Local grocery store phasing out shopping baskets - whaaaat?

[euro]

Just noticed that shopping baskets are getting scarce at my local Harris Teeter store. I jokingly asked the store manager: "do you no longer do shopping baskets?". To my amazement, he told me that they currently have three baskets left in the store and when those are gone, they won't be replaced. So, you have to push around one of those supersized carts even if you only want to pick up a few items. Seems nuts to me, but he said the baskets get stolen all the time and it is too costly to replace them.
Is this a rogue store in my neighborhood or have I missed a shopping trend? Just curious.

 

[rk911]

They're still available at our local Mariano's along with small and large push carts. OP...you could always buy your own grocery basket.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Just noticed that shopping baskets are getting scarce at my local Harris Teeter store. I jokingly asked the store manager: "do you no longer do shopping baskets?". To my amazement, he told me that they currently have three baskets left in the store and when those are gone, they won't be replaced. So, you have to push around one of those supersized carts even if you only want to pick up a few items. Seems nuts to me, but he said the baskets get stolen all the time and it is too costly to replace them.
Is this a rogue store in my neighborhood or have I missed a shopping trend? Just curious.

I would just use a tote bag if I ran in for one or a few things, rather than pushing around one of those carts. I haven't seen that here, as I use a hand basket or very small cart for a lot of my shopping trips.

 

[Calico]

Just noticed that shopping baskets are getting scarce at my local Harris Teeter store. I jokingly asked the store manager: "do you no longer do shopping baskets?". To my amazement, he told me that they currently have three baskets left in the store and when those are gone, they won't be replaced. So, you have to push around one of those supersized carts even if you only want to pick up a few items. Seems nuts to me, but he said the baskets get stolen all the time and it is too costly to replace them.
Is this a rogue store in my neighborhood or have I missed a shopping trend? Just curious.

My local Harris Teeters have the same problem - the hand baskets get stolen, so they stopped replacing them a couple of years ago.

However, they usually have some "mini carts" available - although I often have to search for them in the "bin corrals" in the parking lot, because they only have a limited number. Usually I'm doing a large shop (twice a month) but on the occasions when I just need a few things, I try to find one of the mini carts, which are just the right size.

 

[Jerry1]

I can’t imagine why someone would want to seal the basket, but I guess if they do, there comes a point where the merchant say enough is enough. Our local stores all have baskets. The only problem I have is that no one brings them from the checkout area, where they end up after shopping, back to the door that you enter the store from. There’s a holder there, but it’s typically empty.

Thankfully, now I know enough to go in the other door and grab a basket from there.

 

[GrayHare]

Popular with homeless? https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShoppingCartOfHomelessness

 

[CaptTom]

Our supermarkets all have piles of those hand baskets. They don't seem to be disappearing. The worst I've seen is someone left one in the parking lot once. I grabbed it and brought it in.

I wonder if this will become more of a problem now that there's a state law prohibiting the stores from giving away plastic bags. Obviously you don't need to bring the basket out of the store if your stuff is all in bags. But if you forget to bring your own reusable bags, I can see the temptation to just bring the basket to your car. Laws like this always have unintended consequences.

 

[Involuntary Retiree]

I shop at our local WinCo, and they no longer offer hand baskets, since about 3-4 months ago. It's maybe been longer but not much. They also have put some sort of monitoring system on their grocery carts in an effort to keep them from getting stolen. The monitor stops the cart from rolling once it rolls past certain points in the parking lot, which I guess is a good thing. But the monitoring equipment seems to keep the wheels from rolling very well for those of us who would never think of stealing a hand basket or a shopping cart. It seems, though, that we are punished for the offenses of others.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

My local Wally World didn’t have hand baskets a couple of years ago, but now they do. I noticed an anti theft tag on each one. This is in by no means a sketchy neighborhood.

 

[Texas Proud]

I hate the places that only have those big carts... as my sister said, a double wide... the ones where you can put two kids on that shelf...

I like the small double ones... easy to move around and usually do not have some wonky wheel..

 

[SecondAttempt]

I would just use a tote bag if I ran in for one or a few things, rather than pushing around one of those carts. I haven't seen that here, as I use a hand basket or very small cart for a lot of my shopping trips.

I've noticed a couple of trends in grocery and similar stores.

The first is that they want to confuse you and make you spend more time in the store and the second is that they want you to have a bigger cart. They also don't want you to use your self brought bag to shop with.

I think the "spend more time in the store" trend is to get you to buy more. Maybe it works for some people. But after a 1 hour visit to a Walmart store today I've vowed to just get things shipped from walmart.com. So I'll be spending less time in their store here.

I think their theory is that if people spend more time searching the store they will buy more. I can't speak for others but I shop with a list and if I can't find what I am looking for I leave and buy elsewhere including online. This policy by both Walmart and Costco has driven me to buy more elsewhere. I also generally shop less at both stores anticipating this problem and deciding my time is just not worth saving a few dollars.

The smaller cart thing is also perplexing. If I have more than a few items I want a cashier so that drives up their labor costs.

 

[FIREd]

When I am just picking up a few items at the store, I use a tote bag that I bring with me. I’ve been doing it that way for years, in the US and in Europe. I have heard that it is frown upon by some stores but I don’t care and nobody has ever confronted me about it.

 

[SecondAttempt]

When I am just picking up a few items at the store, I use a tote bag that I bring with me. I’ve been doing it that way for years, in the US and in Europe. I have heard that it is frown upon by some stores but I don’t care and nobody has ever confronted me about it.

