Change can be tricky, especially when it comes to our tried-and-true shopping routines.

Recently, some Woolworths patrons have found themselves grappling with a change that's left them with aching arms and a touch of frustration.

The culprit? Woolworths' new single-handled shopping baskets.

Last year, Woolworths and Coles introduced new baskets made from recycled materials in a commendable nod to environmental concerns.

The standout feature of these baskets is their single handle, a stark contrast to the double-handled ones shoppers were accustomed to.

While these baskets have been around for a few months, shoppers seem only now to be accepting that they're here to stay, and not everyone is thrilled.

A shopper was disappointed with Woolworths’ basket change. Credit: @elohzed / TikTok

One shopper, in particular, has voiced her displeasure quite vocally. During a shopping trip at the Parramatta Woolworths in Sydney's west, Loz struggled to balance her groceries in the new basket design.

‘It's extremely difficult to hold particularly as a shorter person. The weight distribution is completely off once the basket becomes more than half full,’ Loz said.

‘Not to mention the baskets are way bigger, and the shape is super bulky, so it bangs into people and things more easily.’

‘I like to hold my basket like a handbag in my elbow as I’m short, and this also keeps it closer to my core, which is better for my back…these new baskets make that impossible as the handle is the wrong way,’ she added.

While Loz acknowledged that her complaint might seem 'petty' and a 'first world problem', she couldn't help but speculate that the design change might be a strategic move by Woolworths and Coles.

She suspected that the supermarkets hope customers will opt for trolleys instead of baskets, potentially leading them to 'subconsciously buy more.'

Her witty retort to the situation didn't stop there. Loz quipped that while Woolworths might be 'the fresh food people’, they're certainly not 'the basket people'.

She pleaded for the return of the original double-handled baskets, which she found 'much better’.

The online community has rallied around Loz's sentiments, and many shoppers have shared their criticisms of the single-handled baskets.

Some have even joked about creating makeshift shopping solutions, like ‘buy a laundry basket and glue some wheels and handle on it’.

‘Those baskets are the worst. Hurt my arm,’ one said, and others said they ‘hated’ it and thought they were ‘terrible’.

However, not everyone is on board with the basket backlash.

‘No need to brag about overloading your basket, lady,’ one man said.

‘Stop complaining about the basket and start complaining about their prices,’ another expressed.

You can watch Loz’s video below:

Credit: @elohzed / TikTok ​

It's worth noting that the new Woolworths baskets are made from 18 recycled milk bottles, aligning with the supermarket's Sustainability Plan.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to reduce environmental impact, which is certainly a step in the right direction.

Key Takeaways

• Woolworths shoppers are expressing frustration with the supermarket's new single-handled baskets, claiming they are hard to hold and poorly balanced.
• A customer named Loz criticised the design of the new baskets, sharing that they are not user-friendly for shorter people and were awkwardly shaped.
• Some shoppers speculate that Woolies and Coles may have introduced the new basket design to encourage customers to use trolleys and potentially buy more items.
• Despite the backlash, the environmentally-friendly baskets, made from recycled milk bottles, are a part of Woolworths' Sustainability Plan, contributing to their environmental commitments.

Have you found the single-handle baskets cumbersome, or have you adapted to the change? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

 

[Teddy is my boy]

if l am only needing a few things l just use my own bag, simple really

 

[DLHM]

Single handle, double handle, doesn’t bother me.

 

[ECassidy]

why people need to swear ?? Not happy?-Take your own bag ...so simple instead of whinging and carry on

 

[Jay Jay]

I'm not whinging and I don't use these baskets. However they are a flawd design concept for the reasons stated above, as should have been easily proven and rectified at the testing stage before mass manufacture.

 

[allanjackand molly]

did she have to use bad language over the woolies basket have a bit of respect for people who see this no need for it i only swear when i loose something or hit my finger with a Hammer Be nice

 

[StarTrekker]

the handle should be on the other (short) side this would balance the basket.

 

[Jo Piper3]

Maybe find something important to complain about?

 

[Fanger]

Some people will whinge about anything. We don't need to hear your bad language as well.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Baskets at Woolworths are not a major worry, but their attitude to pricing regulations are.

In Woolworths Palmyra, Perth, yesterday, I presented a single item at a manned checkout with the exact cash only to be told it rang up at 45 cents more than the ticketed price. I had already handed over the money.

