Opinion – A Plea: Don’t Robinhood My H-E-B

Bag it. The tissue paper-thin produce bag split as I put my red seedless grapes on the self-service checkout stand at my Austin area H-E-B. Joseph, the self-service customer compliance monitor, stood two feet away and quickly taunted me by waving a thick, green, two-handled plastic bag that would likely not split under the weight of my produce. “Do you want to buy a bag?”

“No. I do not want to buy a bag. I want a free one – like I get at your San Antonio stores!”

He ignored me until he had to help reset the machine. The scale couldn’t figure out the split bag and whether I was trying to pirate groceries, so it instructed me to “CALL CASHIER.” I pressed the button, and once again, Joseph was there.

“Would you like a bag?” Yes, please! If I forget my reusable bags or buy more than I planned and can’t carry out all the items, I would like a bag. But why do I have to buy the bag?

I love H-E-B. My entire family loves H-E-B. When my daughters were in preschool, we went on mother-daughter field trip outings to the Hancock location, which my daughters still refer to as “your favorite H-E-B.” I sipped aromatic Texas Pecan coffee from the coffee bar while we strolled through the store. The girls were transfixed by the intricately decorated cakes and fantasized about their next birthdays. Each daughter held coupons for our purchases that they would find scavenger-hunt style, and then, on our way out, they put their H-E-B Buddy bucks into the toy machine for a special prize.

When H-E-B’s Oltorf location reopened, I strolled through the store, admiring the new layout and massive expansion. Was it my fault that the enticing endcap displays goaded me into buying more than I could easily carry to my car? I asked for a bag at the checkout; the cashier said I had to buy one.

“But I can get a free one in San Antonio.”

“You can also get a free one in Westlake,” she confided.

So now Austin is underwriting Westlake’s bags?! It became very clear. It all made sense. This had to be some kind of legislative action. Austin has become the Robinhood City for all the H-E-Bs elsewhere. We are forced to purchase grocery bags, so the other cities get free ones. Free.

In Fortune’s 2025 list of most innovative companies, H-E-B came in at #201 out of 300, the only San Antonio company on the list. It is a beloved and innovative company! They have at least five versions of their store brand, and they figured out how to add tap-to-pay seven months ago. H-E-B can figure out how to offer all their shoppers a free grocery bag if needed – equality and all those core values, I’m sure they have.

All I want is some reciprocity in our relationship. Take the next step with me. My love language during grocery checkout could be just two little words, “free bag?” as the bagger freely starts loading my groceries.

Elaine Kasper, an Austinite for three decades, loves observing and writing about the interesting aspects of our world, such as a grocery store that charges for bags in one city but not another. She works as a nurse, plays classical guitar, and runs many miles a week.

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