Tourists in Marlborough have been caught stealing groceries from Pak 'n Save Blenheim. (File photo)

European tourists in Marlborough for harvest have been caught abusing supermarket self-service checkouts.

Three French nationals and a woman from Belgium have appeared in court after repeatedly targeting Pak 'n Save in Blenheim, a week after three German vineyard workers admitted shoplifting at Pak 'n Save.

They have all asked for a discharge without conviction, saying a conviction could hurt their respective careers.

On four occasions French nationals Julien Lefevre, 23, and Nina Cardon, 24, deliberately failed to scan items such as chocolate and beer at the self-service checkout, leaving without paying for those items.

They spent $90 less than they were supposed to over weekly visits in March, a police summary said.

When spoken to by police, they said they were still waiting for their employers to pay them for working through the grape harvest, and were running out of money.

Lefevre and Cardon admitted four charges of shoplifting at the Blenheim District Court on Monday and were remanded on bail to June 18 for sentencing.

Belgian woman Eloise Marie Delforge, 23, and French woman Cecile Benoit, 21, also appeared in court on Monday for stealing groceries.

They visited Pak 'n Save Blenheim on five occasions during March and April, a police summary said.

On each visit they would put a few almonds or cashew nuts into a bag at the bulk bins, weigh the bag and put the printed price sticker on the bag, before filling it to the top without changing the price sticker.

Sometimes they would fill a bag with mixed nuts and walk around the store eating them. When they finished the bag, they would drop it in the aisle.

At the self-service checkouts, they put multiple vegetables through as one item, or put them through as cheaper vegetables.

They often left without paying for some vegetables altogether, and in one case a bag of nougat lollies.

On one occasion they ate Lindt chocolates in the confectionery aisle and hid the empty wrappers on a shelf.

In total, they avoided paying more than $200, the summary said.

But on April 18, checkout staff saw them scan a bag of rolled oats with the wrong price sticker at the self-checkout, and forced the women to weigh the oats again.

Then security stopped the women at the door. They had identified the women from their previous shopping trips, caught on security camera footage.

When spoken to by police, the women showed no remorse and seemed to find it funny, the police summary said.

In explanation, Benoit said they were backpackers and needed to save as much money as they could.

They admitted five joint charges of obtaining by deception on Monday.

Delforge's lawyer Laurie Murdoch said her client did not find it funny, as suggested by police, and was shocked to learn how much trouble they were in.

"What does she expect would happen?" Judge Tony Zohrab said.

"It wasn't a one-off, it was repeat offending by intelligent people."

They were due to leave the country on May 11, but had repaid the money owed to Pak 'n Save.

Judge Zohrab would consider their applications for discharge without convictions on May 7.

"You've got yourself into a real pickle here, but it's hard to have any sympathy for you considering you've made certain decisions about how to fund your travel around New Zealand," he said.