I advised them that their checkout screen price did not line up with the advertised price and I was entitled to the lower price BY LAW, the teenage bitch at the counter refused to budge, saying the advertised price was wrong. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for her, my phone rang with an important call and I terminated the transaction, but not without a few choice words.

Just think! A mere 45 cents! Say every one of the 1113 Woolworths stores through the country had the same discrepancy and sold 10 of these items a day, this would amount to over $1.8 million over a year! A tidy little sum for the store for zero effort and that was just ONE grocery line!

 

[Gil]

Firstly: Why does the young brigade stoop to foul language to get their point across?
Even young girls. It just beggars belief. In the old days it was a sin for a female of any age to utter a swear word such as "bloody or bugger", let alone the four-letter words used so commonly by almost everyone today.
Secondly: Yes, the single handled baskets can become unbalanced if loaded incorrectly, however just use your commonsense and you overcome that. Actually, they are a little bit easier to access than multi-handled units.

 

[Jo Piper3]

Firstly: Why does the young brigade stoop to foul language to get their point across?
Even young girls. It just beggars belief. In the old days it was a sin for a female of any age to utter a swear word such as "bloody or bugger", let alone the four-letter words used so commonly by almost everyone today.
Secondly: Yes, the single handled baskets can become unbalanced if loaded incorrectly, however just use your commonsense and you overcome that. Actually, they are a little bit easier to access than multi-handled units.

I still say Bum if I drop something in the supermarket.

 

[Gil]

I still say Bum if I drop something in the supermarket.

Jo, you need your backside slapped for saying that. lol

 

[Veggiepatch]

I still say Bum if I drop something in the supermarket.

I say whatever I like, wherever I like.

But at least if I drop something in a supermarket, I pick it up and return it to its rightful place.

If it's not smashed!

 

[Khate]

I like this basket, fits better on my walker, is bigger , though sometimes when I leave the bags under the seat it is a problem, doesn't lift out as easily. Yes. like it much better, too hard to push a trolley with a walker as well, so thank you Woolies, got my vote for the new baskets

 

[Gil]

I say whatever I like, wherever I like.

But at least if I drop something in a supermarket, I pick it up and return it to its rightful place.

If it's not smashed!

Veggiepatch, not knowing your gender, therein seems to lay the problem with this generation. Like you, they say whatever they like, wherever they like. They don't take into account who is nearby. That in itself is pure narcissism, with a preponderance of wanting to be the centre of attention.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Veggiepatch, not knowing your gender, therein seems to lay the problem with this generation. Like you, they say whatever they like, wherever they like. They don't take into account who is nearby. That in itself is pure narcissism, with a preponderance of wanting to be the centre of attention.

I'm male.

I gather you don't watch any mainstream visual entertainment or listen to music that has been made in the last 60 years. Otherwise, your eyes and ears would burn. And don't bother reading 14th century literature such as Chaucer's installment of the Canterbury Tales called "The Merchant's Tale". Is the bible on your reading list? One of the most violent works of fiction ever written. If so, I rest my case.

Morphology, the study of the structure and form of words states is just an arrangement of letters. That demonic "F**K" word - firetruck!

Say "can't" more quickly than normal and you know what I mean.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Single handle, double handle, doesn’t bother me.

"Look Mum....no handles!"

"Look son....clean up that mess!"

 

[Gil]

I'm male.

I gather you don't watch any mainstream visual entertainment or listen to music that has been made in the last 60 years. Otherwise, your eyes and ears would burn. And don't bother reading 14th century literature such as Chaucer's installment of the Canterbury Tales called "The Merchant's Tale". Is the bible on your reading list? One of the most violent works of fiction ever written. If so, I rest my case.

Morphology, the study of the structure and form of words states is just an arrangement of letters. That demonic "F**K" word - firetruck!

Say "can't" more quickly than normal and you know what I mean.

What a load of hogswash. Don't even begin to try and defend the defenseless. No justification whatsoever in your rambling reply. You even make an attempt to bring the bible into it. How childish. There is no justification for the profanities that are unnecessarily used so much more often than 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago. Ok, they were used then, but NOWHERE near as often as today.

 

[karadunc]

My husband and I are also outraged by these new baskets. I prefer the previous lot with 2 handles that you can balance easily on your forearm. It's not possible to do that with hese new ones without having all the contents falling to one end. That makes the items/basket unbalanced and hurts my arms. BRING BACK THE OLD VERSION WITH TWO HANDLES. PLLLLEEEEEAAAASSSSEEE.