The shopping cart is the first thing you grab when you enter the store to do your grocery shopping. Another way, the shopping cart has been an essential part of our lives since it was first introduced nearly 100 years ago.
Many of you have probably witnessed or even participated in the practice of cramming as many items as possible into your shopping cart. How much weight does a shopping cart have? And when you’re in over your head, it’s time to stop.
What Is the Average Weight of a Shopping Cart?
If you are a regular user of the shopping cart, you can easily estimate the number of items you can place on it. You are not concerned about how much does a metal shopping cart weigh, but if you want to know, a full-size metal shopping cart usually weighs around 16-25 kg, equivalent to 36-55 pounds. For instance, an empty Costco shopping cart only weighs 65 pounds. This is a bit heavy for a bigger size.
Shopping Cart Variations
Shopping carts come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The type of material used accounts for this discrepancy. Because each store carries various products, each one has its preferences.
When it comes to construction, wire mesh on a steel frame is the most frequently encountered material. However, plastic mesh on a steel frame has become more popular recently due to its lighter weight of up to 10 lbs. A full-sized wire cart can weigh between 32 and 65 pounds, whereas the plastic version weighs between 36 and 55 pounds.
You’re correct if you believe that going to the grocery store is like working out. At the very least, a fully laden cart can weigh in at around 100 pounds. You can rest assured that a full-sized wire cart can hold 1000 pounds before breaking. The average adult male weighs about 300 pounds, for example. It is possible to fit two adult males in a shopping cart, so long as they are not children.
Evolution of the Shopping Cart
Since the 1930s, the basic shopping cart has been around. Orla Watson didn’t patent his idea for a swinging rear door cart until the 1950s. Carts can be stored in this manner by being inserted into one another. Carts had to be folded and unfolded before this invention.
Stores have recently become more tolerant of customers from various socioeconomic backgrounds. A small car-shaped compartment in the shopping cart is available for parents who take their toddlers shopping. There are also motorized shopping carts for the elderly and disabled.
A cart can cost upwards of $150, with the average cart costing around $75. As a result, some stores have installed a magnetic line near their exit doors to prevent customers from bringing their shopping carts past them. For some stores, customers can pull their shopping carts out of the store and deposit them in a designated area. On a yearly basis, shopping cart theft causes an estimated $80 million in losses across the United States.
It’s not a good idea to stuff too many groceries into the cart because of the way it’s built. Avoid using the cart to transport your child, as well. Additionally, the weight of a shopping cart may fluctuate over time as retailers make adjustments. These include things like making their carts out of only recycled plastic and allowing customers to attach their smartphones and tablets.
