Woman reveals ‘corporate policy’ that is deterring her from purchasing from Aunty Anne’s again
The pattern must be studied
Amid growing calls to boycott several businesses, Aunty Anne’s, a chain of pretzel shops, is now in the spotlight. In a TikTok video, Crystalunscripted said she would no longer buy from Aunty Anne’s after learning something she called “deeply disturbing” and deemed the place “a wasteful place.” But what really happened?
While standing in front of an Aunty Anne’s outlet, Crystal alleged that employees refused to give her items half price during closing hours. “I was like, ‘Hey, you’re about to close. Um, can I, you know, maybe get it half off?’ They’re like, ‘No… every 30 minutes we just throw them away if no one buys them,’” Crystal said.
Crystal, unaware of this practice, asked the employees out of curiosity, “‘You guys don’t decide to just, like, discount them?’” However, she was disappointed. “They’re like, ‘Nope, corporate policy,’” Crystal said, noting their reaction.
“You asking for it half off is more annoying”
Crystal’s hot take on Aunty Anne’s received considerable attention online. Her video has more than 300K views and a considerable number of likes, comments, saves, and shares.
As for the comments, the audience had some strong opinions regarding Crystal’s experience. One person said, “You asking for it half off is more annoying than them throwing it away.” Another wrote, “And then you’ll complain that the pretzels taste old and stale if they don’t throw them out.”
A few people highlighted that the protocol Aunty Anne’s followed was standard across several food establishments, noting that it helps the business avoid losses while also keeping customers from getting sick.
One person said, “If they give them away for free before closing then some people would wait until they close to get free pretzels instead of buying….. Business common sense!” Another commented, “They do this because if something happened and the old food made you sick you would absolutely try suing them. customers are the problem not the companies.” Another individual said, “
Some people who have worked in the food industry also shared their input to clarify common practices within it. One person wrote, “We used to sell them 50% off after 7PM. Sales dropped after 3PM because people wait to buy at 7PM. So now, we give it away to a food surplus agent who removes our labels and gives it away (without labels) to food kitchens. Homeless people and rescue houses get them for free now.”
Another person mentioned the reason why some businesses may be throwing away their food, “i worked there, it’s for liability issues if someone got sick or the pretzel was super hard. Every 30 mins we trash it,” a person wrote.
Recently, many businesses have faced scrutiny for their corporate practices. You can often find influencers on TikTok going dumpster diving to retrieve products discarded by retail chains, such as Target, TJ Maxx, Bath & Body Works, and Ulta. These products are usually in perfect condition but may be damaged by employees. However, if someone is lucky, they might find usable items.
While Crystal’s experience differs from these instances, it definitely sheds light on certain corporate practices that at least deserve closer attention.
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