Why You SHOULD Return Shopping Carts to Parking Lot Corrals

Leaving carts all over damages cars.

One thing that drives us crazy is that lazy people leave shopping carts in the parking lots on curbs, in  spaces or on sidewalks, and don't put them back. Scientific American did a study asking people why they do that, and then interviewed store employees.
  You may be surprised to learn there are NO designated "Parking lot shopping carts attendants," so by leaving a cart in the wrong place, you are NOT helping to employ someone. In fact, you're making people who do other jobs go outside to pick up after your lazy self.
So, put the carts in the parking lot corrals or bring them back to the store. You're making someone else miserable to pick up after you.
NOTE: If you're handicapped, ask a person in the store to come outside and help you and they can return the cart. 

It doesn't take much to put a cart in a corral.

 Here's the study:

SUPERMARKET AND STORE EMPLOYEE RESPONSES:

• There is not a specific job to go get carts. The people who went out to get carts were usually the baggers, stockers, or cashiers so they had plenty to do besides go out in the heat/rain/snow to get carts strewn all over the parking lot. At the very least people could put them in the cart return instead of leaving them in parking spaces or in the grass.
• At least at the grocery store I worked at, no one was designated 'cart getter'. Typically it was a cashier who wasn't needed because the store preferred to have too many cashiers available as opposed to too few. And if the cashiers were to busy and the carts needed to get brought in immediately, then one of the floor people got the carts. But that typically only happened on big grocery shopping days, like before Thanksgiving or Christmas. Unfortunately, you aren't providing anyone with job security.
• Always return the cart! I spent many years in my youth working at grocery stores, so I know what a hard job doing a "cart run" can be! My routine now: park near a receptacle, especially in bad weather. Take a cart or two inside with me. Use one. When done, it goes back into the receptacle, or if I'm parked close to the door, I put it inside (or if my teens are with me. They can handle a walk!) Not hard, and can make a staff member's day a *little* easier. And not ding cars!