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Why Don’t People Return Their Shopping Carts? A (Somewhat) Scientific Investigation
Behavioral Scientist ^ | 19 Nov, 2025 | Hannah B. Waldfogel

Posted on 11/28/2025 8:03:12 AM PST by MtnClimber

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To: dfwgator; Jamestown1630; SaveFerris; gundog

201 posted on 11/28/2025 12:14:15 PM PST by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait.)
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To: MtnClimber

Many probably (I’m just guessing here) had moms that picked up their rooms for them. For them, all the housework chores were for their mom to do.


202 posted on 11/28/2025 12:21:57 PM PST by jonrick46 (Leftniks chase illusions of motherships at the end of the pier.)
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To: Larry Lucido

"___ing machine took my quarter!"

203 posted on 11/28/2025 12:23:49 PM PST by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
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To: FirstFlaBn
I’d bet there would be a high correlation with the shopping cart offenders.

The gauntlet has been thrown down!

you might be on to something

204 posted on 11/28/2025 12:24:40 PM PST by goo goo g'joob (When honest people say what's true, calmly and without embarrassment, they become powerful)
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To: T.B. Yoits

I’m not only super thoughtful about carts but also inventive:

If I don’t see an official cart return area near me, I invent one - perhaps repurposing an empty parking spot that no one is using - or one of those patches of grass or mulch above the curb between parking lot sections. I figure I’m providing a service for others.. now, thanks to me, there’s a cart return spot that was not there before!

Okay, I’m being facetious - partly. There is a part of me that believes we often go too far with obeying rules created by sone dubious authority.

Yes, be thoughtful and considerate - often that is consistent with obeying “the rules” - but not always.

During the fake pandemic I was shocked by how slavishly obedient nearly everyone was to stupid masking and distancing rules set by stupid authorities. Then came the stupid testing and stupid shots. It was great a teaching moment regarding the difference between true thoughtfulness and blind obedience.


205 posted on 11/28/2025 12:30:20 PM PST by enumerated (81 million votes my ass)
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To: Justa

Thanks. This just makes my day.


206 posted on 11/28/2025 12:34:57 PM PST by BipolarBob (These violent delights have violent ends.)
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To: FirstFlaBn

My phone auto miscorrects me and after a few tries I give up.


207 posted on 11/28/2025 12:38:38 PM PST by BipolarBob (These violent delights have violent ends.)
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To: yldstrk

It’s people like you that cause my ears to burn.


208 posted on 11/28/2025 12:42:12 PM PST by BipolarBob (These violent delights have violent ends.)
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To: metmom

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

Lol my thoughts exactly!


209 posted on 11/28/2025 12:46:00 PM PST by pnz1 ("These people have gone stone-cold crazy”)
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To: Magnum44

I have seized your image on behalf of the Wal-Mart shopping proletariat!


210 posted on 11/28/2025 12:49:12 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (FBI out of Florida!)
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To: MtnClimber
Well because this unpaid employee goes off duty when he loads his vehicle up and the nearest return rack is next lane over and cars forced to park as to where you can not push the cart between them to return it.

I can remember a time in my young adult life when stores did not have this problem because store helped you out with your groceries.

Ah but there is more behind this. You go lets say to Wally World and buy a cart full of groceries. All cashier the two open that is are backed up forcing you to self checkout where 3-4 employees who should be running cash registers and bagging your groceries' are standing there watching you like a hawk until the machine screws up then they hide while you wait for them to clear it.

Now lets get to the real pet peeve which is who gets full service? Who does the store pander too and treat like royalty? I'm talking about people who shop at home, pull up into a RESERVED FOR ON LINE SHOPPERS space and their groceries not only are shopped for them but bagged and loaded into their vehicle for the exact same price I pay if I walk in and shop, then checkout and bag my groceries, load them into my vehicle and find the way to their cart return which is usually so packed it's out in the parking lane. All because all employees are too busy pushing the huge shop on line carts through the store blocking aisles, shelves, you name it to go out and bring in carts. Go back to full service walk in stores and the unstowed shopping cart issue will be resolved. A simple solution and no research needed just some common sense.

211 posted on 11/28/2025 12:52:39 PM PST by cva66snipe
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To: BipolarBob

👍 👍


212 posted on 11/28/2025 12:53:43 PM PST by Semper Vigilantis (Always remeber - the cold war was US against a bunch of countries with 'Democratic' in their name.)
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To: nitzy

Not returning your cart is a non event. Apparently the grocery store agrees with me as they don’t even post a sign saying “please return your cart.” They have employees who go out periodically and gather the carts. Nobody except a few bored souls on FR give a rat’s bazoo about it.

Its not a crime and it doesn’t make you a bad person or a low life ahole and God isn’t sending you to Hell over it. Its helpful if you return your cart. I’m in favor of it. I don’t care if anybody fails to do it. I have real things to worry about. Like the alien’s landing. 😆


213 posted on 11/28/2025 1:06:02 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: tired&retired

That is somewhat true at my Walmart & they DO have employees who normally return carts back into the store.


214 posted on 11/28/2025 1:07:01 PM PST by oldtech
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To: Georgia Girl 2

Have you seen the way Chinese people or Indian people get on a train or bus? Have you seen them pile up by the door instead of forming an orderly line? I suppose that is also a “non event”. It’s also not a crime. Nobody is going to hell for it.

However, it is a low class, 3rd world, high time preference, low trust society type of behavior....just like leaving your cart out in a parking lot. And I hope to hell we don’t start having lots of people doing it here in our 1st world civilized country.

Many stores DO have signs asking you to put your cart away or that they are not responsible for damage to your car by unattended carts (because they often cause damage).

It’s not just a few bored souls on FR that care about it. It’s anyone who has had a car damaged in a parking lot or who has needed to move someone else’s cart out of the way to get into their own car.


215 posted on 11/28/2025 1:21:17 PM PST by nitzy (I don’t trust good looking country singers or fat doctors.)
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To: MtnClimber

Thesis: Each supermarket chain caters to a different type of person.

Count shoppers, carts more than 100 feet from the front door, carts within 100 feet and the cart location to shopper ratio.

Walmart Target Publix Kroger Whole Food Aldi......


216 posted on 11/28/2025 1:21:45 PM PST by spintreebob
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To: MtnClimber

Thesis: Each supermarket chain caters to a different type of person.

Count shoppers, carts more than 100 feet from the front door, carts within 100 feet and the cart location to shopper ratio.

Walmart Target Publix Kroger Whole Food Aldi......


217 posted on 11/28/2025 1:21:45 PM PST by spintreebob
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To: MtnClimber

The author makes a big deal out of the fact he once worked as a cart wrangler.In large part those jobs no longer exist.Same with bag boys who bagged yer groceries and offered help loading them.Now they even expect you to check out yer own items,bag em,load em,and return the carts.
I say enough.If you steal jobs from cart wranglers,baggers,and cashiers just remember those people have children that need fed too.The wages they earn pay into social security.Stop working for free and force these business’s to provide real customer service.


218 posted on 11/28/2025 1:25:23 PM PST by Craftmore
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To: nitzy

Well you just said nobody is going to Hell for it so why get all worked up over such a stupid topic as grocery cart return? Think about it. The whole topic is ridiculous which is why I’m ridiculing it. 🙄


219 posted on 11/28/2025 1:31:35 PM PST by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: cva66snipe

I prefer self-serve for groceries, especially anything perishable. I either am pretty picky about produce, or want to pick out the furthest out expiration date on an item I can.


220 posted on 11/28/2025 1:38:20 PM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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