Foodland Brighton shoppers report receiving ‘electric shocks’ in the aisles

Customers at a popular beach suburb supermarket have reported receiving electric jolts while browsing the shelves – but the ‘shocking’ problem is more common than you think.

Forget $11 lettuce – shoppers at a popular supermarket in Adelaide’s western suburbs have reported real shocks, and it’s not just the prices.

Customers have taken to a local Facebook group to report receiving electric shocks while browsing the aisles of Foodland in Brighton, which are believed to be caused by static electricity.

In a post, which has gathered more than 100 comments, shoppers reported being “jolted” when touching metal items, shelving or fridges in the store.

“I thought it was just me but I get done every time,” customer Julie-Ann Harrington wrote.

“It’s an interesting one because I literally try and open the cold storage door with my elbow … It’s the only store that gives a shock like that.”

Local shopper Sharon Fleming added: “Happens to me there every single time and on everything, and I am not talking tingle but a good zap.

“Going to set someone‘s heart attack or pacemaker off one day, (it) needs to be addressed.”

A number of customers said they had reported the issue to management but claimed it was “dismissed” each time, prompting one shopper to “buy (her) shelf items elsewhere”.

Foodland chief executive Franklin dos Santos said the issue was “more common than you think”, with the metal-heavy design of supermarkets lending itself to the production of kinetic energy.

“Fundamentally this is nothing more than kinetic energy in the store – there are no live wires or anything like that,” Mr dos Santos said.

Foodland chief executive Franklin dos Santos says the store is looking into the issue. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“The shopper, through movement, is naturally building energy in their body and then when they touch the shelves, it‘s giving them a zap. The zap is nothing more than the release of the atoms from your finger to the conduit which is the metal.”

Mr dos Santos said Foodland had enlisted consultants, architects and engineers and installed humidifiers in a bid to ease the problem, but the reality was that the moisture in supermarket air would always pose the shocking problem.

“It is common across all supermarkets. It could be caused by something as simple as the shoes that you‘re wearing, providing no release and conductivity, and the atmosphere in the store.

“It is not something specifically isolated to Brighton.”

However, Mr dos Santos said the store was looking at the issue.

“The store is now installing non-static wheels on trolleys to see if that helps, because when you‘re walking around with a trolley, the trolley is creating static,” he said.

“Our job is to make the shopping experience comfortable for everybody so it is something we’re trying to address but there’s no safety issues – there’s nothing that is going to harm anyone.”