Indeed it is not.
What I don't get is the "snacking through the store" trend, where not only do they help themselves to the grapes, but you see kids sitting in the cart munching their way through a box of cookies or crackers. Is it not possible to survive a half hour or hour of grocery shopping without eating?
Maybe it's just my age or traditional upbringing showing, but my parents didn't find it necessary to feed us during a trip to the store and in fact taught us that the items didn't belong to us until they were paid for. I suppose "eat now, pay later" may be related to the current mindset of instant gratification and people buying things on credit.
Yes, there are certainly worse things in the world, and it may be a perfectly acceptable practice to many, but I admit I was a bit surprised the first time I saw this.
Aside from snacking on the produce or other items that cost money based on weight, what's the big deal if my kid snacks on the crackers or cookies or milk that I'm otherwise buying? I'm gonna pay for it at the register. Why should it matter if I indulge before I get there? Heck, even my deli gives my kids a slice of whatever I'm ordering, and that's an item that is billed by weight. I just don't see why it should matter to anyone else whether I'm hungry or my kids are hungry. It's not like we're making a picnic lunch in the middle of aisle 14 and blocking your way.