No easy solution to shopping cart theft

Dec 30, 2022 | 7:00 AM

You don’t have to look to hard in Vernon to find a shopping cart where it doesn’t belong and it isn’t just a local problem.

Municipalities across the country are grappling with the issue as it presents a hazard for pedestrians, at transit stops, for snow removal crews, a visual blight and a financial issue for stores.

Carts are “borrowed” to transport groceries home, taken by salvagers and used by the homeless to move belongings.

“Shopping cart theft is an ongoing problem and a major issue, stores have a lot of money tied up in buggies.” John Scott, president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers said.

The federation estimates that depending on location a store can lose as much as 20 per cent of its carts in one-year. The shopping buggies cost between $175 to $300 to buy new and they would normally last five or six years before rusting out.

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Vernon’s former downtown Safeway was one of the worst impacted, and when Sobey’s switched over to FreshCo that company footed a $40,000 bill to GPS the carts so the wheels lock if someone tries to remove a cart from the property.

Coin carts have a marginally lower theft rate, but a quarter or loonie isn’t generally much of a deterrent.

The problem results in a multi-million dollar loss to Canadian stores annually and that cost is handed down to consumers. The issue is emerging again, as inflation has forced food prices up, and stores are looking to reduce costs, including theft.

Stolen shopping carts can cost businesses up to $800-million (US) a year around the globe according to the Food Marketing Institute in Washington, D.C.

Vancouver considered a by-law in 2018, but was challenged by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association that it would target low income and homeless. The city now collects and stores the carts for free until the owners or a third party contractor can retrieve them.

Vernon considered a similar by-law in 2018 to fine those in possession of a stolen cart, but backed off based on a recommendation from administration that it would infringe on a persons rights under the Canadian Charter of Right and Freedoms.

Other jurisdictions are making the stores responsible by having the carts labelled and a fee charged if city staff pick them up and return them to the store.

The issue has even become part of Canadian comedy folklore as a result of Nova Scotia shot T.V. series”The Trailer Park Boys.”

Myopic entrepeneur “Bubbles” made a living fixing up stolen carts and selling them back to stores, while “Ricky” often used an overturned cart as a barbecue.

In real life, Dartmouth requires stores to label carts and keep track of them or face a $100 per cart fine for impounded carts. This past spring Walmart paid a whopping $23,000 fine to the town.

by Kevin Rothwell

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