Thursday, February 22, 2007

Costly Carrefour Shopping Carts

I have discovered that you can get great baked goods at the newly opened Carrefour. They also have an extensive variety of both tinned and fresh products. There is only one drawback, they expect people to pay 10 piasters to use their shopping carts! Their procedure is that you pay for the cart and then get the 10 piasters back when you check out. Now, has anyone EVER heard about paying for the usage of a shopping cart?? Okay, you get your money back but how often do you have 10 piasters in your pocket?? I know that I seldom do…and then what???

When I protested, I was told that that was the Carrefour policy…which I know isn’t true, at least not in all their stores. I just recently returned from a trip to Oman and shopped at their Carrefour and there was NO charge to use their carts! Because I refuse to comply with this stupid policy, my shopping is now limited to how much I can carry in a shopping basket. That means that I can buy a lot of their bread and croissants, but the milk, cheese, and other dairy products, plus any canned or tinned goods are out….until or unless they change their policy!
kag

13 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"has anyone EVER heard about paying for the usage of a shopping cart?? "

this is the policy in almost all the major grocery chain stores in north america.

if they didnt have this policy at careffour then people would abandon their carts next to their car at the ends of the garage instead of taking the time to kindly return them for other people to use.

because thats jordan

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

most major supermarkets here in the UK have that policy too.

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was just in Germany and in some of their stores they do the same thing.

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Blogger joladies said...

Well nas, then you have been to places in North American that I haven't been. In my 60+ years, I have NEVER seen any store anywhere whether the US, UK, Germany, Africa, near East, far East,...you name it where they charged you to use a shopping cart. My VERY FIRST experience....here in Jordan!!
kag

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Blogger MommaBean said...

kag,

Going to agree with you, in my 35 years, I've never paid for a shopping cart in the US. Now, in Sweden I did pay for the bags that you put the groceries in, but... that's another story altogether. Oh, and the Carrefours I visited in Dubai also didn't charge for the carts.

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Blogger moi said...

I've been in the US most of my life, and I've been to more than one state, and never had to pay for a grocery cart. It's ridiculous. Yes, *some* people leave them next to the cars, but they have employees to come and remove them. And most stores also have an area in the parking lot where you can return the carts. It's sad that you have to use money to make people do things the right way.

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have seen this alot in France, in the UK also one puts a 1 pound deposit coin to take the trolley out at railway stations (Paddington specifically), in Rome airport I remember having to do the same. Its an inconvenience but I don't really think its that bad.

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Blogger Moey said...

just shop at cozmo and at least be able to park.

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Blogger Joseph Kalis said...

Here in canada only te very very low class supermarkets charge you for carts, as they do not want to waste money on hiring personell to do the job. however the charge is one dollar,and therefore, it is worth returing the cart, and more people carry single dollars than 10 cents.

i believe cheap labour in jordan should allow them to aoid this policy and byt doing so attracting the niche segmnts of society, which typically buy more goods. I really believe the store needs better management

Thursday, February 22, 2007  
Blogger joladies said...

At the Carrefour here in Singapore you have to pay 1 Sing $ for the use of the shopping cart which is refunded when you leave. T

Friday, February 23, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

joe, no frills charges a quarter :-D

kag, yeah there's plenty of places that do it and for over 15 years now.

Friday, February 23, 2007  
Blogger HJ said...

If they must charge, then the least they can do is have a stand where people that do not carry 10p can get change. And it upsets me when I have to drag an empty cart 3 levels up (depending on where you park)and dodge people on the way to get to Carrefour. The least they can do is move the carts up next to the market.

But they do have really good bread and most importantly, they have real sour cream. Finally!

Friday, February 23, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

In Spain; Carrefour, Eroski, Dia, Sabeco, and Mercadona all apply the same policy € 1, charge.
In UK (at least in Brighton) Sainsbury's, Co-op, Somerfield, and even PC World; apply this policy as well...
I believe it's not a bad idea at all!

Saturday, February 24, 2007  

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