Should Stores Charge for Customers to Use Carts?
Aldi charges 25 cents for you to use a cart, but you get it back when the cart's returned.
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Deposit a quarter to rent a cart at Aldi to do some grocery shopping. Return the cart to its designated spot and get the quarter back. Pretty simple.
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Deposit a quarter to rent a cart at Aldi to do some grocery shopping. Return the cart to its designated spot and get the quarter back. Pretty simple.
This helps keep the parking lot less cluttered and helps save customers money, a sign at the store said.
"This helps to keep prices low because we don't spend time retrieving carts," Aldi's website states.
Do you think this is a good practice? Vote in our poll and tell us why in the comments.
Kara Seymour
3:00 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
weird!
Susan
3:40 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Bottom Dollar also does this and I would rather pay a quarter than have carts running into my car
Jesseka Kadylak
3:49 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Good point, Susan! Thanks for your comment.
Pondeli Hajioannou
5:02 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
It is a great idea to make people responsible to return the cart.
Tanja W.
8:20 am on Friday, March 8, 2013
It's common in Europe to put an Euro into your shopping car and get it back when you return it. It would surely counteract the laziness of some people leaving their shopping car just somewhere on the parking lot, not caring if it bumps into parked cars or not.
Dolores Herrmann
10:26 am on Friday, March 8, 2013
Carts are being used for baby carriages, laundry baskets and left in apartment complexes in many areas. Best idea to charge even though it is a small amount to pay for the previous reasons.
Wendy
11:28 am on Friday, March 8, 2013
Shoprite used to do that. It's not a bad idea, it's just a nuisance if you find you don't have any quarters.
Justin Beaver
12:33 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
Unfortunately, charging for the use of carts (a real nuisance especially when one normally has no change when entering a store) has become a necessary evil due to the laziness of the general public. I always take carts left near my car back to the proper storage spot, but I also just got a $1000 shopping cart dent (Thank you Wal-Mart)repaired. Perhaps(as an alternative) the stores could utilize those employees that routinely spend their time avoiding customers to gather abandoned carts in the parking lot OR employ younger kids looking for work as "cart boys" as an entry level position.
linda
6:59 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
I believe Pathmark use to Charge $.25 also. I Gladly pay a quarter For no dents In my car.
Kris
10:59 am on Sunday, March 10, 2013
I stopped shopping as much because I found the quarter to be a nuisance. I few times i forgot a quarter during cold winter days and now i seem not to be stopping at bottom dollar as much =(
Wendy
11:45 am on Sunday, March 10, 2013
When Shoprite did it I once had to go up to a stranger and offer my change for a quarter. After that I kept my "Shoprite quarter" in my car. It's not a bad idea but sometimes the coins get stuck in the slots and you don't get your quarter back. It's also a better idea than some stores that have barriers outside the store to prevent you from even taking your cart to the car.