Convenience is a critical principle of the shopping experience and baskets are key to facilitating this. Having a basket or cart at hand not only allows customers to pick up all the items on their grocery list but also encourages them to add more.

It’s human nature to prefer convenience (be lazy), and shopping trolleys were first added to supermarkets for this very reason. Sylvan Goldman wanted to make it easier for shoppers to circulate through his supermarkets and browse the aisles with ease. But once their baskets had a few items, the weight prompted customers cut the trip short and go straight to the checkout counter. He decided that introducing shopping carts with large baskets was the ideal solution. It not only encouraged them to stay longer but also increased the possibility of them picking up more.

“When the shopper got their basket full, it was too heavy for them to carry and they stopped shopping, I thought if there was some way we could give the customer two baskets to shop with and still have one hand free to shop, we could do considerably more business.”

How can baskets be used to your advantage?

Studies have shown that when baskets are strategically used, it encourages buyers to spend more in your store. Shoppers who aren’t overly strict with following their grocery list, will almost always pop in a few more items since they’re in the store.

The pandemic has impacted shopping behaviour of customers. People are trying to make the most of each trip by buying more. This is another reason to have baskets or carts easily available to customers.

Consider placement

The placement of the baskets and trolleys in your store makes difference. Don’t place them directly adjacent to the front doors which is considered to be the ‘transition zone’ – customers may miss it here as they’re still getting acclimatised to the new environment that they’ve just stepped into. Place baskets and trolleys in a visible spot before the shopping floor area. The stack of baskets needs to be at the right level so customers are not bending too low to pick one up.

Businesses have also seen success in placing baskets around the store for shoppers who entered on impulse with the intention of buying only one or two essentials, but are now uncomfortably juggling quite a few items. Having baskets stacked strategically through the store will be useful to these customers. You could also have your employees offer baskets to customers who are jugging three items or more.

Basket design matters

Baskets and trolleys are useful in supermarkets of any size and in order to use them to your advantage, make sure you’ve picked the right design.  There are a number of different variants that you can keep in your store.

• Basic baskets stack easily to maximise on floor space, they are fairly easy to manoeuvre through the store and are best for spaces where the items are not too heavy so the basket doesn’t get difficult to manage.  These are also perfect to place at frequent intervals through the store to give customers easy access. Baskets will work better in smaller convenience stores or produce sections rather than in bulk-buy supermarkets.
• The advantage of the rolling plastic basket design is that these can also be stacked like ordinary baskets saving you a lot of room. But they offer customers the convenience of a trolley. They are also compact and easier to navigate the aisles with.
• Large shopping carts allow customers to pick up everything on their long grocery list without needing an additional basket. The space for toddlers to sit in makes the shopping experience easier on parents.
• For convenience stores and markets with narrower aisles, you have the two tier basket carts. These allow customers to shop with their hands free. Hooks are positioned on the cart to hold bags or purses.

Remember to always match the shopping baskets/carts to your space and to the products you have available. The products in a shopping market are generally pre-packaged and if you have large, bulky items, the carts should also be large enough to accommodate these.

A note on hygiene

Since the pandemic, shoppers are playing more attention to touch points and looking for safer, hygienic experiences. These shopping baskets, carts and trolleys are designed to be easy to clean so you can sanitize them before a customer picks one up.

Having enough of the right baskets and carts in your store makes a big difference in your customer’s shopping behaviour. Even though it is an investment at the beginning, this is a well-studied aspect of consumer behaviour to increase sales.

Mills Display –Your Kiwi retail specialists

Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Mills Display is a Kiwi owned company that has built up a strong reputation as the provider of quality retail accessories. Our knowledge of changing local needs coupled with our international buying power makes us the go-to brand for all retail display needs.

Our inventory includes a wide variety of over 3000 products. This collection has been put together very carefully to be able meet every retail requirement imaginable. Our experienced team is on hand every step of the way to ensure that you find the right products to help you succeed.

Our areas of specialisation range from shopping baskets, safety equipment and promotional display accessories to even literature displays, display hooks, shelf management accessories and food handling equipment/displays.  If you’re looking to upgrade your retail environment, you’ve come to the right place. Contact us today to chat about the baskets we have in stock, and can despatch to you today, or about personalising your baskets and trolleys to suit your branding.