7 Grocery Store Rules in Other Countries That Surprise American Shoppers
Grocery shopping seems pretty straightforward wherever you go. You grab a cart, pick up your groceries, pay at checkout, and head home. How different could it be?
Quite different, as it turns out. Travel abroad, and you might discover that your shopping cart needs a coin, your vegetables need a barcode before checkout, or the wine you planned to serve with dinner isn’t available at the supermarket.
Even something as simple as shopping on Sunday can require a little planning. These differences aren’t always government laws. Some are retailer policies, while others depend on individual stores or local shopping practices.
Here are seven grocery shopping rules and customs worth knowing before your next international trip.
At ALDI Australia, You Need a Coin to Get a Shopping Cart
Imagine arriving at the supermarket with your shopping list ready, only to discover that getting a cart requires a coin. That’s how the trolley system works at ALDI Australia.
Shoppers need a $1 or $2 Australian coin to release a trolley. Once they’ve finished shopping and returned it, they get their coin back.
ALDI also offers a reusable trolley token for customers who prefer not to carry coins. In its first-time shoppers’ guide, the retailer says this system helps prevent abandoned carts and keeps operating costs down.
It’s an ALDI policy, not an Australian law or a requirement at every supermarket.
The simple takeaway? If you’re shopping at ALDI Australia, keep the right coin or token handy. Otherwise, your grocery trip could begin with an unexpected inconvenience.
In Some French Supermarkets, You Weigh Your Own Produce
Picking out apples or tomatoes might seem like the easiest part of grocery shopping. But in certain French supermarkets, there’s an extra step before you reach checkout.
Customers are expected to weigh loose fruits and vegetables using scales in the produce department. The machine prints a barcode label, which shoppers attach to their produce before paying.
Skip this step, and your groceries might not be ready for the cashier. However, the system isn’t universal.
Some supermarkets weigh produce at checkout instead. Carrefour City, Carrefour Express, Carrefour Proxi, and 8 Ã Huit are among the smaller store formats where checkout weighing is customary.
This is a store-dependent procedure, not a nationwide law. Before leaving the produce section, look for customer scales and instructions. A quick check can save confusion at the register.
Related: 8 Grocery Store Tricks Nutritionists Use to Shop Smarter
In England, Certain Plastic Shopping Bags Cost at Least 10 Pence
You finish shopping, reach the checkout, and realize you forgot your reusable bags. In England, that little oversight may add something to your bill.
Under the government’s carrier bag charging rules, retailers of all sizes are legally required to charge at least 10 pence for qualifying single-use plastic carrier bags.
That’s the minimum charge, meaning individual stores may charge more. However, the requirement doesn’t apply to every bag.
Paper bags aren’t covered by this particular rule. Certain bags used exclusively for items such as some unwrapped foods, raw meat, or fish are also exempt.
Importantly, this specific regulation applies to England rather than being one blanket rule for the entire United Kingdom.
The easiest adjustment is to bring reusable shopping bags whenever possible. It’s a small detail, but one worth remembering before you reach the cashier with more groceries than you can carry.
In Germany, Your Empty Drink Bottles Could Get You Money Back
Finished your bottled drink while shopping around Germany? Don’t automatically throw the container away.
It might still have a refundable deposit attached. Germany operates a legally required deposit-and-return system covering certain beverage containers.
Covered single-use containers, including most plastic drink bottles and beverage cans, carry a 25-euro-cent deposit.
When you return an eligible empty container, you can reclaim that money, typically through a return machine. Reusable bottles follow a different arrangement, with common deposit amounts of 8 or 15 cents.
Not every container qualifies for the same deposit, and exceptions apply. Smaller retailers also have different return obligations.
For visitors, the practical lesson is simple: Check whether your empty bottles and cans are eligible for a refund before discarding them. Those small deposits can add up over a shopping trip.
In Norway, Buying Wine Might Require a Separate Shopping Trip
Planning to pick up groceries and a bottle of wine for dinner in Norway? You might need two stops instead of one.
According to Vinmonopolet’s guide to buying alcohol in Norway, Norwegian grocery stores can sell alcoholic beverages containing up to 4.7% alcohol by volume.
That means qualifying lower-strength beers, ciders, and other drinks can appear on supermarket shelves.
However, standard wine, spirits, and stronger beers fall outside that limit. Those drinks must be purchased from Vinmonopolet, Norway’s specialist alcohol retailer.
This distinction comes from legal restrictions on alcohol sales, rather than individual supermarket preferences.
There’s another detail worth remembering: Supermarket alcohol sales have time restrictions. A grocery store might still be open even when alcohol sales have finished for the day.
So, if wine or spirits are part of your dinner plans, arrange that separate purchase rather than expecting to find everything in the grocery aisles.
Related: 11 Grocery Store Items From the 1960s That Vanished From the Shelves. Can You Remember Even 5?
In New Zealand, Your American Driver’s License May Not Work for Alcohol Purchases
You’re buying groceries in New Zealand and decide to add an alcoholic beverage to your basket. If you’re asked to prove your age, reaching for your American driver’s license could create a problem.
New Zealand has specific rules about which identification documents retailers can accept for alcohol purchases.
Approved documents include a current passport, a current New Zealand driver’s license, and approved Hospitality New Zealand cards. An American driver’s license isn’t among those accepted documents.
The good news for travelers is that a current American passport qualifies because New Zealand accepts current passports generally.
The legal minimum age for purchasing alcohol is 18. This doesn’t mean everyone buying alcohol must show a passport. It simply means that when proof of age is needed, the document must be approved.
If you think you’ll need identification, bring your current passport rather than relying on your American license.
In Switzerland, Sunday Grocery Shopping Can Be Tricky
Imagine spending Saturday exploring Switzerland, then deciding you’ll handle grocery shopping the following morning.
That plan might need an adjustment. Many Swiss stores close on Sundays, including ordinary neighborhood supermarkets.
This is a common opening-hours pattern within the country’s regulated retail environment, although it doesn’t mean every grocery store is closed.
There are important alternatives. Stores located at train stations, airports, and gas stations can offer shopping options when ordinary supermarkets aren’t open.
However, opening hours depend on the individual location. Your best option is to purchase essential groceries before Sunday or check the hours of a specific store before heading out.
A little planning can prevent an unsuccessful supermarket trip.
Grocery shopping may be a familiar routine, but crossing borders can change some surprisingly small details. From coins for carts to bottle deposits and Sunday opening hours, knowing what to expect makes shopping abroad much easier to navigate.
