Supermarkets discussion

[Hadders]

You wouldn't just see someone who looks vaguely like a blurry photo you have on the wall and say we're not serving you and please leave.

Trust me, 35+ years working in retail and I’ve seen that sort of thing happen on more than one occasion.

 

[styles]

Trust me, 35+ years working in retail and I’ve seen that sort of thing happen on more than one occasion.

Precisely my point.

The problem isn't just facial recognition technology - it's the policy, or application of policy, relating to suspected offenders. It applies just as much to mugshots in the staff room.

 

[BuhSnarf]

What I find odd (and I know it's not the staff's fault, but why do supermarkets insist on people showing I.D. for sales of alcohol free cider? My son, who is 24, likes the alcohol free kopperberg (as do I) and the one sold in Aldi, but both places insist on I.D. before they will sell it
I understand there's probably still a miniscule amount of alcohol left in it but it's less than what you get in a tinned or bottled shandy.
Just wondered if those of you in the industry knew why?

Couple of reasons why stores may do this:

1) To prevent easy mistakes, the packaging and branding on a 0% beer look nearly identical to real beer, which can trick cashiers or allow easy bottle swapping.
2) Retail of Alcohol Standards Group advise using policies like Challenge 25 on alcohol alternatives to discourage underage drinking habits.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Aug 2026 ==

Precisely my point.

The problem isn't just facial recognition technology - it's the policy, or application of policy, relating to suspected offenders. It applies just as much to mugshots in the staff room.

Yep, absolutely and the problem is that the drive down of wages for the retail sector mean you're not always employing people who can apply common sense / care enough about their job to apply that common sense. There is also an inherent problem in retail that some managers aren't always well trained or great people managers and so don't lead their staff particularly well. You can always tell a well run retail store from a bad one, even within the same chain.

 

[jon81uk]

I've always suspected that it's simply because they're lumped into the same 'beers, wines, and spirits' category, but I don't know this for sure.

Alcohol-free (up to 0.05%) and de-alcoholised (up to 0.5%) drinks can be sold to anyone, and no licence is required to sell them either. This is in England & Wales and in Scotland at least, not sure about Northern Ireland.

I had the same issue years ago when I was at uni. I quite fancied a few beers but had an exam the next day so got some Bavaria 0 (I'm glad there are loads better options these days!) and staff at the local Tesco Express refused my sale because I didn't have ID with me. I asked them why and they said it's because it could be a gateway to drinking alcohol I assume a lot of front-line staff members just make up the reason for it rather than actually knowing the answer or admitting they don't know.

Because yes, you're right, a can of Ben Shaw's Shandy from the soft drinks aisle is up to 0.5% alcohol and doesn't get flagged for ID/Challenge 25. You've got as much chance of getting drunk off white bread as you have drinking a case of Carlsberg 0.

This site https://www.servelegal.co.uk/news/id-for-alcohol-free-drinks suggests

The reasoning is twofold:

1. Preventing Misunderstanding and Confusion: Since alcohol alternatives often resemble their alcoholic counterparts in branding and packaging, ID checks reduce the potential for mistakes that could lead to underage customers buying actual alcoholic products.
2. Maintaining Social Responsibility: Even though it’s legal for under-18s to purchase these drinks, some argue it could appear irresponsible, tarnishing a retailer’s reputation within the community or with regulatory bodies.

Which I think aligns with some of the theories already posted, for stores where the till doesn't prompt the check, its easier to just check all Carlsberg products and reduces the need for the cashier to thoroughly inspect the label. Also that someone stood outside the store drinking from a can of Carlsberg (for example) a passerby may not be able to tell its the 0% version and could think the store is irresponsible selling to under 18s, even when the item is alcohol-free.

I think the shandy products are different becuase that brand/label doesn't have an equivilant with alcohol product.

 

[styles]

This site https://www.servelegal.co.uk/news/id-for-alcohol-free-drinks suggests

The reasoning is twofold:

1. Preventing Misunderstanding and Confusion: Since alcohol alternatives often resemble their alcoholic counterparts in branding and packaging, ID checks reduce the potential for mistakes that could lead to underage customers buying actual alcoholic products.
2. Maintaining Social Responsibility: Even though it’s legal for under-18s to purchase these drinks, some argue it could appear irresponsible, tarnishing a retailer’s reputation within the community or with regulatory bodies.

