Fashion Plaza Walmart faces shopping cart shortage

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ( KGET )— The shopping cart shortage at the busy intersection of Mall View Road and Fashion Place is a big problem impacting hundreds of customers and forcing them to adapt.

Former Garces track head coach, Jesse Pena said, “It’s annoying when you come shopping and you walk into the store and there’s no carts anywhere and then you have to walk back out. You gotta go search in the parking lot for the carts and then usually, when you grab one they’re broken, the wheel’s missing, chip in the tire, it bounces all over the place. I wish there was someone. I wish people would do something about it.”

Pena said he keeps coming to the east Bakersfield Walmart because he doesn’t want to make a major commute to shop for the essentials.

“Well, there’s not very many stores on the northeast side of town. Seems like all they do is build on the other side of town and we don’t have much here,” said Pena.

The Fashion Plaza Walmart received two shipments of carts at 500 per order since April, according to employees. One worker says they’re already down 100 carts since the last shipment in June.

Walmart customer Cyndi Corona said, “They’ve been scarce. I see the guys try and hustle them in for the customers, but what I see more of is a lot of people, vagrants and homeless people have more carts than the shoppers.”

Corona said she is buying less and now she has to bring her husband to help carry the items.

“You have to plan out your day. What you’re gonna buy? Make sure you get it. Make sure you get back before your car gets vandalized,” said Corona.

According to the Bakersfield Municipal Code that went into effect in August 2022: Removing shopping carts from business premises is prohibited if the cart has a sign that identifies it as belonging to the business. You can be charged with a misdemeanor and pay a $500 fine and spend 6 months in jail.

The best advice from one customer to another is to grab a cart on your way into the store.

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