“This allows them the possibility to move inside the store without having to carry all the items in their hands with the handheld baskets,” spokeswoman Judy Chong said. “When you’re picking up a half gallon of milk and two-liter bottles of soda, it gets heavy.”
According to their North American distributor, another big benefit of being able to pull the Shop n’ Roll baskets is that they prompt some shoppers to load them with more groceries, instead of perhaps heading to the checkout when carrying them becomes fatiguing.
“They promote more items being purchased,” said George Braeunig, who handles North American sales for distributor SCS Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla.
We like it. It's like a basket and a shopping cart had a little baby. You should just be aware that there's an intentional "buy more stuff" side effect if you're not careful.
"Shaw’s rolls out baskets with wheels" [Boston Herald] (Thanks to Henry!)
(Photo: Larsz)
In crowded situations--where you're trying to avoid bumping into people and don't necessarily notice what's at floor-level--I tend to feel I might trip over someone's basket. It's not as annoying as a shopping cart in a packed store (and is there some kind of rule that only the most absentminded people use shopping carts when the store is at its busiest?) but at least a shopping cart's big enough for me to notice right away, and it allows me to make stink-eye contact with the other shopper.
]]>Gee, inflame people's back pain, what a great idea.
If you really want to limit your purchases but don't want to carry a basket, then put a basket in the cart.
]]>I first saw these at Walmart in Mexico and I quite like them. I don't have a car, so I can only buy the groceries I can carry. However, I also love to cook and regularly make meals requiring many ingredients. I bring a backpack and reusable cloth bags when I go grocery shopping, but it's the time when I'm actually browsing in the store that causes problems because I'm carrying all the weight on one side of my body. It's not impossible, but it is uncomfortable. These baskets really help with that.
]]>@IfThenElvis:
I like those. I wish we had them here.
I always wanted one of those old lady wire shopping cart things that you can pull. I live about 4 blocks from Aldi's and it would be cool to go get a few things with, and save gas.
]]>These new wheelie baskets will still block both sides of each grocery aisle.
Also, you can't use the handle to ride these out to your car.
]]>From a store employees' perspective, those little carts turn out to be nothing but trouble.
1. They are a pain to gather up in the lots because they don't stay locked together
2. People still tend to overload them (the elderly in general like to push around these carts), which makes a cashiers job of loading it back up quite difficult, especially when they insist on paper bags.
Causes way too much congestion in the aisles and at the checkouts. Really not worth the hassle of going there if all you need is a few things.
]]>I kinda like that idea. Being a bachelor.... I tend to not need a giant shopping cart & the handheld carry baskets can be a bit heavy when full. I find this a very nice solution.
Note: I have actually seen odd little carts at one grocery store which are basically a hybrid between the big shopping cart & the handheld carry baskets (basically a small basket on a small cart frame).
]]>Let the wave of marketing job offers commence!
]]>Reason # 1871981789 why I use Fresh Direct (the prices at Morton Williams are atrocious, too).
]]>I've shopped with these baby carts at Shaw's before and I've found a downside: people drop things into the cart from waist level accidentally and damage the items they want to purchase (okay and by "people" I mean I've done this; it's easy to forget!).
]]>Half BAsket, half caRT.
]]>If I'm going to Costco for a specific item that I can hold, I take no shopping cart. It is just too easy to convince myself that I really need five pounds of Pretzel Chips.
Some people have rock solid will power. Some do not.
Now, on the subject of these wheeling baskets. They seem a little larger than a typical basket which is bad, but they look awkward and dorky to wheel around, which is good. It would take a lot for me to wheel it around rather than carrying it, so I'll still have the ability to use weight as a limiting factor.
]]>Dude! I have two teenagers. Do you have any idea how much these people eat? I try not to shop more than once a week. The milk, soda and juice alone -- oh the humanity. Add a couple of cats and it's a full cart and the whole back of my Subaru.
]]>They're a lot easier to hang on to than a buggy. Overall they're a pretty good thing.
]]>@chiieddy: But... if you shop off list to prevent overbuying how can you have leftover meat in the freezer? Wouldn't you have no leftovers? haha just joking
]]>I walk to the grocery store, too. Using a basket works both ways. If I find my basket getting too heavy, I stop buying things and prioritize. But if it is still underweight, I pick up more staple items, can't afford to waste a trip. That's how I ended up with five jars of peanut butter in my cabinet!
]]>On the times I drop by the store when I'm on my way home with my car I'm much more likely to push a cart.
]]>But knowing the supermarkets here, it's almost certainly an attempt to make us spend more without realising it.
No problem anyway. I live in Reading in the UK. We have a massive rock festival here at the end of August. I think most of the wheeled baskets were appropriated by teenage festival goers looking for an easy way to carry booze up to the festival site.
Score one for the humble consumer!
]]>Not where I got mine but the store I bought mine from doesn't have a web site.
]]>It looks like a pretty good design that seems to be versitile.. If you want to carry it like a regular hand basket you can.. if it gets heavy for you you can wheel it.. I like the idea myself.. Course if you want to buy even more stuff you'd need a regular cart.
]]>I agree, the problem is that it is at ground level, which strains the back because people don't learn to bend at the knees. But I think it's a great idea, certainly a good compromise between the giant cart and the tiny basket.
]]>I recently moved, so now I shop at Wegmans. I think their small double-decker carts are an ideal compromise. Nearly as agile as a basket, but quite a bit more capacity.
]]>This is a bit sad...
I like using baskets if I'm only buying a few things. It's easier to manuever than a cart and much faster!
This basket with wheels seems like the idea was borrowed from the school next door. Kids with 30 lbs backpacks now wheel them to school.
The biggest problem with the basket is that it's at ground level, verses waste level, which makes placing the items difficult.
I think this is going to come back and bit them.
]]>@nicemarmot617: they definitely use them in manhattan already.
]]>On a semi-related note, I always wondered why grocery stores don't sell those personal shopping carts. I've seen TVs, DVD players, chairs, hammocks, and other lawn furniture but never personal shopping carts. People are forever asking me where I got mine.
]]>