Cases where an item breaks are rare
According to Ernesta Vareikytė, Head of Media Relations at the retail chain “Maxima,” such cases where customers break or otherwise damage an item in the store are rare in “Maxima” stores. The vast majority of this retail chain’s customers handle items responsibly and carefully.
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“Most often, such situations are completely accidental – for example, an item slips from the hands, is accidentally bumped while walking past a shelf, or when placing another item into the shopping basket,” she told 15min.
According to the interviewee, if an item is damaged accidentally, the customer does not have to pay for it. “We evaluate each situation individually, taking into account the specific circumstances and the customer’s actions. For example, if a customer accidentally bumps a jar while walking past a shelf, causing it to fall and break, we consider this clearly an accidental case,” said E. Vareikytė.
Similar statements were made by representatives of other retail chains. “If an item accidentally falls and breaks, or a jar of tomato sauce slips from the hands, customers should not worry – they definitely will not have to pay for it,” informed Gintarė Kitovė, communications representative of the IKI retail chain.
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What to do if you accidentally break an item in the store? Retail chain representatives advise not to handle it yourself and to first contact store employees.
“The most important task at such times is to ensure the safety of the customers themselves and those around them. If a glass package breaks or liquids spill, we strongly ask customers not to clean up the area or pick up shards themselves to avoid injuries or other possible health issues. It is enough to report the incident to the nearest store employee, and our team will immediately ensure the area is safely cleaned and tidied,” said Ovidija Ferencienė, Head of Communications at the “Lidl” retail chain.
The same principle applies to food products. “If, for example, a baked good or another product accidentally falls on the floor and can no longer be sold due to contact with the surface, we ask the customer not to throw it away themselves but to hand it over to an employee. Such an item is not returned to sale and is disposed of,” said E. Vareikytė.
