It is a “thing” in this area . . . and a reason why so many of my local stores send their employees out on a regular basis to collect the carts (a much more popular assignment on beautiful days than on cold/rainy/nasty days). I have even heard the argument that the failure to return carts “keeps people employed.” Um, no, it keeps them from other tasks that need to be completed indoors where it’s always warm/cool and dry.
3 Likes
A new one. Thanks to some recent surgeries, strolling the supermarket aisles has been a big nogo for me. Luckily thanks to COVID, delivery is easy these days and I order from the local Giant every 2 weeks. The digital coupons have always been easy to navigate–produce, condiments, pasta, bakery, etc. Generally food categories followed by HBA, pet, baby, etc. Well today they were a mish-mash, leading to a lot of unnecessary scrolling. Not a big deal, but annoying to have to go through the diapers and dog food to get to the fruit and dairy.
I dfo that any time I see a loose cart. Doesn’t slow me down one bit. What they hey? Can only imagine the homes of the people who can’t push a cart 20 steps to a corral.
2 Likes
That looks like our Costco. Lazy b-tards.
1 Like
It also lets you test if the wheels are working and swap with a good one near the store if they’re not. 
9 Likes
I make things easy for myself by always trying to park near a corral. Helps me find my car, too. 
6 Likes
As a professional shopper, I always test the wheels when picking a cart.
5 Likes
When I went to the Ikea cafeteria in Bangkok, I bussed my own dishes after finishing (as signs request you to do). But my Japanese friend who lives there said I shouldn’t do that as it takes jobs away from the people who are hired to do it. 
1 Like
Further proof that people can rationalize anything they want to do anyway.
4 Likes
in my hood the folks rolling carts around don’t have homes to go to.
3 Likes
Yep, there’s that too 
1 Like
At a local indie supermarket where parking is tight, I’ll see someone loading their trunk from their cart and I’ll tell them to leave the cart for me, so they leave the space more quickly.
The Costco SOP.
A number of the supermarkets here have eliminated shopping baskets because they’ve been disappearing in recent years. (Who would take a basket, and why? How is this a trend?) I don’t want to maneuver a cart when I just need a few things. I know this isn’t kosher, but I’ve been just putting items into my cloth bag, taking them out to pay, and then repacking the bag.
5 Likes
I think that’s actually pretty accepted behavior nowadays.
I see that at TJs, Whole Foods, Sprouts and even larger nationwide chains like Albertsons, Kroger/Ralphs, Safeway/Vons, etc.
2 Likes
I do that at the Asian grocery, the Indian grocery, and Dollar Tree. OTOH, a few stores ask people not to do that. (It apparently makes shoplifting easier.) ShopRite has half-size carts that are much easier to maneuver than the full-sized (or in the case of Costco, oversized) carts.
1 Like
I do it at Costco, most of the time.
Besides the Japanese Costco stores (which I’ve never actually been to, but seen on TV), I’ve really never seen the typical North American supermarket shopping cart in Japan (not to say they don’t exist, but in my 20 years there, I didn’t see one or don’t remember seeing one).
This is how Japanese supermarket carts are (you usually place the baskets on the counter for the cashiers):
Many (possibly even “most”) Japanese people shop multiple times a week and not once a week. Japanese refrigerators USED to be quite small, but nowadays they are much closer to the sizes we are used to here in North America (but I never had a big one when I lived there…mine were always dorm-sized or slightly larger).
4 Likes
I do this all the time. If what I’m purchasing will fit in my reusable bag? Fill it up, unpack on the belt, hand the bag to the checkout clerk (or set it up to accept my items at self-checkout), refill, pay, and go.
1 Like
I hold the door open for people pushing the shopping cart back inside . No automatic doors . I always say I’m the doorman. Get a big smile and a thank you.
2 Likes
