Don’t you hate it when you go to the grocery store and, out of all the shopping carts you pick out right at the front entrance, you end up with one that has loose or squeaky casters? It’s happened to all of us. As much as fighting the busy crowds can be a headache, walking down the various grocery aisles with an improperly maintained cart presents and much more unpleasant (and often annoying) experience. For store managers this is one part of what makes customers either make repeat trips or retreat to another competitor store.
For a brief background, the general design of a shopping cart has remained the same since 1935 when Sylvan N. Goldman, proprietor of the Piggly Wiggly supermarket in Oklahoma City, first devised what some would’ve considered at that time a practical (and in today’s world ergonomical) alternative to handheld shopping baskets. But as time goes on (and as a result of constant daily use and abuse), shopping carts and its casters wear down. And this is a little detail that should never be overlooked.
Why should shopping carts and casters be a top priority, you ask? You’d surprised to know that recent studies were done by various research groups showing that retail stores (Home Depot, Target, etc) who maintained a supply of shopping carts for customers saw a much larger icrease in overall sales compared to stores (JCPennys and Sears) that don’t supply shopping carts on hand for customers. Pretty convincing isn’t it?
So now you’re wondering, “what can I do?” In order to maintain longevity on your shopping carts, the simplest solution is to invest in high quality, long lasting casters. And you won’t find a greater selection of casters and wheels (from leading brands including Stromberg, Metro and Hamilton) at great prices anywhere else but from Material Flow! Even in these tough economic times, it’s the littlest details such as maintaining your shopping carts that helps your business go a long ways.
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