The Psychology Behind the People Who Don't Return Shopping Carts - Neatorama

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who return their shopping carts to a store or cart corral, and those who don't. There's the same sort of dichotomy among people who never use turn signals or who stand in doorways, or any number of behaviors that separate those who consider others and those who don't. The shopping cart thing is one we see most often, because these people leave behind evidence.

Hannah B. Waldfogel did some research into shopping cart behavior, which consisted of analyzing 564 videos posted by Cart Narcs in which people abandoned a shopping cart improperly and were then confronted about it. As you would guess, many were not happy about the confrontation and went into road rage mode. But not all. Waldfogel sorted out the types of responses, and the various excuses they gave. Then she offers some reasons why people develop a habit of abandoning shopping carts, and some ways that stores -and society- can encourage them to start doing the right thing. -via Damn Interesting

(Image credit: Curlyrnd)

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No cart return = people doing it = higher prices.I want my shopping bill to stay low, I return the cart

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The only times I don't return the cart is when the store parking lot is laid out so badly that there is no cart return within 10 car spaces in any direction. Any direction. If they want their carts returned, make it halfway convenient. Besides, my grocery store hires disabled persons to bag groceries and fetch carts. And i like keeping them employed.

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stores can encourage me to return shopping carts by putting a damn cart corral near the accessible parking spaces! i try to return them when i can but sometimes by the time i am finished shopping and unloading my groceries, me and my walker cannot make another 25 foot round trip with the cart due to pain and energy levels. in my area only trader joes has a cart return area near the accessible parking spaces. but sams club parking has a painted out wide space in between the two rows (in between the signs for the spaces, not the striped zone) that has become the unofficial cart disposition area for the accessible spaces because it's also easier for someone with a mobility issue/parking permit to obtain a cart there on the way in and then put it in the same spot on the way out.

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Small folding grocery carts that hold a couple full bags are available. If you need much more than that, a collapsible wagon will hold a whole shopping trip worth, and cost under $40.

I hate having to deal with the bum anti-theft wheel when pushing a shopping cart thru the store, but I admit I've seen people who take a cart home with them every week and just leave dozens of them there... can't ever be bothered to push even one of them back, so I guess making that bad behavior more of a hassle somehow is necessary.

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Wait. . There are people in Canada who don't return shopping carts? I'm shocked. Not only do I return carts, but if the cart coral is a mess, I get it back in order. Like the author, my first job way back in high school was also at the low end in a department store and shopping carts were a huge part of the nightly routine. So I get it. It's also a nice feeling when I get the occasional thanks from that person having to shepherd all those carts back to the store. Rain, snow, slush - return those carts people!

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