Trolley
tracking: Can technology solve Singapore's shopping carts
problem?
SINGAPORE: Technology and other techniques adopted by overseas
supermarkets may not be the answer to the ongoing problem of
abandoned shopping trolleys in Singapore, with local supermarkets
saying that such methods have not been successful.
The supermarket chains have been grappling with the problem of
missing trolleys, with many of them incurring hefty costs.
In the past two years, Sheng Siong has lost about 500 to 600
metal trolleys annually, and that translates to about S$48,000.
NTUC FairPrice has lost about 1,000 trolleys every year over the
same period. The supermarket chain spends about S$150,000 every
year on repairing, replacing and retrieving unreturned trolleys.
For both Giant and Cold Storage, about 1,000 trolleys are lost
every year.
Earlier this week, Channel NewsAsia reported that the Municipal
Services Office had received some 600 notifications about abandoned
trolleys since launching a crowdsourcing function in April to try
to help supermarkets in their fight against the problem.
A video of supermarket staff retrieving abandoned trolleys from
Jurong West sparked discussion on Facebook, with many suggestions
on how to tackle the problem.
Facebook user Christine Tan suggested setting up a counter to
collect a deposit of S$20 for each trolley. "Shoppers will only get
their money back when they return. It's more efficient than asking
the staff to go around the whole estate to collect back the
abandoned trolleys."
Another user Ricky Hoo suggested installing an alarm or a GPS
tracking device on each trolley. "Once the trolley leaves the
building, the alarm will be activated. Otherwise use GPS on
them."
Abandoned shopping trolleys are also a problem elsewhere in the
world, with a number of solutions being adopted. British
supermarket Iceland has outfitted its trolleys with tall metal
poles that prevent shoppers from leaving the stores with the
shopping cart. In the United States, supermarkets such as Costco
and Walgreens have equipped the wheels of trolleys at certain
branches with a locking device that is triggered when shoppers go
beyond store boundaries.
GPS TRACKING AND ALARM TAGS POSSIBLE HIGH-MAINTENANCE
COSTS
These ideas have not been ignored by local supermarket chains. A
spokesperson from Sheng Siong told Channel NewsAsia that the
supermarket has considered technologies such as GPS tracking and
using an alarm tag on each trolley which would be triggered if it
was taken beyond a certain perimeter.
But it has not adopted these approaches due to possible high
maintenance costs, as well as the likely impact on the customer
experience, said the spokesperson. Currently, the supermarket is
adopting a coin-lock system that requires a one dollar deposit.
Cold Storage and Giant had considered the use of Radio-frequency
identification (RFID). But after evaluation, they found it
challenging to implement in Singapore as the technology requires
the setting up of wireless system points at the boundaries of
shopping centres.
"In Singapore, our supermarkets are typically located in
shopping malls or properties which are not owned by us. This makes
installation of the system challenging subject to the approval of
building owners," said a spokesperson from the Dairy Farm group,
which owns Cold Storage and Giant.
"Furthermore, there may be too many 'exit' points at some malls
and sometimes even blind spots which the system may not be able to
capture," the spokesperson added.
In 2001, NTUC FairPrice piloted a system that would lock up the
wheels of the trolley beyond a certain boundary. The initiative was
tested at its outlet in Hougang Mall but was discontinued, said Mr
Jonas Kor, director for Corporate Communications, NTUC FairPrice.
"Shoppers still found a way to bypass the system either by lifting
the trolley when they reached the perimeter or abandoned the
trolley there when they locked up, which obstructed walkways," Mr
Kor explained.
Instead, a public education campaign was started in 2010.
FairPrice has been working with the Singapore Kindness Movement to
encourage shoppers to be responsible by returning their trolleys
after use. Since then, the supermarket has noted a drop in the
number of abandoned trolleys.
As Jurong West has been highlighted by FairPrice as "an area of
particular concern", with about 80 to 120 trolleys being retrieved
every day, the supermarket said it is currently in discussion with
the various town councils including the authorities to explore ways
to collaborate and collectively alleviate the issue.
While others have criticised Jurong West residents as
inconsiderate for not returning supermarket trolleys, National
University of Singapore sociologist Paulin Straughan said some
people might have "real needs".
"Those who do use the carts beyond the premises, I would go as
far to say that yes, you may have a group that is lazy, (and) who
is inconsiderate. But you may also have a group with real needs,"
said Prof Straughan. "We are an ageing population."
She added that Singaporeans have a role to play to build a
gracious society.
"If we do see wilful behaviour, perhaps what we could do is
suggest to them in a very polite manner: 'Oh they should return the
cart otherwise other people won't be able to use them'. When we do
see a situation where there is a real need, perhaps those who are
able-bodied can return the carts on behalf of these fellow
Singaporeans."
- -CNA/jq