KROGER has made another change to its shopping carts, which customers have dubbed “annoying” and are sceptical about whether it will work.
Shoppers have spoken out against the change, which many believe has already been solved by Aldi without the additions Kroger has made.
Kroger has made another change to its shopping carts that has been dubbed “annoying” by customers who are sceptical it will work[/caption]
Online, one Kroger customer in Somerset, Kentucky, revealed that the shopping carts have now been fitted with sensors.
This is to stop customers from attempting to steal the carts, so if they get too far away from the store, the cart locks.
It is achieved by placing as magnetic line down in the asphalt around the store.
The wheels will lock when they come into contact with that line, with a mechanism in the wheels locking them in place.
The measure has been put in place for security, and it has been implemented by other retailers, like at Winn Dixies.
But not every Kroger shopper seemed happy with the change.
On Facebook, the post said: “I noticed my local Kroger here in Somerset Kentucky has installed these sensors on their carts so they won’t roll if you get so far away from the store.”
In the comments, one customer was sceptical: “They are annoying because they never work in the parking lot, had to lift the front wheels off the ground to get the cart to the car.”
Another person suggested that this doesn’t always work as intended: “Sometimes are faulty. I emptied my paid-for groceries into my vehicle and then the cart locked up.
“I could drag the damned cart far enough to drive away, only to be berated by a nasty old lady for not pushing the locked-up cart to the cart corral.”
A third person recounted a similar story: “I watched a guy pick one the whole cart up and carry it down the street to the bus stop one time after the wheels locked.”
A COMMON PROBLEM
Others in the comments said that while the theft problem is understandable, there are other ways to solve it.
One shopper specifically highlighted Aldi as a retailer that had already.
The Facebook user said: “Aldi solved the problem already, and their carts don’t lock.”
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets
- Security pegs
- Security cameras
- Signs warning about the impact of theft
- Receipt scanners
- Receipt checks
- Carts with locking technology
Aldi‘s shopping carts use a quarter system, allowing you to release the cart when the quarter has been inserted into the slot.
The quarter is only returned when the cart has been properly returned to the designated area.
One of the main benefits not this system is that it reduces the amount of stray shopping carts that staff need to collect.
Kroger‘s main priority will be preventing theft, but one person suggested that isn’t the only reason why the sensors have been put in place.
They said that it’s implemented on a town-by-town basis.
The comment theorized: “Many stores have these not because of theft, but because the towns they operate in, have ordinances requiring them, or fine stores for carts found off the property.”
Given the location specificity in the original Facebook post, this could be an explanation as to why the sensors were spotted there.
