November 30, 2015 at 1:53 p.m.
Caroline's Carts ease shopping stress for special needs families
Caroline's Carts ease shopping stress for special needs families
By Michael Stasburg-
One part of any parent's weekly routine is grocery shopping, and for the parents of a special needs child it can be a troublesome experience. If the child's needs are adequately met, however, the task can be transformed from a burden to a regular part of the day.
When it comes to shopping, sometimes all it takes to meet that need is one simple cart, a Caroline's Cart.
Caroline's Carts are designed specifically for children with special needs. The carts provide parents and caregivers with a viable option for transporting a child through a store without having to maneuver both a wheelchair and a conventional cart.
"The handicap carts that they have for a larger handicapped child are very, very awkward to push around and they're huge," said Don Tyson, director of the Rhinelander Trig's store.
"They're difficult and when you try and pull that with a shopping cart it's almost impossible to shop by yourself, you need somebody helping you so you can actually shop," Tyson added.
The difficulties that Tyson highlighted are precisely why Trig's has recently added the carts at several locations. Trig's grocery stores in Rhinelander and Eagle River are now equipped with Caroline's Carts and an order has been placed for a cart for the Minocqua store as well. The Minocqua cart is expected to arrive before Christmas.
Caroline's Carts were originally conceived by Drew Ann Long, a mother of a special needs child. When Long realizing that her daughter would soon outgrow a typical shopping cart seat she designed Caroline's Cart - named after her daughter - and brought it to market.
Being a reasonable solution to a difficult problem, the cart's sales took off and now they can be found at stores across the nation. After seeing how much the carts have helped other parents, a Rhinelander mom requested that Trig's purchase one.
"We got a request from a customer via Facebook awhile back saying that she had a special needs child and having a Caroline's Cart would make her shopping trips a lot easier," said Kindl Furtak, Trig's marketing director.
Furtak said the company heard from the parent soon after the cart arrived.
"She has talked about how much easier it made her shopping trip and that it was the first time in a while that her daughter didn't scream while they were going through the store because this worked better for her needs," Furtak said. "We're trying to accommodate customers that have a need for that. It's just been a really positive thing."
Employees on the sales floor have witnessed firsthand just how big of a difference the carts make.
"It has gone very, very well for us," Tyson said. "The carts are a big hit with the community and obviously with the mother of the child. She uses them every week (and) we've heard a lot from our customers. Even if they don't have a handicapped individual we all know someone who (does), so they can be very appreciative of it."
The carts resemble a regular shopping cart but with a seat positioned in the back, facing the shopper. The seats have a five-point harness and are large enough to fit an adult male.
"It's just such a convenience," Tyson said. "It's convenient for everybody that's using them. It allows them to actually do their own grocery shopping versus not being able to shop at all or having somebody else shop for them, so it gives them some independence back."
Furtak said the carts, even with their limited use, have proven to be well worth the investment and stand as a testament to Trig's service and customer appreciation.
"We try to make the shopping experience a pleasant and good one for our customers so that they shop with us and have a good memory of being in our store," she said. "That's really what it's all about, making life easier for our customers and being their partners so that it's a convenient and happy thing to shop with us."
Although the carts aren't used by a majority of Trig's shoppers, to have them available means the world to those who do use them.
"They don't get used a lot, it's definitely for a certain clientele, but the ones that need it really appreciate it," Furtak said.
Michael Strasburg may be reached at [email protected].
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