Tesco asks shoppers to return ‘ gold dust’ trollies
TESCO has asked shoppers in Glasgow to return its trollies after reports of a major shortage.
Customers have claimed a lack of shopping carts at the Maryhill store have made some shoppers so anxious that they take them home.
We previously reported how the massive Tesco Extra store was slammed for not having enough shallow trollies available.
Now five months later we returned to the store where shoppers claimed they still struggle to track down a suitable trolley, because they are being taken to a nearby housing estate.
Our reporter visited Wyndford where they discovered 28 trollies within just 10 minutes.
We photographed them in people’s gardens and outside the entrances of flats, but it is unknown if residents took them for personal use.
Shopper Maria Kennedy, 43, said: “There was a shortage of trollies at this Tesco which made people panic.
“It meant people started to just take them home and hoard them, now there are even less.
“If people would just return their trollies we wouldn’t have such an issue.”
Customer Robert Bolton, 45, said: “People think these trollies are like gold dust so when they get one they don’t want to give it up.
“I have actually stopped people leaving the car park with them and demanded they return them. It isn’t fair. If you go to the Wyndford you can see them parked outside flats and in gardens.”
Tesco shopper Carole Anne O’Harra, 52, said: “I live nearby so I am here all the time, you can’t do a full shop without a trolley because you can’t carry it all.
“I don’t understand the reason behind the lack of trollies, why would Tesco not want us to have more so we can spend more in the shop?”
Customer Andrea Harvey, 49, said: “This is the only supermarket I come to and there are never any trolleys here. It is frustrating and a nightmare.”
Customer Norma Lessells, 69, said:
“This is my local supermarket and there is a real sparsity of trollies here.
“I know exactly where they all are though. I see people taking them into the Wyndford, they need some sort of tracking device on them.”
We previously reported how gran Irene McGoldrick first raised the issue, saying: “I think it is a human right to be able to use a trolley when you go to the supermarket.
“They keep getting stolen and the security guards can’t do anything because they are taken off the property, it is an absolute disgrace.”
Tesco asked the Glasgow Times to leave the premises after asking customers their thoughts on the trolley shortage, but in a statement encouraged customers to return the carts.
A Tesco spokesperson said: “We’re sorry that some customers have struggled to find shallow basket trollies at our Glasgow Maryhill Extra store and would like to reassure customers we are doing all we can to improve availability.
“We encourage all customers to return their trolleys once they have finished their shop both for others to use and because we don’t want them to cause any harm to the local environment.”