Yeah, my take is they think you are stealing but I think this is pretty dumb because if they tried to press charges for a crime it would be unsuccessful and in most towns they'd pay significantly for that!

 

[audreyh1]

I've noticed a couple of trends in grocery and similar stores.

The first is that they want to confuse you and make you spend more time in the store and the second is that they want you to have a bigger cart. They also don't want you to use your self brought bag to shop with.

I think the "spend more time in the store" trend is to get you to buy more. Maybe it works for some people. But after a 1 hour visit to a Walmart store today I've vowed to just get things shipped from walmart.com. So I'll be spending less time in their store here.

I think their theory is that if people spend more time searching the store they will buy more. I can't speak for others but I shop with a list and if I can't find what I am looking for I leave and buy elsewhere including online. This policy by both Walmart and Costco has driven me to buy more elsewhere. I also generally shop less at both stores anticipating this problem and deciding my time is just not worth saving a few dollars.

The smaller cart thing is also perplexing. If I have more than a few items I want a cashier so that drives up their labor costs.

Walmart does a great job with pickup - another option.

 

[frank05]

It might really be a business decision. People will buy more then they intend if they have a large cart.

 

[athena53]

I shop at our local WinCo, and they no longer offer hand baskets, since about 3-4 months ago. It's maybe been longer but not much. They also have put some sort of monitoring system on their grocery carts in an effort to keep them from getting stolen. The monitor stops the cart from rolling once it rolls past certain points in the parking lot, which I guess is a good thing. But the monitoring equipment seems to keep the wheels from rolling very well for those of us who would never think of stealing a hand basket or a shopping cart. It seems, though, that we are punished for the offenses of others.

Yeah, I just saw one of those carts in a grocery store this week. Carts are expensive (hundreds of dollars) and I do see homeless people pushing them around. Another motivation to eliminate the baskets: studies have shown that when someone has a bigger cart they tend to buy more. If you have a basket and it's filled (and getting heavy), you're less likely to wander around looking for more stuff. There's a very good reason Costco has never had them!

 

[Car-Guy]

Our local Walmart was down to one or two baskets. Then they remodeled the store and restocked the baskets and we got all new carts too. I did notice the carts are bigger.

 

[JoeWras]

I live in Harris Teeter country too. Now that I think about it, they are gone at both HT and Walmart! I haven't been going to HT much lately and I think this is why. Might as well pile up stuff in the big cart in Walmart.

The psychology is apparently working on me.

I sure miss those little baskets. Weird I didn't notice it until pointed out to me.

 

[badatmath]

Just noticed that shopping baskets are getting scarce at my local Harris Teeter store. I jokingly asked the store manager: "do you no longer do shopping baskets?". To my amazement, he told me that they currently have three baskets left in the store and when those are gone, they won't be replaced. So, you have to push around one of those supersized carts even if you only want to pick up a few items. Seems nuts to me, but he said the baskets get stolen all the time and it is too costly to replace them.
Is this a rogue store in my neighborhood or have I missed a shopping trend? Just curio

I have seen this here at some of the Walmarts (depending on neighborhood). IDK why people want to steal a cheap plastic basket.

I hate the remodeled Walmart. Stuff locked up. Not enough checkouts. Can't tell which ones take cash until you get ready to pay. (I usually get rid of any change at self checkouts and then pay the rest by card). And I have to walk like 8 feet to put stuff in bags what is up with that? [mod edit] They are bolted down though and not handy to the scanner. Just takes longer. Good thing I don't buy much.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

My local Giant Eagle grocery store did away with the hand-held baskets during Covid and never brought them back. They do have shopping carts in 2 sizes, so you can get one of the little ones if you only have a few items. As a big-and-tall man, I feel kind of stupid pushing one of those tiny carts. Sort of like pushing around a clown car.

 

[Ronstar]

I don't go to grocery stores much, but when I do I go with DW and I get the big cart because we normally are shopping for us and MIL. I don't remember seeing the small baskets at nearby Walmart and Jewel stores.

But I do shop at Menards about 4 times a week and use a shopping basket about half of the time. Shopping baskets are great in hardware stores when picking up small hardware, etc where I get several small packages.

 

[Midpack]

I can’t imagine why someone would want to seal the basket, but I guess if they do, there comes a point where the merchant say enough is enough. Our local stores all have baskets. The only problem I have is that no one brings them from the checkout area, where they end up after shopping, back to the door that you enter the store from. There’s a holder there, but it’s typically empty.

Thankfully, now I know enough to go in the other door and grab a basket from there.

I haven't noticed a shortage of baskets at the 2-3 HT's we shop at weekly so far. But if they are disappearing, I don't blame HT management for eliminating them. We use self checkout more often than not, only go through the line if we have a lot of stuff. We almost always proactively return our basket or shopping cart at every store that offers them before leaving the store. And we never leave shopping carts at random in parking lots - we either return them to a designated area (like Costco provides) or back to the store (like HT/Trader Joe's/Whole Foods). It's sad how lazy some people are...

 

[Dtail]

Lots of baskets at our local grocery stores.

 

[CardsFan]

I noticed during Covid that the hand baskets disappeared from many stores (harder to sanitize?). Many have brought them back, but not all.

 

[grasshopper]

We are pretty much bagless, shopping at Costco, WFM, TJ is a 3 hour drive home, so we have coolers. Even Walmart just an hour away gets the cooler, we don't even get the stink eye anymore. When we leave the cart looks the same before and after we check out. Besides all the employees know us.