‘Stupidest idea they ever had,’ says Walmart shopper after cart stops her from reaching car – she was within the lines

A SHOPPER has criticized Walmart after being left in pain due to anti-theft technology found on its shopping carts.

Not only do abandoned carts become an eye-sore for communities, but they also cost retailers and therefore their customers, money.

Stolen carts can cost businesses across the globe up to $800 million per year, according to the Food Marketing Institute in Washington, per Grocery Business.

Each cart can cost companies around $250 with big-box retailers having up to 800 per store, Alex Poulos, a sales director for cart supplier R.W. Rogers Company told CNN.

As well as this, various cities are cracking down on the hazards caused by abandoned carts which can see retailers forced to pay fines when their carts are collected.

For example, in 2022, Walmart paid $23,000 in fines to the town board in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, per CNN.

To crack down on this issue, the retailer has introduced wheel-locking technology.

The system sees underground grid structures in place that connect to the wheels of carts and then cause them to lock up when they reach a designated boundary.

However, one shopper has expressed her frustration with the technology which she claims does not work.

"Why why did Walmart lock those carts to come to an abrupt stop in the parking lot?" the shopper asked residents of North Bay, Ontario, on a public Facebook page.

"l was parked by the curb between 2 lots, and on the correct side.

"It took me all my strength to push [the] cart back to corral from [the] main lot. STUPIDEST IDEA THEY EVER HAD."

"My left arm is in so much pain now from pushing and pulling...barely made it to my truck" she added in the comments to the post.

"Yup, they messed that up," another added as one shopper suggested an alternative method of ensuring the carts are returned.

"They should charge 10.00 every time with a refund when done with it maybe people would think twice," they said.

Meanwhile, other shoppers were supportive of the move.

"I'm actually really glad they did this," one wrote as they noted that the local area looks much tidier.

"The cost of one of those carts are pretty high can’t say I blame them," another said.

However, it is not only the wheels that Walmart has changed on their shopping carts.

Earlier this year the retailer rolled out its new shopping carts featuring handy holders for phones and drinks.

Despite best efforts, shoppers have pointed out a major design flaw that one claims "makes fun" of shorter customers.

The new carts are 3.5 inches taller than the old version with the handlebars positioned higher up.

As a result, shorter customers are suffering with one saying that they struggle to see.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Walmart for comment.