As consumers do their best to avoid carry bag fees and reduce their carbon footprint, tote bags have become a staple in many home closets that people search for before heading to stores.
But as brands across the UK scramble to put their own logos on reusable bags so shoppers can represent them on the go, another shopping accessory is emerging: the shopping trolley.
Trendy moms and style influencers pop up in their brightly colored carts as they cruise city centers looking for additions to their wardrobe (and sometimes, just to go food shopping).
While the canvas shopping cart was once associated with older women carrying dull but practical accessories around town, they’ve now had a makeover – and their audience is younger than ever.
Brands such as Rad Union and Let’s Get Trollied have revolutionized the humble shopping cart into a must-have item with vibrant patterns – and even classic retailers like John Lewis have jumped on the bandwagon.
Influencers and millennials are bringing back the once “old-fashioned” shopping cart as brands emerge and produce dynamic designs. In the photo: Zoé de Pass
Let’s Get Trolled tackles the old-fashioned image of the shopping cart on its website and insists it’s not just a shopping aid for older women.
“The phrase ‘grandma’s cart’ or ‘senior’s cart’ may come to mind when you think of the traditional cart or shopping cart,” it reads.
“At Let’s Get Trolled, we are changing this age-old mindset and raising awareness that everyone can benefit from a trolley. »
The company markets its product as a sustainable alternative to carrier bags with a three-year warranty. It also claims that its products are ethically made by workers who receive fair wages in Germany.
Rad Union’s philosophy is similar; manufactured in a warehouse in Leeds, its products are made from “ethically sourced” materials and each creation is a limited edition, made in collaboration with artists.
Donna Gucci revealed on Instagram that it took her “years” to find the perfect shopping cart after inadvertently selling her old one.
Trendy influencers like Astrid Zeegen-Holt take their chic shopping carts with them when shopping
It also offers interchangeable bags, meaning you can swap designs on your frame if you want to try something new.
And as new independent companies pop up with self-serve cart product offerings, traditional retail giants are also looking to get in on the action.
Roshni Chauhan, a John Lewis buyer, told the Telegraph: “Although once considered old-fashioned, the humble cart is enjoying a huge resurgence.”
She continued: “Customers are increasingly speaking out against sleek and stylish designs that are helping to undermine the ‘fuzzy’ image.
Roshni added that many customers have left five-star reviews on the John Lewis website for their shopping cart products.
Trendy trolleys: how much does it cost?
John Lewis: ROLSER Jet Marina trolley, black/white
Price: £59.95
Rad Union: emotional baggage
Price: £130
Let’s Get Trolled: Scala plus with turquoise Lily bag
Price: £95.96
And it’s not the only brand with great trolley testimonials; Rad Union’s website features glowing reviews of the company’s products from influencers.
One of these influencers, Zoe de Passwho posts her vibrant outfits under @dresslikeamum on Instagram, said: “I take it to the park, I take it to the beach, I fill it with everything!”
Fellow mumfluencer Katie Woods said: “I bought my Rad Union shopping cart for the beach and we used it every day. It’s so well made and a lot of people ask us where it’s from.
And even DJ Rob da Bank revealed he was a fan of the cart, joking that it was “the talk of the town” among older people in his area when he released his Rad Union product.
In addition to being a fashionable and durable alternative to shopping bags, some tout the shopping cart as an efficient way to carry all the items you need without too much strain on your back.
Last year, food critic and writer Jay Rayner revealed that he had succumbed to the pressure of buying a shopping trolley – and that the purchase had “changed his life”.
“I just wasn’t ready to become one of those people. By that I mean an elderly person,” he said in the Guardian of his reluctance to buy one.
However, after undergoing hip replacement surgery, he admitted it was a necessity so as not to put strain on his body walking home from the supermarket.
And as shopping carts become a trendy accessory, influencers are eager to show off their cool creations on social media when they visit stores.
Zoe de Pass, a UK-based mother and sunglasses designer, posted several photos on Instagram of herself going out shopping with her shopping cart when she first bought it during lockdown.
The brightly colored trolley accompanied her down the high street when shops reopened in December 2020 after a month of Covid lockdown.
Another influencer, Donna Gucci, took her new shopping cart to Ikea in Greenwich, south-east London, when it opened.
She posted a photo of herself wheeling it around the new store on Instagram and revealed that it was a long and difficult deliberation to choose one she really liked.
“The search for a beautiful, sturdy shopping cart (in that order) took many years,” she revealed as she proudly displayed her black and white checkered pattern on the Ikea floor.
The influencer also revealed that she previously owned a Cath Kidston shopping cart, but inadvertently sold it at a garage sale when a buyer liked it.
And in Guildford, Astrid Zeegen Holt was also spotted with her camouflage blue shopping cart which she describes as “fabulous”.
As the humble cart gets a makeover and younger kids pick up the shopping accessory, it seems the tote bag is on its way out — and the item once loved by your grandmother is in there.