You may notice something different on your next big shop, as two UK supermarkets consider introducing a distinctly American new feature.
US-style plastic trolleys are now being trialled in Tesco’s Sheffield Infirmary Superstore and Waitrose’s Brent Cross branch, in an effort to gather feedback from customers.
These new designs are said to be lighter and easier to steer, without the clattering noise traditional carts can make as they’re wheeled through the aisles.
Additionally, they could prove less attractive to thieves, who typically steal the metal models in order to sell on for scrap.
Hannah Lewis, managing director of trolley supplier Formbar, believes shops and customers alike will prefer them.
‘Trolleys are important, they are the first thing you see as you go into a supermarket,’ she tells The Sun. ‘The plastic ones are more cost-effective to maintain, as well as being fully recyclable. We’ll be seeing them much more in the future.’
But not all shoppers are convinced.
A Reddit post about the new trolleys – similar to those used by US chains like Target – sparked disapproving replies, with @NoFaithlessness4987 branding them a ‘waste of money’ and another user predicting they’d ‘end up grubby and stinking very quickly’.
‘They ain’t gonna last a week,’ commented @ManufacturerNo4079, while @justhonest1986 added: ‘They look awful.’
‘At least these won’t rust when they end up in the local river, canal, or duck pond,’ wrote @Big_Dave990, to which @humblesunbro jokingly responded: ‘Nope they’ll float merrily on by instead.’
Some felt the move was a positive one though, including @ImissTBBT who said: ‘I don’t see what’s wrong. Plastic baskets on shopping trolleys have been a thing in the US and many other countries for decades. They work just fine. Overall unit weight and price is reduced.’
Another, @Childhood-Crazy, praised the ‘modern’ design, while @DeezWuts noted that the potential cost savings when it comes to replacing them, adding: ‘Probably a decent overall savings in stores that are constantly having the metal ones robbed.’
Although Tesco declined to comment on its use of plastic trolleys going forward, a Waitrose spokesperson told Metro: ‘This is a localised trial involving one shop but we have no plans to roll-out wider.’
According to Wanzl, trolley theft and abandonment costs British businesses £35m every year (more than £95,000 a day), with each stolen cart coming in at £100 to replace. However, Spanish supermarket Mercadona reduced its replacement needs by 80% after switching to plastic hybrid models, improving the company’s bottom line and its environmental impact.
Still, customers can be particular about supermarket trolleys, as Tesco found out last year. When the supermarket moved self-scanner holders from the left to the right-hand side of its cart handles, shoppers took to social media begging for the change to be reversed.
Following some surprisingly strong reactions – including one person claiming they were driven ‘nuts’ having to reach over and put the machine back in its slot – a spokesperson for Tesco told Metro: ‘Our new trolleys are designed to be practical for all customers. We value feedback and will pass this on to the relevant teams.’
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