Supermarket Sleuths: Biggest change to supermarkets in decades rolling into stores near you

This week, I was met with a surprising sight at my local Woolworths store that almost brought tears to my eyes to be honest.

My local Woolies has just swapped out their entire wire trolley fleet for a set of flashy, new green plastic ones seemingly overnight.

I knew this change was coming, but seeing it in person hit differently.

Woolworths began rolling out their new trolleys in 2022, and soon every Woolies across the country will undergo what is one of the biggest supermarket changes in decades.

Wire supermarket trolleys have played an important role in my life; from sitting in them as a child to the time I tipped one over by standing on the end of it, spilling everything everywhere and leaving my mother furious.

Then, I became a mum. I experienced the unique struggle that is attempting to cram my toddler into that little seat at the front, their little face unimpressed as they felt the cold metal againt their legs as I had done decades prior.

The new Woolworths trolleys are smaller, lighter and come in Woolworth's signature dark green, perfectly matching their shopping baskets.

Each trolley is made using recycled milk bottles.

One trolley reads: "You're pushing at least 76 milk bottles. Another step towards a greener future."

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Another says: Pushing for a greener future. This shopping trolley's basket is made using at least 205 milk bottles."

"Metal trolleys are still part of our fleet for the time being as they are very dependable, however they are slowly being replaced by the plastic trolleys which are lighter in weight and easier to manoeuvre," a Woolworths spokesperson previously told nine.com.au.

"Our recycled trolleys have been very popular with customers and are currently available in select stores.

"We plan to continue rolling them out to new stores over the coming years.

"We're increasingly using recycled plastic in our products and throughout our stores to do our bit to help create a better tomorrow."

It really feels like the end of an era, and I'm finding it hard to imagine missing out on the satisfying crash of metal trolleys when I smugly return mine to the trolley bay (because that's what good people do, according to research).

Also, the sharp clang of metal releasing when I pull one out at the front of the store – plastic trolleys make a dull sound when they are pushed together and released.

But yes, they are lighter and easier to manouvere. Even the wheels work better.

For those who have known the pain of having a trolley with a dud wheel, you will be sorely relieved to know there's hardly a dud wheel to be found in the new fancy fleet.

The new Woolworths trolleys are just the latest in a series of changes by the supermarket retailer, which have included Scan & Go which allows shoppers to check out using a device attached to one of their trolleys.

This was first launched in 2024 and proved popular with shoppers keen to avoid having to scan all of their items at the end of their shop at the check out.

Coles has also made some changes to their trolleys, introducing a Smart Trolley fleet which operates similar to Scan & Go.

These trolley are also plastic, but the ones I have seen are mostly grey, with red features that match the signature red of their shopping baskets.

Aldi and Costco appear to be sticking with their wire trolley fleets.

Aldi trolleys are coin operated, although Aldi sells devices that attach to your car keys and can be used as coins to access these more easily.

Costco trolleys are large wire devices with a high basket for standard items and a section below for bulk purchases.

They are free to access at my local Marsden Park location.

Supermarket shopping is a rapidly changing world of late, none more noticeable to me than the entire trolley fleet at my local Woolies being swapped out.

All we can do is trying and keep up with all the changes, knowing that eventually we'll adjust and the changes will quickly feel normal, with all visions of wire trolleys soon fading away.

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