Reducing physical effort in day-to-day work is becoming a new axis of innovation in supermarkets.
In the daily operation of a supermarket, there are many tasks that customers hardly notice, yet they are essential to ensuring a satisfactory shopping experience. One of these is the collection of trolleys in car parks.
Throughout the day, employees must gather long rows of trolleys left scattered around the parking area by customers. When grouped together, these rows can easily exceed 600 or even 700 kilograms in weight. This physical demand is compounded by other factors that make the task even more challenging: slopes, long distances or unfavourable weather conditions such as rain, heat or wind.
This is a routine that is repeated several times during the working day. Precisely because of this constant repetition, over time it can become one of the tasks that generates the greatest physical strain within the supermarket’s operational environment. Manually pushing long rows of trolleys involves sustained effort which, in some cases, can lead to muscular discomfort or injuries.
To reduce this impact, some supermarket chains are beginning to introduce tools specifically designed to facilitate this task. One such solution is CartManager Ultra, equipment designed to assist with trolley collection.
This product enables the movement of rows of trolleys weighing up to 700 kilograms, but with significantly less effort required from the operator. The worker controls the equipment using a simple interface, thus avoiding the need to manually push heavy loads.
Beyond reducing physical effort, this type of asset also contributes to improve operational efficiency. Trolley collection can be carried out more quickly and in a more organised manner, helping to keep car parks tidy and ensuring that trolleys are always available for customers.
For supermarkets, the benefits go beyond efficiency alone. Reducing repetitive and physically demanding tasks also helps to improve working conditions for staff and to minimise the risk of injuries.
In a sector where daily operations depend on numerous small processes, trolley management may seem like a minor detail. However, when viewed from the perspective of the daily work of store teams, the incorporation of tools, such as the cart collector, that facilitate this task represents a relevant advance in the improvement of operations and workplace well-being.
