Coles and Woolworths customers puzzled over a trolley feature
- Replies 18
Who would’ve thought that a single photo could make thousands of Aussies scratch their heads in confusion?
Well, that’s exactly what happened when one Twitter user posted an image of a row of trolleys from Coles locked together on the social media platform.
The trolleys seem to require a coin to be inserted in order for shoppers to break one free and use it.
“If you live in Melbourne or other Australian cities, can you use a shopping trolley at Coles or Woolies without having to put in a coin deposit in your suburb?” Twitter user @Tito_Ambyo asked.
“Just wondering if this varies across suburbs.”
Shoppers were left confused over the trolley feature. Image Credit: Yahoo! Finance
The user took the photo in Thomastown, a suburb in Melbourne. As the tweet made the rounds online, several users rushed to the comments section to share their own experiences and theories.
“I always ask the staff and they give me a token to access the trolley at my local Central West,” one person responded.
Another claimed that there were no locks at Coburg North.
“I found that the stand-alone ones usually aren’t locked, my locals are Preston and Reservoir,” a third added. “The ones inside shopping centres such as Northland, Doncaster – you’d need a coin.”
One user from Sydney revealed that the Woolworths closest to him didn’t need a coin to gain access to their trolleys but that Coles did.
But another person in Canberra said that there had been locks attached to the trolleys in every grocery store she had been to.
After briefing through the responses, the original poster deemed the trolley feature as “messy”.
“So basically it’s…Messy. I kind of thought it was an inner vs outer suburbs or areas with a higher level of disadvantages vs wealthy areas. But maybe not.” he tweeted.
Post Credit: @Tito_Ambyo
There has been speculation going around that Woolworths installs coin locks on trolleys for a number of reasons, including council requirements. However, each store is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
A Coles spokeswoman clarified the issue saying: “Coles provides trolleys to its customers for their convenience and spends a significant amount on maintaining them each year, some of which is the cost of collecting trolleys that have been removed from our premises,”
“Abandoned trolleys are a nuisance to local communities and we are actively working to make this better across the nation, including regular collections of abandoned trolleys with vehicles on the road daily and installing wheel lock systems where suitable,”
“Electronic wheel lock systems are not suitable for all store sites. In most cases, Coles must seek approval from the local council, store landlord or Centre Manager, and they may not agree with the installation. The layout of a site can also mean that installation is not technically or operationally feasible.”
Customers are advised to report abandoned trolleys through the Coles app or by calling 1800 876 553.
Are there locks on the trolleys in your local Coles or Woolworths store? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Well, that’s exactly what happened when one Twitter user posted an image of a row of trolleys from Coles locked together on the social media platform.
The trolleys seem to require a coin to be inserted in order for shoppers to break one free and use it.
“If you live in Melbourne or other Australian cities, can you use a shopping trolley at Coles or Woolies without having to put in a coin deposit in your suburb?” Twitter user @Tito_Ambyo asked.
“Just wondering if this varies across suburbs.”
Shoppers were left confused over the trolley feature. Image Credit: Yahoo! Finance
The user took the photo in Thomastown, a suburb in Melbourne. As the tweet made the rounds online, several users rushed to the comments section to share their own experiences and theories.
“I always ask the staff and they give me a token to access the trolley at my local Central West,” one person responded.
Another claimed that there were no locks at Coburg North.
“I found that the stand-alone ones usually aren’t locked, my locals are Preston and Reservoir,” a third added. “The ones inside shopping centres such as Northland, Doncaster – you’d need a coin.”
One user from Sydney revealed that the Woolworths closest to him didn’t need a coin to gain access to their trolleys but that Coles did.
But another person in Canberra said that there had been locks attached to the trolleys in every grocery store she had been to.
After briefing through the responses, the original poster deemed the trolley feature as “messy”.
“So basically it’s…Messy. I kind of thought it was an inner vs outer suburbs or areas with a higher level of disadvantages vs wealthy areas. But maybe not.” he tweeted.
Post Credit: @Tito_Ambyo
There has been speculation going around that Woolworths installs coin locks on trolleys for a number of reasons, including council requirements. However, each store is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
A Coles spokeswoman clarified the issue saying: “Coles provides trolleys to its customers for their convenience and spends a significant amount on maintaining them each year, some of which is the cost of collecting trolleys that have been removed from our premises,”
“Abandoned trolleys are a nuisance to local communities and we are actively working to make this better across the nation, including regular collections of abandoned trolleys with vehicles on the road daily and installing wheel lock systems where suitable,”
“Electronic wheel lock systems are not suitable for all store sites. In most cases, Coles must seek approval from the local council, store landlord or Centre Manager, and they may not agree with the installation. The layout of a site can also mean that installation is not technically or operationally feasible.”
Customers are advised to report abandoned trolleys through the Coles app or by calling 1800 876 553.
Are there locks on the trolleys in your local Coles or Woolworths store? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!