Number 1 sounds lazy and number 2 sounds like nonsense, but fair enough.

I think the shandy products are different becuase that brand/label doesn't have an equivilant with alcohol product.

If you go to a pub and ask for a shandy you will absolutely get an alcoholic drink, so I'm not convinced about that either. Bass was once the best shandy you could buy in a supermarket, and they sold plenty of alcoholic drinks.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Number 1 sounds lazy and number 2 sounds like nonsense, but fair enough.

If you go to a pub and ask for a shandy you will absolutely get an alcoholic drink, so I'm not convinced about that either. Bass was once the best shandy you could buy in a supermarket, and they sold plenty of alcoholic drinks.

Not really, it'd be fairly easy to slip a non-alcoholic Koppenberg through the till and then quickly swap it out with the alcoholic version. They look almost identical.

However, from a social aspect, do we really want people getting hooked on the taste of alcoholic drinks pre-18?

 

[styles]

Not really, it'd be fairly easy to slip a non-alcoholic Koppenberg through the till and then quickly swap it out with the alcoholic version. They look almost identical.

I can't picture how this is working? Customer puts a 4 case of Carlsberg 0 on the counter, shopkeeper scans it, then the customer manages to swap it out for a 4 pack of regular Carlsberg under the shopkeeper's nose?

However, from a social aspect, do we really want people getting hooked on the taste of alcoholic drinks pre-18?

Alternatively - do we want to portray things like beer and wine as something so bad it should only be consumed by over 18s who magically turn mature on their 18th birthday, as opposed to say, having a shandy with dinner or adding red wine to a bolagnese - consumption in a responsible way? Seems to me that would just turn teenagers to hanging round shops asking adults to go in and buy them actual booze (which is what happens round our way).

 

[jon81uk]

If you go to a pub and ask for a shandy you will absolutely get an alcoholic drink, so I'm not convinced about that either. Bass was once the best shandy you could buy in a supermarket, and they sold plenty of alcoholic drinks.

Yes shandy from a pub is around 50/50 lemonade and beer so will be around 2% ABV.

But as you said before, this product https://sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/ben-shaws-shandy-6x330ml is sold in the soft drink aisle and doesn't have an equivalent alcoholic product. You can't compare it with Ben Shaw's beer as Ben Shaw only make soft drinks. Same with Barr https://barrflavours.com/products/shandyade.

Bass Shandy was discontinued by Britvic in 2018, but yes if that was still available it is a brand that used to have an alcoholic equivalent at least.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Aug 2026 ==

Alternatively - do we want to portray things like beer and wine as something so bad it should only be consumed by over 18s who magically turn mature on their 18th birthday, as opposed to say, having a shandy with dinner or adding red wine to a bolagnese - consumption in a responsible way? Seems to me that would just turn teenagers to hanging round shops asking adults to go in and buy them actual booze (which is what happens round our way).

This is where I think responsible parenting is a good thing, I think yes parents should be allowing their 16–17-year-olds a glass of wine, beer, cider, or shandy with dinner and a responsible reasonable parent shouldn't make alcohol to be a wonderous thing that is only for adults which then encourages the hanging round the shop behaviour.

But I do think that 0%-0.5% versions of alcoholic brands being age restricted makes sense and if parents wish to buy them for their teenagers they can, but it is simpler for retailers to have all beer brands as age restricted.

 

[Bald Rick]

I can't picture how this is working? Customer puts a 4 case of Carlsberg 0 on the counter, shopkeeper scans it, then the customer manages to swap it out for a 4 pack of regular Carlsberg under the shopkeeper's nose?

Customer at Self scan with 2 bottles of koppaberg 0% (or similar), plus 2 of the full fat. They scan the 0% four times, but put the 2+2 in their bag. If there’s no age check, they are away.

Mrs BR has actually done this accidentally at M&S, evidently the check wasnt good! I only realised she had bought the 5.0% rather than 0.5% of their Czech lager when I stood up after having had two.

 

[styles]

Customer at Self scan with 2 bottles of koppaberg 0% (or similar), plus 2 of the full fat. They scan the 0% four times, but put the 2+2 in their bag. If there’s no age check, they are away.

