​Shopping carts disappearing from store parking lots is a tale as old as time.  Whether the carts are being used to transport goods to a near-by location, or being sold for scrap metal, the problem leaves store owners with less carts for customers and the added expense of having to replace the carts. Shopping cart theft is a real concern among store owners and has even made the news.  In July of 2021, 160 shopping carts disappeared out of a Safeway parking lot.  This isn’t the first-time shopping carts have wandered off, according to Sigfox, “Shopping cart theft is a multi-million-dollar problem for the retail industry. The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) estimates that over $2 million shopping carts are stolen in the U.S. annually.” This causes store owners the added headache of not only repairing damaged shopping carts, but also making sure their fleet is fully stocked for customer use.

Bemis Retail Solutions offers cart-tracking with the polymer shopping cart.  Because the cart is made of a polymer material and not metal, it does not interfere with radio-waves so there is a clear location for each shopping cart. If a shopping cart disappears, simply look up the tracker and it will show you the exact location where it wandered off to. To the left is an example of how the tracker shows up as it pings each location.

​Cart Tracking can be utilized for inside the store as well.  It provides data on how long the cart was active in the store, and it also helps keep track of how many carts are in the fleet.  Knowing how long the cart was active in the store indicates how long the customer spent shopping.  This is important data to know because it shows the owner ways to improve their locations. For example, adding a hot food section or a coffee bar encourages customers to linger in the store and enjoy the experience.  The longer the customer is in a location the chances are that the shopping cart will be filled with items that may not have been on the customer’s list.  

Having the ability to track shopping carts in and outside the store opens many possibilities for store owners.  They now can locate missing carts and come up with strategic ways to keep customers shopping for longer. Learn more about how Cart Tracking can help you here. 

Nearly every product that has wheels, tends to have a cup holder: strollers, riding lawn mowers, bicycles, and cars to name a few. So why would a shopping cart be excluded from this trend? Most grocers and retailers now offer some type of in store coffee shop. Others like Whole Foods, Central Market, Wegmans and Market District offer everything from full-service bars, restaurants, juice stands and more. Despite the availability of different in store beverage options, the utility of cup holder on a shopping cart is often overlooked.

Even customers that don't purchase a beverage in store are likely to bring their own into the establishment. These customers will inevitably need both hands at some point during their trip...so where does the cup go? If your carts are cup holder-less, you'll probably be left with scene like you see in the picture on the right. This is a beverage spill waiting to happen and can easily be avoided by providing a secure, stable cup holder.
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Consumers love their beverages. Just ask the automotive industry who keep increasing the size and number of cup holders in vehicles.  Could you imagine a family road trip in your car with no cup holders? Sure, WeatherTech and Stanley Steamer would love to benefit from all the spills, but consumers would not love the constant clean up. 
Bemis Retail Solutions has a cup holder built into the frame of our carts.  This provides every customer the benefit of keeping their beverage safe while they are shopping.  It also provides the added benefit to the location because there is less spills to clean up.  Minimizing clean ups allow for more store personnel to focus on stocking the shelves or assisting customers. This contributes to a better customer experience. A shopping cart containing a cup holder, not only benefits the consumer, but also the store owner because it allows the customer to be more hands-free when shopping. 
 
Cup holders are often overlooked as features, but it is noticed when cup holders are not present.  Luckily with Bemis Shopping Carts, the customer can rest easy that there is a place to keep their beverage while they enjoy their shopping experience.  

Self-Checkouts are becoming more and more appealing and popular, whether it is because the customer wants to avoid long lines, avoid contact with a cashier, or to be more strategic with bagging their items it is becoming a popular add-on to stores everywhere.  With the added convenience for the customer of having self-checkout, comes the added obstacle of engaging with the customer.  The store loses the ability to ask the customer “Did you find everything you were looking for today?” which creates an opportunity for the customer to give feedback. Self-checkouts do offer digital questions similar to, “Were you greeted when entering the store today?”, but because it is on a digital device, the customer may not be as inclined to answer. 

Eliminating certain points of contact with customers makes it even more important for stores to go above and beyond in other ways to ensure their customers will return. Keeping the store restocked, clean, and functioning properly are major ways to up store loyalty.  Bemis Retail Solution’s Shopping Carts are the perfect addition to any store to increase store loyalty.  With their superior quietness, sleek frame, and built-in features, Bemis Shopping Carts are made to add value to every location.

With the ever-changing environment of grocery stores, it is important to keep the customer’s experience as a top priority because without loyal customers, the location will suffer. Bemis shopping carts offer the quietness that creates a calm environment, but these shopping carts can also be completely disassembled which allows store owners to replace just the part that is needing attention instead of replacing the entire shopping cart.  Pairing the modular design, with the high-quality material makes Bemis Retail Solution’s Shopping Carts more environmentally friendly and allows less carts to be out-of-service making customers and store owners happy. 
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Self-checkout and the constant evolution of store environments becoming more widespread, is making other aspects of the store more important to impress customers.  Now more than ever it is important to have the shelves restocked properly, to keep the store clean, and ensure an enjoyable shopping experience for the customer.  Bemis Retail Solutions is here to assist in making your location the best it can be to keep those loyal customers around.