How to Properly Pack a Grocery Bag
So how do you properly pack a grocery bag, whether you pack the grocery bag yourself or encourage the store cashier to do so? There are three general principles that govern proper packing of grocery bags: pack like items together, pack each bag from bottom to top with heavy items first and then lighter items, and distribute the heaviest items among several bags to avoid packing any one bag that is too heavy to carry.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Place Heaviest Items at the Bottom
When packing grocery bags, prepare to have several bags open and ready for packing at once. As items come off the conveyor belt, choose the heaviest items to pack first - cans, jars, jugs of milk and laundry detergent, for example- and place these items in the bottom of the grocery bags.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Distribute Heavy Items Among Several Bags
To avoid having some bags that are too heavy to easily carry, distribute the heavy items among several different grocery bags.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Stand Boxes Up
When packing a grocery bag, stand boxes up inside the bag. Standing the boxes gives the grocery bags form and makes them easier to handle. It maximizes the use of grocery bag space, enabling you to use less grocery bags total than if items are tossed into the grocery bag carelessly. Standing the boxes when packing grocery bags also protects the contents of the boxes.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Pack Frozen Items Together
Frozen items need special care when packing a grocery bag. These items should be packed together. There are two reasons for packing frozen items together. The first reason for packing frozen items together is that it helps them maintain their temperature. The second reason is that on arriving home, all of the frozen items, which generally are unpacked first, are easy to locate. Just carry the bag(s) with frozen items to the freezer and unload. This makes the job easier, protects the food, and eliminates the need to open the freezer multiple times.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Pack Refrigerator Items Together
Similar to the freezer items, the refrigerator items have special needs. They need to maintain their temperature. Refrigerator items need to be put away quickly for their sake and the sake of the other items in the refrigerator. Packing all refrigerator items together addresses these needs.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Pack Fruits and Vegetables Together
While fruit and vegetables logically could be packed with other refrigerator items, it makes sense to pack them together. These items go in special drawers in the refrigerator and it is easier to open a drawer and put them all in at once than to have to open it several different times or scavenge through multiple bags looking for the fruits and vegetables.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Pack Cleaning Items Together
When packing a grocery bag, segregate cleaning items from edible items. In case of leakage, this will protect food items from contamination.
To Properly Pack a Grocery Bag, Pack Fragile Items at the Top
Fragile items- eggs, breads, and berries, for example- belong at the top of the grocery bag. Placing fragile items at the top of the grocery bag protects them from being squished by heavier items.
Using these simple tips will protect your purchases and simplify the task of unpacking and putting away groceries.
Published by Carol Bengle Gilbert - Featured Contributor in Travel and Lifestyle
2010 Yahoo! Outstanding Contributor of the Year, Carol has consistently been designated a Top 100 Yahoo! Contributor Network writer. She received a 2008 People's Media Award for "Best Article." Carol’s pr... View profile
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57 Comments
Post a CommentThank you so much for this article; I just wish someone would send this to every store. I get so angry when cleaning supplies are in the same bag as my meat and veggies. Stores used to train and test employees on this subject BEFORE allowing them to bag purchases.
I try to bag groceries according to those tips. I never like putting the bread on the bottom. Also I let the customer know where their bread and eggs are too. Also, I let customers know I put their cleaning stuff in a different bag.
one more thing that i want to point out is:some times you dont have the boxes in which to build up the sidewalls.because each order is not exactly the same.and some customers just buy cans and staple goods and thats it.you would have to improvise and devise a way in which to bag each order.bagging groceries is predicated on one thing and one thing only:GOOD OLD FASHIONED COMMON SENSE.and jewel has this video and says you should build walls and fill them up and fill them out.sure you put your boxes on the sides and cans in the middle but that doesnt exactly work for each order.the video is only used a guideline only.some customers get really infuriated if you overload their grocery bags.so dont do it.make sure that your weight distribution is even in each bag so it wont be so heavy and so cumbersome for elderly and disabled customers to carry.
one thing you must never ever do is pack the bananas in with the hamburger of the ground beef ever!!yuck!!you must keep those items totally seperated to help avoid boutchulism.when i was working one day at jewel food store in michigan city i packed the hamburger in one bag and the bananas in another to avoid contamination.then darlene adams my old service manager totally admonished me for it.she told me that i can put the bananas in with the hamburger because it was wrapped and that i wont hurt it.then she told me that she was going to retrain me.and darlene indicated to me that a customer complained that she had to carry 7 bags home.but i quit before she even had the opportunity to retrain me.
when i worked at jewel food store here in michigan city in.we always watched a video on how to bag groceries.this is what you do when you pack a plastic grocery bag:1.build walls.what i mean by buildings walls is to put 2 tall boxes one on each side and place your cans in the middle to avoid them tumbling down.2.using your cans as a base and put a filler item such as sugar or flour on top of your cans and place the crushables like bread or chips at the very top.3.put your glass items in the middle of the bag first and place your boxes between them one on each side to avoid them getting broken.4.fill them up and fill them out.always remember to fill out the bag to help it retain its shape.5.put all your soap and chemical items in a seperate bag to help avoid leakage and thus contaminate the other grocery items.6.put all your meat items together into one seperate bag to help avoid contamination.7.place all poultry items such as chicken in a seperate bag to help avoid botchulism.8.plac
I hate it when the baggers pack the stuff the wrong way and it's either too heavy or it's completely unbalanced. Maybe grocery stores should have all baggers read this.
Great article. I loved your advice, especially the one about starting with several open bags. This makes packing the items faster and easier. I just never thought of starting with several open bags. After reading your article I will definitely be bagging groceries your way. I also hate to find an expensive magazine ruined by moisture from milk, frozen items, etc. Your article should be posted at every checkout counter at every grocery store. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent advice Carol! I cannot stand when they throw a gallon of milk, with condensation all over it, on top of my magazines! Those magazines are not cheap man! $4.00 for a gossip mag, and to find it ruined at the bottom of my bag kills me!
Good reference tool
Im faxing this to the local Jewels