You know what I always like stumbling across online? Hyper-specific posts about something I suspect no-one else has ever written about. So, with that in mind, today I want to talk about how much I like the trolleys you get at Lidl, the popular "budget" supermarket we have here in the UK. Or, more specifically, the trolleys we have at our local Lidl, as I have no idea if these are "standard" nationwide or not.
Most supermarket trolleys, you see, have some sort of issue with them. Many of them are too shallow, or too deep, for example. Lidl's are just the right depth: deep enough to allow plenty of room for a substantial shop if that's what you needed, while shallow enough to ensure that reaching into the trolley to get the last few items out isn't difficult.
This seems like something that it should be easy to get right, given how long supermarket trolleys have been in existence, but no; head over to Tesco or Sainsbury's these days, and your choices are the not-quite-deep-enough-but-easy-to-use almost flatbed ones, and the super-deep-can't-reach-that-last-tin-of-beans-without-putting-your-back-out deep ones. At least that is a slight improvement from my memories of going shopping with my Mum as a child, when I'm pretty sure only the super-deep ones were ever an option.
The best thing about Lidl trolleys, though, is their handles. Most trolleys take a simple, utilitarian approach to their handles, providing a simple plastic bar for one to grip onto and push the thing around the store. This is a perfectly acceptable approach, but there's been no real thought given to ergonomics. Depending on your height, for example, you may find the bar to be too high or too low to be truly comfortable, necessitating either bending over to push the trolley (which can, at times, be desirable if you're feeling a bit tired — and I'm sure we've all felt "supermarket fatigue" at one point or another) or, if you're a shorty, bending your arms at an awkward angle to reach the bar.
Lidl's trolleys, meanwhile, take a different approach. They still have the bar, yes, but at either end of it, they have a sticky-up handle. Not only that, but the sticky-up handle is contoured to match the shape of a hand really nicely; there's even a little dip to put your thumb in that only feels like it's missing a "fire lasers" button to be truly flawless. Holding on to one of these trolleys and pushing it around is a genuine pleasure, and that's not something I ever thought I'd say about a supermarket trolley. The handles make it feel like you're gripping a flight yoke like the one from the old Star Wars arcade game, and this makes pushing a trolley around infinitely more exciting if you have any surviving imagination cells in your brain. Because you can then imagine that you are blasting the people in front of you who are going way too slowly around the middle aisle because the novelty of "The Middle of Lidl" hasn't worn off for them yet into fiery oblivion.
Or perhaps it's just nice to feel like someone has thought about what is often a tedious, unpleasant, annoying experience and tried to make it, in some way, just a little bit more pleasant and comfortable for everyone.
Regardless of how you feel about the above, Lidl has the best trolleys. And I hope this design becomes a little more widespread.
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