Coles and Woolworths customers puzzled over a trolley feature

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.”

EuNo8fOQSSBwf2xw9w_mkRNqx2soa3kREiWAK2m7SxupnL7dxABm1PVuKid7DBGiiVuo4Q62r5BEPJMnevzYXc5BYRLxowHYJi-k1ulY2mD5_NfeSfohc1UdeoJIaT2z5VizJcKjvsyURX35_A

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!
 
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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.”

EuNo8fOQSSBwf2xw9w_mkRNqx2soa3kREiWAK2m7SxupnL7dxABm1PVuKid7DBGiiVuo4Q62r5BEPJMnevzYXc5BYRLxowHYJi-k1ulY2mD5_NfeSfohc1UdeoJIaT2z5VizJcKjvsyURX35_A

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!

There is an easy way around trolly locks. Go on eBay and buy a ”supermarket trolly key”. They are as little as $5. Put it on your key ring with your car key and you have no more trouble.
 
I have no problem with locks on trolleys. I have a token that fits them and use it constantly. One of the advantages is that it helps people to remember to put trolleys away instead of leaving them all over the place in the car parks. If you want yr money or token back park the trolley correctly.
 
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.”

EuNo8fOQSSBwf2xw9w_mkRNqx2soa3kREiWAK2m7SxupnL7dxABm1PVuKid7DBGiiVuo4Q62r5BEPJMnevzYXc5BYRLxowHYJi-k1ulY2mD5_NfeSfohc1UdeoJIaT2z5VizJcKjvsyURX35_A

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!

OMG 😳 really, trolleys have needed a coin to access for years, & they were confused? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
 
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.”

EuNo8fOQSSBwf2xw9w_mkRNqx2soa3kREiWAK2m7SxupnL7dxABm1PVuKid7DBGiiVuo4Q62r5BEPJMnevzYXc5BYRLxowHYJi-k1ulY2mD5_NfeSfohc1UdeoJIaT2z5VizJcKjvsyURX35_A

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!

Not Coles or Woolies, but Aldi does have the coin lock. I just keep a $2 coin in my handbag to use the trolley and the coin is released when I return the trolley and insert the lock back into my trolley. Not a problem.
 
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.”

EuNo8fOQSSBwf2xw9w_mkRNqx2soa3kREiWAK2m7SxupnL7dxABm1PVuKid7DBGiiVuo4Q62r5BEPJMnevzYXc5BYRLxowHYJi-k1ulY2mD5_NfeSfohc1UdeoJIaT2z5VizJcKjvsyURX35_A

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!

Woolworth's trolleys in Coonabarabran have been locked together for many years now. You can purchase an unlocking plastic "coin" for a small amount (they used to be free) which you can keep & reuse whenever you shop there.
 
My local shoppingcentre has trolley locks so you cannot take them out of the complex as soon as you go out of the doors the trolleys lock, great for the environment but not if you are trying to get a taxi to put your groceries in their boots (some drivers won't get out and do this). Spotlight has had tokens for their trolleys for quite a number of years near me.
 
Every store that has trolleys should be using the coin unlock OR putting the magnetic hidden strips in the ground at the borders of the parking lots and equipping the trolleys to lock when someone tries to wheel out of the lot. It's been like this in stores in Canada and the USA for decades. Over there you don't see discarded trolleys in ditches, parks and littering the landscape like is SO common in Australia. I've even reported to Coles and Woolies where their trolleys are discarded and they don't care. Wonder why their prices are SO high? One reason is they are covering the costs of 1000s of trashed trolleys.
 
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I personally can't see the big deal in this. Aldi trolleys use a coin or token. I have the token. It makes sure the trolley is replaced before leaving the premises. Easy peasy.
 
This makes good business and environmental sense and has been in practice for many many years in the UK and Europe. Its also at most airports, including Australia. You don’t need coins, just a token that is the same size, in fact some coin purses you buy in Europe come with a little sleeve for the token, with a token already inside.
 
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.”

EuNo8fOQSSBwf2xw9w_mkRNqx2soa3kREiWAK2m7SxupnL7dxABm1PVuKid7DBGiiVuo4Q62r5BEPJMnevzYXc5BYRLxowHYJi-k1ulY2mD5_NfeSfohc1UdeoJIaT2z5VizJcKjvsyURX35_A

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!

Pocket money for the kids? Offer to return the trolley for people in the car park.
 
Just think how good it would be if every one did this. You would be able to pull into a parking spot without having to move someone's discarded trolley first. There would be no more damage done to your car from runaway abandoned trollies. This all happens because people are to lazy to return their trolley to a parking bay. If they had to retrieve their coin or token they actually make the effort. Aldi have always had this. If you go to one of their car parks you rarely see an abandoned trolley just left
 
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There is an easy way around trolly locks. Go on eBay and buy a ”supermarket trolly key”. They are as little as $5. Put it on your key ring with your car key and you have no more trouble.
There's an even easier solution...use a coin and then return your trolley and you will get the coin back
 
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Reactions: Liz
I wish every supermarket would use the coin system....so many trolleys just get dumped anywhere and everywhere and quite often pushed against your car and scratch it. If you are too busy to return a trolley why not shop online? Problem solved.
 
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Reactions: Liz

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