The Day I left My Shopping at the Supermarket

Do you have days when it is imperative for you to go out to the supermarket with kids in tow?

You're out of milk or bread.

Kids are home with you and there is no way tomorrow's breakfast and lunchbox are going to be filled if you don't go out NOW to get the ingredients WITH kids tagging along.

So I had one of that kind of day recently and never thought that I would ever leave behind my shopping. Not with just 4 types of items.

Off I went to the supermarket.

It was sunny. Beautiful afternoon. 

My kids were on their best behaviour.

We were in the supermarket.

I got the food items.

Then decided to walk down another aisle because there were a couple of trolleys blocking our way to the check-out counters.

The aisle happened to be the medicine/toiletries aisle.

I saw something on sale at the bottom most shelf.

Dettol Touch of Foam Lavender hand wash was on 30% off.

Knowing that it is the favourite in the house, so I grabbed 2 bottles.

Then we walked to the check-out counter.

Usually I would use the self-serve check-out, because I don't have to chat to another human being and my kids like to help scan the items in the shopping basket.

This time however I decided to use the manned counter because I wanted to use my $20 gift card that I could not use to pay for things online,and there are very few places that I would normally go to that accepts that particular gift card.

The lady at the check-out counter was courteous, scanned all my shopping and proceeded with my gift card transaction.

Did it once. It was rejected.

Did it a second time. Successful. She had to key in something though.

Got my shopping bags and off we went home. 

When we got home and as I was unpacking the bags, I realised that something was missing.

Yes, upon checking the receipt the 2 bottles of hand wash were missing.

I have never left any of my shopping anywhere for as long as I could remember.

The next day I plan to see if I could get the 2 bottles of hand wash back.

I wasn't sure if I could get them back, but I wanted to give it a try.

So after the kinder drop-off and despite all the suggestions that people working in the supermarket could treat me harshly, I went to the supermarket and once there I asked a lady staff about my shopping from previous day.

And she said she was the one who put those items away earlier in the morning and told me I could take them back.

Wow, I never thought I could get my shopping back, and I was treated nicely. 

All I had to do was to sign in a log book of items-customers-left-behind-in-the-supermarket.

Happy to get back my items, I am also amazed that a big supermarket chain do keep track of things that could have been left behind by customers.

Moral of the story :

STICK TO ROUTINE

It is okay to leave behind your shopping bags regardless of whether you could claim it back or not.

Just don't leave your kids behind.

That could get you in trouble with the authorities  :-)

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