I have vowed not to get sick again so DH doesn't have to go to the grocery store alone.

OMG I remember your post!

 

[TaraPA]

I am a department manager at a large grocery store, I can't speak for all grocery stores but our policy is not to take perishable items back. Of course there are some exceptions to that rule. If the item is spoiled or damaged we will exchange it. although it is hard to tell if the product was damaged by the customer, we give them the benefit of the doubt. If they purchased the wrong item or decided they no longer want it, we will not take it back - unless the product has not left the building. If something comes back as a returned item it has to be returned to the department even if it is spoiled. We do not put damaged/spoiled items back on the sales floor. Each department has to keep track of their damaged items for inventory. Hopefully this makes sense!!!

That makes perfect sense to me, but the customer service person definitely called a girl over & told her to go put it back out on the shelf...unless that's what they say when they have to return it to a department for their "damages." Maybe she knew to damage it out for inventory, I just assumed "put back on the shelf" meant literally put back on the shelf on the floor to sell to someone else!

 

[GraysMom]

Tara, what store was this at? I never gave this topic a thought before, but I realllllly hope stores are not putting items back on the shelves . Ick.

 

[TaraPA]

Tara, what store was this at? I never gave this topic a thought before, but I realllllly hope stores are not putting items back on the shelves . Ick.

ROFL Jessamy - don't buy Sorrento Ricotta Cheese 32oz. at Giant in my town anytime soon!!!

 

[GraysMom]

Luckily I'm stocked up on ricotta right now! This whole idea just grosses me out.

 

[TaraPA]

It grosses me out too - and I never even thought about it before!

 

[TaraPA]

Just wondering....what did you return, and why did you return it?

It was 32 oz. Sorrento Ricotta Cheese - I didn't set out to return it, I went back for a price adjustment. When I bought it on Tuesday the sale sticker said $2.50...and when I got home I saw it rang up for $5.29. I called & they checked, yes it still had last week's sale sticker on, just come back in & they'd give me the money back, their mistake. Well when I went in tonight the guy at the customer service desk didn't know what I was talking about & they had since removed the incorrect sale sticker, and the girl I had spoken with wasn't there anymore today. He said I'd have to come back tomorrow & talk to her. I said forget that, I'm not running out here once more for your mistake, just return it at this point, so he did.

 

[kellyg403]

I work for a grocery store and all perishable items are thrown away if returned to the store. An unopened grocery/staple item that is sealed can be put back on the shelf if the receipt shows it was bought within the last 14 days and the item itself is not expired.

As for the deli, all deli/frozen/produce items are sent back to that department as they have their own inventory separate from the 'grocery' side of the store. So, in the case of the deli they are have to back it 'out' of their inventory and then throw it away as a loss so that it shows up on the inventory at the end of the month as a loss and not a sale. Each large deli meat is inventoried to get so many slices per pound etc. Anything deli or produce removed from the department it is from is considered a loss if it is not purchased at the registers no matter the reason. A customer can decide to change their mind at the register and it is a loss. Produce items vary a little, obviously a customer that brings a bunch of bananas to the register and changes their mind we can place back on the rack. Once it leaves the store and they bring it back inside the store its a loss. Recently we had a local rest purchase 16 lbs of tomatos, their truck was not coming until the evening and had nothing for opening. Twenty minutes later they came back with all 16 pounds because the company sent a special truck delivery to them. So 16 pounds of tomatos were a total loss for that department.

Hope that is a bit of information that is helpful.

Kelly

 

[bicker]

I am a department manager at a large grocery store, I can't speak for all grocery stores but our policy is not to take perishable items back. Of course there are some exceptions to that rule. If the item is spoiled or damaged we will exchange it. although it is hard to tell if the product was damaged by the customer, we give them the benefit of the doubt. If they purchased the wrong item or decided they no longer want it, we will not take it back - unless the product has not left the building. If something comes back as a returned item it has to be returned to the department even if it is spoiled. We do not put damaged/spoiled items back on the sales floor. Each department has to keep track of their damaged items for inventory. Hopefully this makes sense!!!

Very reasonable policy.

 

[mjkacmom]

At the supermarket that I go to the girl at the customer service counter told me that all food items that are returned are thrown away, even if they have not been opened. I don't know if it's true or not, but I hope so.

I've returned things before. If I spend money on something and it's not fresh or there is something wrong with it, I'm not going to waste my money. It's not about getting something for nothing, it's about getting the product you paid for.

Same here - they'll take anything back, and it doesn't go back on the shelf.

 

[scrapquilter]

back when I worked at Stop & Shop during high school (and later when I worked at 7-Eleven during college), perishable foods that were returned, or dropped (found in the store in an inappropriate location) had a designated area in the back room where we were supposed to put them. We were told that they had to be accounted for so that the store could receive credit from the supplier.

For the person who found the deli ham and overheard them talking about bringing it back to the deli: The deli gets their shipments separately from the grocery department, so they probably need to weigh it and chart it to get credit from the deli supplier.

 

[TaraPA]

I'm glad to see that policy is to get rid of it. I'm just hoping I assumed incorrectly that she was putting it back on the shelf to sell!