;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=cccb69a56fdcc0110a410318798ea6aac3865aac3e854eacbed150c2541a8a50 "The flagpole on the small shopping cart is actually an anti-theft device")
Rossmann, dm and also Aldi Süd use children’s shopping trolleys in many branches. Not only parents with small children use this shopping aid. The shopping trolley is particularly popular with older people and spontaneous shoppers.
They are particularly easy to push through the branch thanks to the handle bracket on the flagpole. But have you ever wondered why the pole is exactly one meter long? Hardly anyone knows the answer.
Small shopping trolley is popular with young and old
With an average basket volume of 20 liters, the children’s shopping trolleys are significantly smaller than standard shopping trolleys. Because they are still more practical and larger than shopping baskets, adults also use this shopping aid from time to time.
When the one meter long flagpole is attached to the shopping trolley, the height of the bracket is 1.70 metres. Customers can therefore see where the small trolley is located from a distance and do not have to walk through the branch to find their purchases.
In addition, the upper end of the pole can be gripped, making it easier to maneuver the trolley through the branch.
But the flagpole also has another, secret reason, as manufacturer Wanzl reports.
That is why the flagpole is actually an anti-theft device
With a weight of almost 20 kilograms, the children’s shopping trolleys are more vulnerable to thieves. So that the trolleys do not disappear in the trunk, the flagpole is firmly attached to the galvanized underframe. The children’s shopping trolley does not fit in a classic trunk of a three- or five-door car.
At the same time, the purchase aids are in many cases equipped with anti-theft protection. If customers push them into the customer parking lot, the rollers snap into place.
Customers can only unlock the anti-theft protection with a special magnetic carpet. But this is only at the entrance of the branches. Exactly how the concept works we explain here.
The wheels and flagpole mean that thieves have little chance of taking the children’s shopping trolley home. At the latest in the parking lot, it would quickly be noticed if customers want to lift the purchase aid into the car.
How much does a shopping cart for children actually cost?
Depending on the equipment, size, order volume and rubber wheels, a children’s shopping trolley costs between 40 and 70 euros. Some models even cost over 100 euros. As a rule, the stroller can be filled with products weighing up to 30 kilos.
If customers want such a children’s shopping trolley: After branch closures or bankruptcies, the entire inventory is often sold on Ebay. There, the prices for a used children’s shopping trolley vary between 30 and 50 euros.