Carted away

Shopping cart retention has been an issue for a long time. It’s apparently right up there with shoplifting as a factor in the rising cost of goods.

There are companies that make a living sending trucks round neighborhoods near supermarkets to pick up and return carts that that have gone walkabout. And at some of its newer stores, Target has installed a tech solution that combines a transmitter in their carts with something embedded in the gribbly pavement that forms a barrier to parking lot exits. Once the cart passes over the yellow raised dots, the wheels lock.

Well, that’s the theory, anyway. I haven’t tested it.

However, on one of my walks the other day I came across this notice in a cart, which basically advises the consumer that it’s equipped with that wheel-locking capability, so leave it in the parking lot:

However, the cart in question was about a mile from the nearest grocery stores, so someone defeated the device.

Hmm—possibly someone from VW?