Listen up, supermarkets! It’s time to help new mums

Every time I go supermarket shopping, I can’t concentrate on the courgettes and I’m distracted from the Dairylea slices. I should be mentally ticking off my shopping list, but instead I’m feeling frustrated by the number of new mums I see struggling their way around the aisles.

Sainburys, Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose

Sainsburys: we need your help

Not sure what I’m on about? When you’ve got a young baby, and walk to the supermarket to buy some groceries, your options are either (a) push your pram around the shop with one hand while holding a basket in the other or (b) push your pram around the shop with one hand while balancing your shopping in the other hand, hoping it doesn’t topple to the floor.

Supermarkets’ solution to this common problem is to (sometimes) provide trollies that have a plastic baby seat for them to lie in. Fine if you’ve driven to the shop, but what do you do with your pram if you’ve walked there? Add to this that transferring my sleeping baby from car seat to trolly would have woken her up, guaranteed, and there’s no way I’d risk it.

Supermarkets also often offer trollies that you can clip your car seat onto. I’ve never tried to use one, but friends who have say you need two people to steady the trolly while you lift the heavy car seat high enough to click it on. And again, only useful if you’ve driven to the shop.

So, the bad news is: at present, supermarkets aren’t offering a solution to new mums who walk to their shop. The good news is: I’ve thought of a solution. Yes, listen up Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose. What you need to do is offer a shopping basket that will easily hang from a pram. Most new mums either have a pram hook for shopping bags or two handles they can hang them on. If I were to design this basket, it would be fabric/mesh to avoid bruising mums’ legs, sturdy enough to hold heavy items and in the same way that you can see all of the goods inside a standard shopping basket, this would need to be transparent too.

M&S shopping bag, Marks & Spencer

M&S fabric shopping basket

The best bit is that there’s already a prototype out there that you could base it on. M&S clothing departments have a fabric/mesh basket for customers to use while shopping. It would be ideal for grocery shopping with a pram.

So come on, let’s get supermarkets to do something about this. Fill in this short survey (it’ll take 2 minutes) and I’ll make sure the supermarkets hear about it. After all, parents spend an average of £4000 in the first year of their baby’s life. If we’re not worth listening to, who is?

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19 Comments

  1. August 12, 2011 / 10:18 am

    I absolutely agree and have just filled in your survey

  2. MrsB @ crankymonkeys in lindon
    August 12, 2011 / 10:47 am

    Genius idea!

  3. August 12, 2011 / 11:01 am

    Great idea! I’ve only attempted the supermarket once since my daughter was born 3 months ago. It was so bloody difficult I now go on my own in the evening when hubby gets home from work!

    • August 12, 2011 / 7:13 pm

      That’s what I used to do too – the last thing you want to do after a tiring day of looking after a baby.

  4. Louise
    August 12, 2011 / 11:20 am

    Good idea. My local Sainsbury’s doesn’t have ANY double-seated trollies. Drives me mad. Not just a problem for twin mums but for those with two close in age too.

  5. Zoe
    August 12, 2011 / 4:04 pm

    Great idea, I’ve given up on supermarket shopping since K was born, I do it all online now! But sometimes you have to do a top up shop and it’s so stressful, especially with a tiny baby. A soft basket would be so much easier.

    • August 12, 2011 / 7:14 pm

      Internet shopping is a great solution, but like you say, when you need to pop out for a few basics, that’s when you’re scuppered.

  6. August 12, 2011 / 4:09 pm

    Fantastic idea! I’ve filled in the survey – but, maybe this is one for Dragons Den?! Get scribbling!

    • August 12, 2011 / 7:15 pm

      I thought about designing and marketing this myself, but realised I’m too busy. And it should be something that the supermarkets WANT to do for us!

  7. August 12, 2011 / 8:37 pm

    Here here- I’ve always balanced a really full basket on the top and given toddler a few bits to carry too. But only ever a top-up shop- hubby does the real deal! Hate it how supermarkets assume everyone drives there.

  8. Nicol
    August 13, 2011 / 8:25 am

    I’ve tried to use those trollies with the car seat thing on top but being of modest height I can’t see over the top of the carseat & have repeatedly hit people – not good! The Co-op near me has baskets on wheels with telescopic handle which are pretty good although you do still have to push buggy with 1 hand & pull basket with the other. Health & safety might scullery the basket on buggy handles as a tipping hazard. On my Maclaren I can hook handles of a normal basket over buggy handles but if too much in it tips the buggy, much like a heavy bag. Not sure what the answer is. Personal shopper? That would be nice!

    • August 14, 2011 / 8:35 am

      You make a very good point re: health & safety. There must be an answer. I’d be very interested to hear what the supermarkets have to say about it (watch this space).

  9. Nicol
    August 13, 2011 / 8:27 am

    *scullery = scupper

  10. August 15, 2011 / 1:33 pm

    Erm, hello. This is what Dragon’s Den is for…..I’ll help you with the business plan and take 20% of your business. xx

  11. katy fry
    August 16, 2011 / 7:33 am

    Great idea. I also end up trying to balance everything in the
    hood of my buggy so i dont have to struggle with a basket!

  12. Fateha Chowdhury
    October 26, 2012 / 3:58 pm

    I am launching a buggy soon which has an integrated shopping basket and entertainment features has patent granted on it, give it a few months, will be selling it to retailers first.

    • notanothermummyblog
      Author
      November 8, 2012 / 6:37 am

      Sounds amazing!

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