Shopper Raises Concerns After Seeing Bottled Water Left in Direct Sunlight: “What a Bad Decision”

An international supermarket is getting called out online after a video reshared by X user @WallStreetApes showed what one customer claims was stacks of bottled water left sitting outside in the hot sun.

In the video, a customer films the front entrance of the store, showing cases of bottled water stacked outside to advertise to customers. Other drinks, including iced tea in plastic bottles, can also be seen sitting outside. "I'm at the brand new Nino Salvaggio in Northville, Michigan, their big flagship, and it's 86 degrees out and 9:30 in the morning and they've got bottled water with plastic in the hot sun," the customer says. "What a bad decision that is."

Customer Questions Bottled Drinks Left Outside in the Heat

In the video, the customer appears to be visiting the store during the early morning hours, before temperatures peaked, yet plenty of plastic bottled drinks, including bottled water, can already be seen sitting outside.

According to the customer, they're at the Nino Salvaggio in Northville, but they may actually be referring to the Livonia location, which serves the Northville area and opened in March 2026.

The customer posted the video online over concerns about keeping plastic bottled drinks out in the heat and direct sunlight. According to TIME, “studies have found that a wide variety of chemicals, in a wide range of quantities, migrate out of single-use plastic containers into the food or drink inside.” Other research has also suggested that excessive exposure to heat and sunlight can increase the release of microplastics from plastic bottles.

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) also advises that people don’t store bottled water in direct sunlight or excessive heat for long periods. On its website, the organization says bottled water should be stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

Given all this information, some commenters were quick to side with the person recording the video. "Direct sunlight is a big no no," one person wrote, adding, "Those pallets of water should be covered with a reflective tarp."

While many also shared concerns that microplastics from the bottles could enter the water, others brushed off the video, pointing out that the water was likely transported in an even hotter truck and arguing it wasn't a big deal.

Despite how divided commenters were, the IBWA does recommend storing bottled water out of direct sunlight and excessive heat for extended periods, which is likely why the customer took issue with how the store put it on display.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify when the video was recorded or how long the bottled water had been displayed outside. The claims in the video reflect the customer's account and reactions shared online.