The supermarket is not hiding trolleys; they simply don’t have any more. Trolleys disappearing has always been a problem, and that’s why they introduced a £1 lock to release a trolley two years ago.
However, the store manager explained that they have seen row after row of trolleys go missing and it has worsened recently. Some of them are taken outside the premises by individuals, and Asda trolleys can be found all over the area, in adjacent streets and neighbouring estates. In addition, thieves are stealing shopping trolleys to sell them as scrap metal. At the cost of £80 per shopping trolley, it is costing Asda tens of thousands of pounds.
But the real issue comes with the war in Ukraine. In the past, trolleys that were taken away or stolen were always replaced by the store’s supplier, which was Russian. Since the war, they had to switch to a British supplier. However, the new company cannot cope with the demand and is not providing enough trolleys.
“Trust me, dealing with trolley issues is the last thing that a store manager wants. Usually, we concentrate on making sure we have enough stock and supply for the store, not on trolleys and plastic baskets,” said the store manager.
They are currently working on the issue, including finding a different supplier for trolleys. They have noticed for instance that Sainsbury’s does not have any problems and always has many trolleys available.
Fingers crossed, hopefully, the Asda trolley crisis will end before the war in Ukraine.