Mrs BR has actually done this accidentally at M&S, evidently the check wasnt good! I only realised she had bought the 5.0% rather than 0.5% of their Czech lager when I stood up after having had two.

That's not what number 1 on that website said though - it talked about confusion.

If someone wants to sneak alcohol through a self service checkout they can already just scan a 2L bottle of coke and bag a 2L bottle of Strongbow; then scan the coke again and then bag it.

 

[speedy1]

Aldi stopped doing the 10p compostable/degradable bags. Still happy to sell 40p bags though

What's the environmental argument there hm?

 

[jon81uk]

If someone wants to sneak alcohol through a self service checkout they can already just scan a 2L bottle of coke and bag a 2L bottle of Strongbow; then scan the coke again and then bag it.

Far easier to confuse anyone watching by scanning two bottles visibly similar like Kopperberg rather than two completely different ones like Coke and Strongbow.

 

[styles]

Aldi stopped doing the 10p compostable/degradable bags. Still happy to sell 40p bags though

What's the environmental argument there hm?

Tbf it's it's 5p in Wales, 10p in England and Scotland, and 25p in Northern Ireland. Maybe they just felt it easier to make sturdier bags and charge cost for them rather than shipping different bags to different stores.

But also, even compostable bags aren't really great for the environment. In fact I imagine they'd be worse than a sturdier bag for life when you add up how many times a bag for life would be used compared to how many times a compostable bag would be (likely once, maybe twice if you line your food waste bin caddy with it after).

 

[Lewisham2221]

Aldi stopped doing the 10p compostable/degradable bags. Still happy to sell 40p bags though

What's the environmental argument there hm?

The environmental argument would be that instead of moaning about paying 40p for a bag every time you go and do your shopping, you re-use the 40p bag that you used previously. Which is precisely the point of the charge.

 

[styles]

The environmental argument would be that instead of moaning about paying 40p for a bag every time you go and do your shopping, you re-use the 40p bag that you used previously. Which is precisely the point of the charge.

Indeed, and why some of the nations apply the charge to all bags including compostable and paper ones.

 

[speedy1]

The environmental argument would be that instead of moaning about paying 40p for a bag every time you go and do your shopping, you re-use the 40p bag that you used previously. Which is precisely the point of the charge.

I am moaning about not being able to pay 10p for a biodegradable bag. If you're going to be snarky at least be correct

 

[Bald Rick]

If someone wants to sneak alcohol through a self service checkout they can already just scan a 2L bottle of coke and bag a 2L bottle of Strongbow; then scan the coke again and then bag it.

Agreed, but that is a bit more obvious, event to the least interested checkout patroller.

 

[styles]

Agreed, but that is a bit more obvious, event to the least interested checkout patroller.

You've got dedicated checkout patrollers? Lah-de-dah! Last couple of times I've been unfortunate enough to use them (both times at Asda) they've been completely unattended and I've had to abandon my checkout to find a staff member. And I don't mean they've been busy at another self-service checkout; I mean they've not even been in the self-checkout area.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Aldi stopped doing the 10p compostable/degradable bags. Still happy to sell 40p bags though

Several times, this at other supermarkets, I've seen folk pay for their shopping, and then, and only then, grab a paper carry bag to put everything in. Highly doubt the bag always gets paid for.

 

[Bald Rick]

You've got dedicated checkout patrollers? Lah-de-dah!

St Albans is evidently a hotbed of alcohol / non-alcohol swapsie related fraud

(This is in the big stores in Town, ie Tesco and M&S. The latter of which has around half of the 15 or so self checkouts the version without scales. At the smaller Tesco Expresses, the checkout patroller is also the (solitary) personed checkout operative for most of the day, but late at night it’s a shelf stacker.

 

[styles]

Several times, this at other supermarkets, I've seen folk pay for their shopping, and then, and only then, grab a paper carry bag to put everything in. Highly doubt the bag always gets paid for.

Probably not, but since the bag charges were brought in, issuing/purchasing of them has dropped by something ludicrous over 95%. I only really know one person who doesn't reuse her bags and she's just incredibly stubborn, not bothered by the charge, and doesn't recycle at all.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Customer at Self scan with 2 bottles of koppaberg 0% (or similar), plus 2 of the full fat. They scan the 0% four times, but put the 2+2 in their bag. If there’s no age check, they are away.

