Feb. 10--Target is rolling out new shopping carts designed to make trips to the store easier for people shopping with kids and adults with disabilities.
Target's Caroline's Carts look like its traditional red carts, but with a larger, harness-equipped seat. Drew Ann Long, of Alabaster, Ala., designed the cart after her daughter Caroline, who has a neurological and developmental disorder called Rett syndrome, outgrew the seat in standard shopping carts.
Maneuvering a wheelchair and shopping cart through store aisles is a challenge, and many families don't want to or can't leave a child with special needs at home while shopping, Long said.
"I figured if I needed it, other moms needed it as well," said Long, who founded a company called Parent Solution Group to market the carts.
Target has been testing the carts in some stores since February 2015 and announced last week that all stores will have at least one Caroline's Cart by March 19, except for its smallest stores that don't have full-size carts. They're already at two Target stores in Chicago's Chatham and Near West Side neighborhoods in addition to suburban locations in Schaumburg, Niles and Crystal Lake, according to a Target spokesperson.
"Caroline's Cart can be a game-changer for families, and we're excited to offer this for our guests across the country," Juan Galarraga, senior vice president of store operations, said in a statement. "Target is always looking for new ways to make guests feel welcome in our stores and give them a more comfortable shopping experience."
Target is the largest retailer to bring Caroline's Cart to all its stores, said Long. Illinois has 54 stores that currently have at least one cart, according to Caroline's Cart, including several Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Kroger, Mariano's and Jewel-Osco stores. Kroger has endorsed the carts, but it's up to individual store owners to decide whether to purchase them, Long said.
The carts are made by Technibilt, a North Carolina shopping cart manufacturer.
"If a retailer is going to provide a variety of carts, it's an accommodation they should provide," Long said. "Families of children with disabilities should be able to have the same experience as a typical family."
lzumbach@tribpub.com
