Better Shopping Carts Means Better Shopping
For a stay at home mom with two small boys, which stores I can shop are at times determined by a range of factors. Factors such as accessability, parking, helpfulness of employees, width of store aisles and of course the size and maneuverability of the shopping carts.
Even today, most households require the woman to do most of the shopping for the family. Of course this may not always be fare, but its the reality we live in. Factors such as convenience and the other challenges mentioned above play a big role. As such, I must visit a beauty supply store later this morning. With its narrow aisles and lack of shopping carts, my time inside the store will be minimal.
I feel this is the case for most women in my position. When faced with challenges such as aisle size and or maneuverability, most will completely avoid that store or limit the time spent inside by only getting the few items they need. Hence avoiding the \”impluse buys\” that they may otherwise purchase. This means less money spent along with the avoidance of a public meltdown by either mom or the children.
Of the various factors, maybe the most important one is the shopping cart. For me to shop at a store and possibly linger versus simply getting the specific items I seek, the shopping cart needs to be wide enough to securely place a car seat or infant carrier inside without the feeling of the possibility that the cart may topple over.
The ideal shopping cart for a small business should be light and sturdy, not heavy and bulky. It should be large enough for the items provided by the store yet easily maneuvered through the aisles without difficulty and creating frustration.
On numerous occassions, I have left a store, in the middle of shopping, out of frustration associated with their shopping carts. Their carts were too large with hard to turn wheels along with aisles to cramped to get around in and where I needed to go. My frustration would grow as I attempted to navigate the store. Hence I would leave and avoid that particular store in the future.
I prefer stores that recognize the balance of cart size and aisle width to accomodate their particular inventory of items. I need a cart in which a five year old can sit in the basket while allowing me the room needed to purchase the items I am looking to buy.
Some may think it’s silly to put so much emphasis on where to shop based on their shopping carts, but it’s the truth. These factors all weigh in on which stores I will visit. There is a particular retailer I had to avoid until my son could sit up on his own since finding out that their carts would not allow me to safely secure my infant carrier to the front. However mundane it may seem, shopping carts do have an impact of the stores clientele. For me, the best shopping cart would be lightweight, possibly made from plastic, sturdy yet free turning wheels, wide enough to safely secure an infant carrier along with the needed space inside the basket for possibly another child, yet light enough as to not feel bulky while navigating through the store. The overall size needs to be proportunate to the aisle width and the products being sold. Such thought into the shopping carts may result in shoppers spending more time inside the store, hence spending more money.
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