Gross supermarket trend has Coles, Woolies and Aldi shoppers fuming

Aussies say this disgusting habit is becoming increasingly common in Coles, Woolies and Aldi – but what’s really to blame?

A photo of a filthy supermarket shelf covered in broken eggs has left shoppers divided over who is to blame.

While doing my weekly grocery shop at my local Woolworths over the weekend, I witnessed a very sorry sight.

As I approached the egg section, I was expecting to be disappointed due to the months-long egg shortages we’ve been experiencing, but I wasn’t prepared for the state of the shelves.

Empty cartons were strewn all over the fridge and cracked eggs lay discarded with their yolks smeared everywhere.

It was disgusting, but I could see how this situation could happen.

Shoppers are divided after seeing a photo of a supermarket shelf with cracked eggs smeared everywhere. Picture: Supplied

When you find a cracked egg in a carton, you might replace it with another egg from a different carton, leaving the broken one behind.

With the ongoing egg shortage, fewer cartons are available, which I assume is leading people to abandon cracked eggs rather than search for another carton to put them in.

But surely there must be a better solution than leaving the shelves looking like that?

Curious if others shared my concerns, I decided to vent my frustration in a popular supermarket Facebook group.

I posted photos of the messy shelves, asking, “Has anyone noticed this in supermarkets recently?”

Responses flooded in, with many condemning the behaviour which has also been spotted at Coles and Aldi.

“Yes, I recently saw a lady do this, and I called her out for being irresponsible! I told her she wouldn’t throw an egg on her own floor or in her own fridge, so why do it in stores?” wrote one commenter.

“It’s disrespectful and disgusting behaviour from an adult, and she’s teaching her child bad habits. I also told her she needed to clean it up, not the young staff members. She wasn’t very pleased.”

“I tell you, the public gets worse every day!” someone else remarked. “Disgusting.”

“Who on earth does that?” another Aussie asked.

“I’ve even seen cracked eggs on the floor before,” a different group member admitted.

“It’s so sad that people do this,” another wrote, while others described the act as “entitled” and “selfish.”

“So many people think they can do whatever they like, and someone else will clean up after them,” claimed another shopper.

“If only they’d be named and shamed for all to see,” someone else commented.

People condemned the behaviour online, while others said staff were to blame for not noticing sooner. Picture: Supplied

Meanwhile, some theorised the reason behind the act and suggested better alternatives.

“Sometimes you have to swap out a few eggs to make a complete carton if other cartons have broken eggs. However, I place the broken eggs in the carton with the other broken ones, not just leave them on the shelf,” one user explained.

“With the egg shortage, I assume people are doing this to get an intact carton. Sometimes the shelf only has one carton, so they may be mixing eggs from different brands or batches to complete a carton,” a different user said.

“If this keeps happening, you’d think the store manager would put up a sign and provide a container that says ‘Place broken eggs here,’” another suggested.

“This definitely looks like it needs attention. Why aren’t the staff on top of this?” someone asked.

Woolworths said this is a one-off instance. Picture: Newswire

A Woolworths spokesperson told news.com.au that they are “concerned to see the condition of this shelf in one of our stores.”

They assured customers that it has since been thoroughly cleaned by the store team.

“As our customers know, this one-off instance does not reflect the usual condition of our stores. Our teams work hard to keep our stores clean and tidy for our customers,” they added.

They also mentioned they have strict supply chain protocols in place to handle eggs “carefully to minimise breakages and ensure they arrive in the best possible condition.”

Customers are encouraged to notify staff if they come across broken eggs in store.

News.com.au has also reached out to Coles and Aldi, who both declined to comment on this issue.

There is an egg shortage caused by the avian flu outbreak, resulting in a limit of cartons per customer in some stores. Picture: Newswire

I can’t help but draw parallels to what happened during 2020’s #ToiletPaperGate, when Aussies collectively panicked and stockpiled toilet paper, leaving shelves empty and in disarray.

People took far more than they needed, as common sense seemed to vanish amid the perceived scarcity during the lockdowns.

It got so extreme that supermarket chains had to enforce a two-pack limit on toilet paper, just like they’ve done again with eggs following the avian flu outbreak.

It seems that when our country faces such issues, social norms are tested, and people often abandon basic etiquette and consideration for others.

Yes, Covid posed a much more serious threat than the current egg shortage, but the underlying trend remains the same – when resources are limited or perceived to be limited, people instinctively prioritise their own needs, often at the expense of others.

Supermarket shelves were left bare following #toiletpapergate during the pandemic. David Crosling

According to consumer psychologist Adam Ferrier, a phenomenon called “social norming” could be to blame.

In the case of the eggs, people may see others leaving cracked eggs on the shelves and be encouraged to do the same.

“We’re herd-like creatures. We find comfort in doing what others are doing,” he told Mumbrella during the pandemic.

Also, during times of shortages when people feel helpless, there is often a “strong internal drive to do what we can to regain a sense that we are in control.”

In this context, things like cherrypicking eggs and swapping items could be seen as attempts by people to assert that control.

As with most things in life, if we just take a few extra moments to think about our actions, we probably will come up with a better solution.

Call over a staff member, let them know about a broken egg – or if you don’t have time – maybe just forgo your omelette for that week.