I was in a medium-sized supermarket recently during a busy evening. There was one main queue feeding into several self-checkouts. Most people in the queue had baskets or a few items, but one person joined near the front with a full trolley.
No one said anything, and the staff didn’t intervene, but there was a noticeable pause and a few looks exchanged between people in the queue. Eventually, everything carried on as normal, but it made me wonder what the general expectation actually is.
I’ve tried to look this up and found mixed opinions. Some people seem to think it’s first come, first served no matter what. Others say it’s polite to let smaller shops go ahead, especially if the queue is clearly for quick checkouts.
Is there a commonly accepted UK etiquette for this situation, or is it one of those unspoken things where everyone feels awkward but nothing is officially wrong?
Interested in how people generally see this and whether it varies by store or location.