Tesco shoppers were left outraged after the British supermarket made a major change to its trolleys.
If you frequently use the portable self-scanning machines at your local stores, you’ve probably noticed that where you put the tool on a cart is now different.
Instead of the slot for the barcode readers appearing on the right side of the cart, they are located on the left, apparently making it less convenient for right-handed customers.
The shopper angered
Another said: ‘Tesco please put the wearable back on the right.’ Or at least make a combination of cars available.
Tesco shoppers left outraged after the British supermarket made a major change to its trolleys (file photo)
“We have been on the right for years and 90% are right-handed and this change is tremendously impractical.”
‘Tesco, can you tell me why all your shopping trolleys now have the self-scan support on the left side?’ added a third. “It drives me crazy, surely most people are right-handed.”
A fourth asked: “I appreciate the new cars, but why do the F’s have the scanner mounts on the wrong side?”
However, left-handed customers were delighted with the change, with one person writing on the social media platform: ‘As a left-hander it helps! I wish more supermarkets did it.”
Another added: ‘Making it all a song and dance, FGS stands to the left of the cart when filling it. So it’s also a right-handed app.’
One shopper said, “I’m right-handed, but I don’t mind the change.” Hold the zapper in your left hand while choosing the item you want to remove with your right. Job done.’
Tesco told MailOnline the new trolleys are designed to be practical for all customers, but they value feedback. It is also understood that other retailers also use this trolley specification.
This comes after Tesco made the drastic decision last month to ditch plastic lids from hummus containers, dumping more than 31 million pieces from its stores.
If you use the auto-scan machines at your local stores, you’ve probably noticed that where you put the tool on the cart is different now. Instead of the slot for barcode readers appearing on the right side of the cart, they are located on the left (file photo)
Reaction: A shopper angry at
Reaction: However, left-handed customers were delighted with the change.
Opponents say the move will not reduce plastic “if it still has a plastic covering and people end up using cling film”, while others have praised the multinational retailer for the change and its concern for the “environmental issue”.
A Tesco spokesperson insists the change has no impact on product quality or shelf life, adding that hummus should still be consumed within 2 days of opening (as before).
The spokesperson added: ‘We have recently removed the lids from our hummus pots as part of our ongoing efforts to tackle plastic waste. This latest change will eliminate more than 31 million pieces of plastic, which is equivalent to 157 tonnes of plastic per year.’
The drastic decision on plastic comes after Sainsbury’s became the first British supermarket to eliminate plastic bags for fruit and vegetables in 2019.
Tesco soon followed suit before saying in January 2020 that it aimed to get rid of 67 million pieces of plastic by removing packaging from food.
Hummus containers aren’t the only food subject to change: Regular shoppers note that several containers of yogurt and other dips have also removed their plastic lids in recent months.
Other foods targeted by green initiatives in recent times include plastic bottle caps for soft drinks and soft drink caps.
In May, angry shoppers attacked laws called “the worst thing that can happen to humanity” that led retailers to tie lids to drinks bottles.
The vast majority of bottles in the EU – and a growing number in Britain – now feature lids that remain attached after opening in an effort to boost recycling and reduce litter.