Goodbye to Walmart shopping carts – They’ve changed forever, and this is the way they’ll be from now on

The world largest retailer has made it again. In their endless pursuit of offering the best service, Walmart has decided to make Caroline’s Carts available to their in-store clients.

Will we be saying goodbye to their original shopping carts? Not really, but apart from the ever present metallic frame with blue accent, Walmart customers will be able to do the grocery run with this improved cart.

What is a Caroline’s Cart?

This is a shopping cart with an integrated wide seat. Unlike traditional shopping carts, which are adapted for infants and toddlers, the Caroline’s Cart seat is specially designed for children and adults to sit comfortably. With a lower center of gravity, it withstands a maximum tare weight of 250 pounds. This allows even adults with walking difficulties to sit comfortably while shopping.

This useful invention is creation of Drew Ann Long, who realised her special needs daughter Caroline would soon grow too tall to fit in standard cart seats. She created the company Technibilt, through which she patented the shopping cart. Manufacturing of this accessibility tool started in 2012.

According to Technibilt, “Caroline’s Cart was created for special needs individuals. It provides caregivers a viable option to transport a special needs individual through a store while shopping, without the impossible task of having to maneuver a wheelchair and a traditional shopping cart at the same time.”

Compared to the traditional shopping cart, which can only stand a maximum weight of 40 pounds and has a height limit, Caroline’s Carts are much more user friendly. It makes sitting and standing up easier, since the traditional handle bar is replaced by two handles on each side that aid both the shopper and the sitting individual.Its braking system makes it slip-proof.

Walmart adapts to their customers

Cedric Clark, Walmart’s executive vice president of store operations, emphasized that these carts provide vital support for caregivers and those with disabilities or temporary injuries, offering them a more convenient shopping experience. Walmart plans to add two Caroline’s Carts to each Supercenter and at least one to every Neighborhood Market. This number would total to 8,000 carts available across the nation, Technibit’s biggest supply order to date.

Other nice things they have done for their client base

Walmart has been adapting to their customers needs for some years now. For example, Walmart also offers grocery delivery services in many locations. If you subscribe to Walmart+, which costs $12.95 per month or $98 per year, you get free delivery on orders over $35. This membership includes other perks like fuel discounts and faster delivery options. Home delivery turned out to be an excellent option for people unable to drive, or too busy caring for family members.

In November 2023, Walmart announced that it would introduce sensory-friendly hours from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily at all its stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. During this time, TVs displays a static image, the radio is be off, and the store lighting is dimmed.

These adjustments aimed to create a calmer environment for shoppers with sensory processing disorders and their families, providing a more comfortable and pleasant shopping experience at Walmart. This schedule, already available in many other retailers around the world, was warmly accepted by clients who need a little less stimuli while grocery shopping.

In which states are they locating these carts?

Walmart has decided to equip their stores with Caroline’s Carts in eleven states: Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma Tennessee and Texas. This new addition to their Walmart lots is programmed to be fully concluded by early 2025.

However, clients all over the country are looking forward to the presence of Caroline’s Carts in every single Walmart. According to Technibit‘s statistics, one in five Americans live with a disability and there are six million school-age children with disabilities. Accommodation for these individuals will only result in a better shopping experience and store loyalty.