More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Aldi has vowed to take action over the lack of trolleys at one Kent store after one mother highlighted the issues.
She was forced to shop elsewhere after being unable to find a baby trolley and complained that for months the store, in Gillingham Business Park, has not had enough.
She has either waited up to an hour for one with a baby seat, or gone elsewhere while out with her six-month-old.
The mother-of-three, of Chatham, has complained to managers multiple times.
She visits the store after dropping her other children at nursery in Gillingham.
She said: “All this week, I have had to wait in the car park for an hour just to wait for a trolley which is suitable.
“I have had to put my six month old in a regular trolley with a load of blankets.
“In this day and age, they boast about how good Aldi is but they can’t cater for parents, especially new parents..." — One mum's complaint
“I have rung them three times now.”
She said there were 10 parking spaces for parents with children, but only three trolleys with a baby seat, none with a car seat attachment and none for two babies.
She said she saw one mother put her tot into a trolley in among all her food shopping.
She added: “In this day and age, they boast about how good Aldi is but they can’t cater for parents, especially new parents.
"I’m seeing it more with other parents who are having to do the same thing.
"It’s mainly women with children or nans with their grandchildren who are shopping. It just becomes more of a hassle and more of a chore.”
A statement from Aldi said the store had enrolled on the Trolleywise scheme, which saw a team patrol Gillingham to return abandoned carts to the store.
It also encouraged people to report others via the firm's app and was exploring the idea of a magnetic barrier system to stop them being removed.
The statement concluded: “We aim to have a range of trolleys including twin and baby trolleys on site, and will strive to ensure they are always available.”
An Aldi spokesman added: “To ensure all customers are able to access trolleys when they shop in store with us, Gillingham has been enrolled on the Trolleywise scheme, partnering with a team who will patrol Gillingham and collect and return trolleys to the store.
"Customers and employees can also download the app and report trolleys around the local area, for Wanzl to collect.
“We are also exploring plans to prevent the removal of trolleys from the premises with a magnetic barrier system in future.
"We aim to have a range of trolleys including twin and baby trolleys on site, and will strive to ensure they are always available.”
