Why Does United Supermarkets Push Your Cart To Your Car?

In every state and city, you find some strange nuances. For example, some states don't allow you to pump your own gas. You pull up, someone comes out to you, you tell them how much you want, and they pump it for you.

When I moved to Amarillo, there was something that caught me really off-guard because I had never experienced it. Nearly three years later, I still haven't gotten used to it and I have a tendency to fight it from happening.

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Go to any United Supermarket or Market Street location and checkout at a lane that ISN'T self-checkout. They grab your cart after it's all loaded up, then start rolling it out to your car. I'll never forget the first time I went there.

We got done checking out and they pulled the cart to the front of the lane. I went to grab it and they tell me, "I've got it sir. I'll take it to your car." I was stunned, didn't know how to react to that. Personally, I found it a bit awkward because it's never happened to me.

I noticed pulling into the parking lot before that happened that there were no cart stalls in the parking lot. That struck me as odd too, but I understood why after the fact.

To this day, I still find it awkward and I really don't know why. I'm notorious for insisting I'll take it out myself and bring the cart back in. I don't know why I do that, but I do. So I asked around as to WHY United does this, and I got the answer.

It's a literal part of their job description. It was explained to me that if they don't push your cart outside for you, or you see someone pushing their own cart out and you aren't currently doing something at that time, you offer to take their cart for them.

Truthfully, it explains why I get several employees asking me to push it themselves. I always politely decline. They do this to offer something above and beyond from other grocery stores, and just retail stores in general.

While I love that and have nothing wrong with it in general, I just prefer to push the cart out and load up the car by myself. I have a certain way I like to load up the car when I grocery shop, I'm picky like that.

I will say though that they're doing a great job of setting themselves apart with the concept, because in all the places I've lived, no store has EVER done that. So major kudos to United Supermarkets for finding that one thing that sets them apart in a competitive environment. I applaud you for it...I just want to push my own cart out. It's nothing against you.