Mrs BR has actually done this accidentally at M&S, evidently the check wasnt good! I only realised she had bought the 5.0% rather than 0.5% of their Czech lager when I stood up after having had two.

Yes, exactly this - especially if you get selected for a visual check and they just scan your basket they'd not notice.

That's not what number 1 on that website said though - it talked about confusion.

If someone wants to sneak alcohol through a self service checkout they can already just scan a 2L bottle of coke and bag a 2L bottle of Strongbow; then scan the coke again and then bag it.

Yes, confusion for the till person - not the customer.

If someone scanned a 2L bottle of Coke and actually bagged a 2L bottle of Strongbow it'd be very different as they'd be immediately obviously different - they don't look anything like each other. A 'real' beer and a 'fake' beer usually look exactly the same with the exception of a subtle alocohol freee tagline somewhere on the bottle. I assume they keep it subtle to not "out" those who are drinking the 0% beers when at the pub etc.

 

[styles]

Yes, confusion for the till person - not the customer.

If someone scanned a 2L bottle of Coke and actually bagged a 2L bottle of Strongbow it'd be very different as they'd be immediately obviously different - they don't look anything like each other. A 'real' beer and a 'fake' beer usually look exactly the same with the exception of a subtle alocohol freee tagline somewhere on the bottle. I assume they keep it subtle to not "out" those who are drinking the 0% beers when at the pub etc.

But that's my point.

Either you're at a staffed checkout, at which point this doesn't work; or you're at a self-service and you can just do it with a bottle of coke and nobody would notice under the existing system.

I really don't think number 1 on that website referring to 'Misunderstanding and Confusion' is referring to theft. If under-18s want to nick booze, this policy is doing practically nothing to prevent that.

 

[Peter Sarf]

But that's my point.

Either you're at a staffed checkout, at which point this doesn't work; or you're at a self-service and you can just do it with a bottle of coke and nobody would notice under the existing system.

I really don't think number 1 on that website referring to 'Misunderstanding and Confusion' is referring to theft. If under-18s want to nick booze, this policy is doing practically nothing to prevent that.

I think it is avoiding the staff overlooking a purchase of real alcohol. Apparently the shop risks losing its licence if it is found to have sold alcohol to people under age. So shops just check anyone where a purchase might be alcohol.

 

[styles]

I think it is avoiding the staff overlooking a purchase of real alcohol. Apparently the shop risks losing its licence if it is found to have sold alcohol to people under age. So shops just check anyone where a purchase might be alcohol.

I don't think it is given the supermarket chains had these rules in place before self service checkouts were even mainstream.

If it's about staff being confused about the difference between Carlsberg 0 and Carlsberg regular then I think there's a much bigger problem.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I don't think it is given the supermarket chains had these rules in place before self service checkouts were even mainstream.

If it's about staff being confused about the difference between Carlsberg 0 and Carlsberg regular then I think there's a much bigger problem.

I think it is the later. Not a big risk BUT a very big problem if caught out.

 

[BuhSnarf]

In fairness I've picked up a 0% cider a few times when trying to get an alcoholic one, they do look incredibly similar, so I can easily imagine a disinterested cashier easily not noticing which is which.

 

[styles]

In fairness I've picked up a 0% cider a few times when trying to get an alcoholic one, they do look incredibly similar, so I can easily imagine a disinterested cashier easily not noticing which is which.

Sure but, when you job is actually being a cashier, you look out for these things.

I've worked bars at a number of events on temp event licences, and we've managed to served alcohol-free beer without ID and without issue absolutely fine.

 

[BuhSnarf]

Sure but, when you job is actually being a cashier, you look out for these things.

I've worked bars at a number of events on temp event licences, and we've managed to served alcohol-free beer without ID and without issue absolutely fine.

I remember working in retail, plenty of people are literally phoning in their job all day long... I mean, it was a long time ago (cigarettes were still 16+) but it was hard enough to get them to even check ID for them.

But maybe things have changed and retail staff are actually more on the ball now...?

 

[SuspectUsual]

Sure but, when you job is actually being a cashier, you look out for these things.

I've worked bars at a number of events on temp event licences, and we've managed to served alcohol-free beer without ID and without issue absolutely fine.

I suspect you will have been considerably more invested in doing the job well than the average supermarket checkout person