Black Friday is on November 27th this year (2026), and if historical data and consumer appetite for deals are any guide, it’s shaping up to be a banner season. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that a record 202.9 million consumers shopped the five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday last year, and Bain & Company expects retail sales from Black Friday through Cyber Monday this year to top $85 billion.
Is your store stocked with the right mix of handheld shopping baskets and heavy-duty shopping carts to make the most of the rush? Now’s the time to stock up and optimize your store’s layout.
Doing the Math on In-Store Shopping Carts and Shopping Baskets
According to Progressive Grocer, the average supermarket carries between 200 and 250 grocery shopping carts. Hypermarkets and Big-Box retailers like Walmart and Costco can run more than 1,000, and smaller retailers average up to 50. Of the retailers who added new carts to their fleet in 2024 and 2025, about 30% ordered lightweight hybrid plastic-metal designs, and 20% to 30% of chains are planning small-cart pilots.
At Good L, our wheels come in both metal and metal/plastic hybrids, and we use durable recycled plastics to help you reduce your environmental footprint and meet your sustainability goals. Shopping cart sizes range from small (even mini shopping carts for the kiddos) to standard, large, and specialty sizes.
For shopping baskets, we recommend that boutiques and specialty shops carry at least 20 baskets per 1,000 square feet of space, and that mid-sized grocery stores and supermarkets carry about 30 or more.
With Black Friday around the corner, now is a good time to confirm you have an adequate supply, and order the right mix based on the shopper behavior you’ve observed in your store. Our president, Phil Goodell, told Progressive Grocer that shopping carts should be “inspected and repaired at least annually,” and that most last “at least five years if the location is not a tough, urban one.”
If it’s been five years or more since you assessed your fleet, get in touch. We manufacture baskets and carts in-house at our plant in La Vergne, TN, so we have more control over lead times and customization than out-of-state or overseas suppliers, and we can help you optimize your inventory for the best Black Friday results.
Match the Carrying Equipment to the Department
In an interview with Marketplace, Phil noted shoppers are “more likely to buy stuff on impulse if they have somewhere to put it. Hands can carry only two items, and a grocery store adds 9.6% in sales with every extra item.” Once the doors open on November 27th and every cart and hand basket is in use, the toothpaste is out of the tube. Stock planning has to happen now.
Our handheld baskets come in six styles. Big baskets are ideal for grocery, hardware, and automotive stores, tall baskets work well in convenience stores, and standard shopping hand baskets are great for dollar stores. Quick trips through produce, dairy, or gift aisles call for grocery baskets with handles that leave a hand free to compare items. In beauty, candy, tobacco, and hardware departments, a mini basket keeps small items from being dropped or abandoned before checkout.
For shoppers hauling heavy or bulky gifts, a shopping basket with wheels and a handle is the hybrid answer when a full cart is too large for the aisle, and a regular basket is too much to lift.
Shopping carts give supermarket and big-box shoppers room for a full holiday stock up, and our PC30 plastic and 40W wire models are built for exactly that. The narrower 10W wire cart suits tighter aisles.
Layouts That Keep Shoppers Shopping
Stock planning tells you how much of every item you have; layout helps your shoppers find it all. Put your largest shopping basket stands at the main entrance, then add pickup points near your busiest departments and by the checkout, so no one has to hunt for carrying equipment. Our patented basket design nests in stacks that keep things within easy reach and your store’s imprinted logo fully visible. At Good L, we imprint your store’s name and logo on the front and back of your baskets in a 100% color match. Your baskets become non-stop promotional vehicles, prompting passersby to stop in and pick up a few must-haves.
Equip Every Aisle Before the Doors Open
Make it easy for shoppers to grab a basket, find a cart, and keep on shopping on Black Friday and beyond. Whether you need to replace worn equipment, expand your fleet, or add basket pickup points near high-demand aisles, Good L can help you choose the right mix for your store’s layout and holiday traffic.
Contact our team today to discuss quantities, customization, and lead times. Buy local. Buy American. Request your free quote today.
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