‘Genius’ supermarket shopping basket fix has customers asking why it took so long
Coles has introduced a new shopping basket design that has been described as “genius” by one appreciative shopper. The basket is a black basket with a curved design on the sides to help it to sit more comfortably at a customer’s hip.
Jordan Dixon, who lives in Melbourne Victoria, tried out the new design and was suitably impressed.
Coles has been praised for ‘genius’ new shopping basket design. TikTok/@jordydixon
“I’m at my Coles local and to be honest this innovation right here has done more for my life than air,” he shared on TikTok.
“The little bend so it doesn’t hurt your hip and you can tuck it under like a purse ... absolutely genius, and the fact that we’ve lived decades without it is insane.”
A Coles spokesperson told nine.com.au: “We love seeing customers enjoying their shopping experience at Coles. We’re always looking for ways to make shopping easier and more convenient for our customers, including offering baskets alongside our trolley options for those doing a smaller shop or grabbing a last-minute meal.
Coles offers a range of shopping baskets for shoppers to choose from. nna\jabi
“Our single-handled baskets have been designed to offer greater capacity as well as ergonomic benefits including the comfortable curved shape aligned to the hips, for our customers.”
Although these new baskets aren’t available at all Coles supermarkets. They are only found in Coles Local metro stores. This is understood to be because Coles Local shoppers visit the supermarket more frequently for smaller shops, requiring the use of baskets more often.
Innovative basket designs to meet customer needs
Australia’s major supermarkets have recently been innovating their shopping basket designs to meet changing customer needs.
Not all of the designs are being met with praise, with one of the more controversial designs – a larger, single-handle design – attracting negative customer feedback.
“They strain my shoulders and aren’t great for walking balanced,” one shopper told nine.com.au.
Woolies has replaced its controversial single-handle shopping baskets with dual-handle ones. Amy Lyall
“Hate hate hate the big one-handle ones. Too awkward and I keep hitting myself in the hip,” added another.
“One handle, you get no support,” said another.
“If you have something heavy like a jar of pasta sauce, it’s just rolling around while I fight with the one handle.”
This led to Woolworths axing the design earlier this year, in favour of two sizes of double handle baskets for shoppers to choose from. Coles has stuck with its single-handle basket option.
Coles and Woolworths offer a range of basket and trolley options in supermarkets, with basket options and smaller trolleys now part of regular ‘fleets’.
Coles and Woolworths offer a range of basket and trolley options. Jo Abi
This roll out has been designed to meet the needs of shoppers who according to the latest data are taking up smaller more frequent grocery shops across multiple retailers, rather than one large weekly or fortnightly visit.
Recent research by Finder has shown that 33 per cent of Aussie shoppers now visit supermarkets more than once a week, with a lower average spend each time.
