Closed Kingston grocery store left unlocked; shoppers paid for items taken

'My first thought was, oh no...' Kingston grocery store doors left unlocked by accident, secret shopper helped themselves…and left the cash. CTV's Mike Arsalides reports.

Shoppers walked into the downtown Kingston Food Basics store on Family Day, but they weren't supposed to be there.

The store was closed, but the front doors were accidentally unlocked.

"My first thought was 'Oh no!' " said District Manager Mark Woudwyk. "Customers came in looked around; realized we weren't supposed to be open and exited the building and closed the doors behind them."

But some kept shopping inside; picking up milk, tomatoes and everything else.

The police were called after someone witnessed customers inside without employees.

Later in the day, a store manager arrived to find everything still in place.

"Nobody took anything out of the store." said Woudwyk, who manages the four Kingston-area stores.

Woudwyk said some customers left money on the counter and notes; informing the manager of what they took. Today the store and police praised customers for doing the right thing.

"It's rare anywhere. We're pretty impressed with our citizens that they'd be so honourable, honest so as to leave a bunch of money for the groceries they were taking." said Ash Gutheinz of Kingston Police.

"Wow, well that's Canada for you. Wouldn't happen anywhere else would it?" said shopper Bernard White; who praised the actions of those shoppers.

"That's so good of people, you always think of the worst and sometimes people surprise you and it's the best of humanity." according to Janice McGaw.

Holly Moyes has lived in Kingston for years and said the actions of customers illustrated how much Canadians value integrity and community.

"They're honest, that's great." said Moyes "Canadian eh!"