A supermarket in the United States allowed customers to take their groceries home without paying after a computer outage disabled checkout systems during the busy pre-Christmas period.

The incident took place at a store operated by H-E-B, a Texas-based supermarket chain, in the city of Burleson, south of Fort Worth.

A system glitch caused all registers to stop working, leaving customers stuck in long checkout lines with full carts.

According to videos shared by shoppers, a store representative addressed those waiting, thanked them for their patience, and explained that the system could not be restored quickly.

The representative then told customers already in line that the store would bag their groceries and allow them to leave without paying.

H-E-B later confirmed the decision, describing it as a customer-focused goodwill gesture during a temporary technical outage in the holiday season.

Local reports said some shoppers who arrived after the system failed were turned away at the entrance because the store could not process additional purchases.

The incident quickly spread online, drawing praise from customers who said the decision turned a frustrating situation into an unexpected holiday gift.