You may have already noticed it while shopping at Jumbo: you no longer have to put a coin in your shopping cart. “We also did it during the corona period and it worked out very well. Customers can now do their shopping more easily.” Albert Heijn already banned shopping cart tokens in 2022.
“People have coins in their pockets less often and no longer have to ask for a coin at the service counter. We make it easier for the customer,” explains spokesperson Linda Roovers of the Veghel supermarket company.
With the disappearance of the shopping cart tokens, the carts also need to be adjusted. “Fortunately, we don’t have to replace all shopping carts. We tape the locks or remove the locks,” says Roovers.
Sometimes you still need a coin
According to Roovers, shopping cart tokens are still required at a number of branches. “That has to do with regulations from the municipality. They require a coin lock for safety reasons.” It is not known which branches are involved.
Not all supermarket chains are getting rid of shopping cart coins. For example, at PLUS, each location checks whether shopping cart tokens are needed, and at Aldi you need a shopping cart token at every location.
Theft
The shopping cart token was introduced at Albert Heijn almost forty years ago to prevent theft. The shopping carts were often taken home and not returned to the store. “We have seen in recent years that shopping carts are no longer stolen as often. So we are no longer afraid of that. Otherwise we will take measures.”
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