Why Don’t People Return Their Shopping Carts? A (Somewhat) Scientific Investigation

Behavioral Scientist ^ | 19 Nov, 2025 | Hannah B. Waldfogel

[madison10]

THIS. Grocery stores are the worst. I do not blame people for not taking carts back in those cases.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Why do we sin. Psycholigist tries to figure it out.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

I’ve never even thought about not returning the cart. I just do it.

[redcatcherb412]

if everyone returns them they will end the jobs for countless high school age employees hired for that task increasing the unemployment numbers. These unskilled jobs allow these kids to get job experience and a little spending money. What most consider worthless menial work is actually a first step in the job market for many.

[madison10]

So do we.

[grame]

Nope. Makes you helpful. When you see something that needs done you do it. You don’t need to be ‘invited’ to be helpful. A person who sees what needs done and does it is a rare bird. Thank you!

[T.B. Yoits]

My observation is that shoppers at Trader Joe’s are very good at returning shopping carts. Walmart shoppers tend to be lazy about that.

I wouldn't assume laziness. Trader Joe's has a younger and healthier clientele. Trader Joe's also has smaller parking lots.

I see a lot mostly elderly and infirm folks leave the cart close to their car.

[drwoof]

It does seem to be a function of cart corral proximity: if there are many such corrals, they do (in my unscientific survey) seem to be used more frequently. My go-to market has more than the usual, and only very rarely (almost never?) do I see a renegade cart. At the Bargain Hut in my town, the corral/parking space ratio and the number of feral carts are both much higher.

Also, I love Free Republic for exactly this kind of intellectual stimulation...

[AZJeep]

Mine too!

[PGR88]

It simply another sign of a high-trust, cohesive, high functioning society vs. a low-trust, chaotic society.

Visit Japan and look at any number of indicators - carts, random trash on the streets, public transport, etc..., and then visit Haiti or South Africa and you will have your answer.

[drwoof]

Honestly, it’s such behavior that has allowed Western Civilization to advance ahead of all others. Contributing to the order and cleanliness of our civic/shared spaces is an admirable trait that lifts up the human spirit. And just as with sloven, destructive practices, it is contagious.

[Vermont Lt]

I once took a lengthy course at Disney about how they design their “service” at the parks. (This was long before they went woke.)

They had studies on all of this stuff. The one that I remember was that a person will take six steps with trash in their hands. Then it will likely be tossed. So they put cans within 5 steps. No littering issues!

I always put my cart back. But mostly it has to do with how easy it is to return a cart to a collection point. I despise carts roaming free in the wind.

[cuban leaf]

I do it the easy way. I don’ return my cart, but I bring one in with me when I arrive, even if I don’t need one. Sometimes two.

[rlmorel]

I always put away a cart if I use one, even if it means walking all the way across the parking lot to put it away.

I would consider it selfish and rude to leave one floating in the parking lot.

Anyone who would just leave one free to be hit or to float into another car is a selfish dickhead. And it is true that the world is full of them.

[metmom]

We usually end up grabbing a cart in the parking lot and rolling it into store when we shop.

I do the same thing.

The added benefit is that the carts sitting outside have been able to be somewhat disinfected by the sun during the day.

[rlmorel]

Hahahahahaha!

[cuban leaf]

It’s sad that I feel guilty when I don’t wash my own dishes after a meal at a restaurant. They have to pay someone to wash them.

HAHAHA! Just kidding.

This is actually a non-issue. If a store wants you to return a cart, they need to incentivize it. Like Aldi apparently does. They pay people to do it, just like they pay people to ring you up, and restaurants pay people to bring you your food.

Next question...

[Z28.310]

No reward for doing the right thing.
No consequence for doing the wrong thing.

It’s a character test right out in public.

*pregnant women, those with children to secure, handicapped and elderly are exempt*

In such exemptions the second character test is if you’ll help them with their shopping cart.

[DugwayDuke]

Not an issue in Germany. The carts are in a rack. The only way to get one is to insert a coin. You get your coin back when you return the cart to the rack.

[yldstrk]

I know why. People are fat, lazy, irresponsible bums that’s why.