Supermarket shoppers using a “brown onion hack” to reduce their grocery bills are being warned it is theft. 

One shopper, whom RNZ has agreed not to identify, said she had resorted to putting all of her fruit and vegetables through the self-checkout as “brown onions” to save money. 

“A lot of my cohort is down with the brown onion hack,” she said. 

Woolworths had put in cameras above its self-checkouts to stop it happening, she said. 

Brown onions are currently selling for $1.49 a kilogram, compared to oranges for $5. 

Foodstuffs spokesman Stefan Herrick said the company was aware of the trend being discussed online. 

“It’s important to clarify this isn’t a hack – it’s theft.” 

He said most customers did the right thing and there had been no noticeable increase in brown onions being processed through self-checkouts compared to staffed checkouts. 

“This suggests that most people understand it’s wrong and recognise the consequences, including prosecution, if caught. 

“Our self-checkout areas are monitored to ensure fair use and protect all customers. We want everyone to have access to affordable groceries, and we encourage anyone facing difficulties to explore our specials and value offers, which are designed to help make healthy choices more accessible.” 

Woolworths had experienced a 326% in increase in theft incidents over six years, it said in 2023. 

-Susan Edmunds, RNZ