Most people are creatures of habit when it comes to their average in-store shopping behaviors, but add the holiday shopping experience to the mix, and the equation changes. One of these is their preferred shopping equipment: handheld baskets or carts? After all, the holidays often require additional supplies for baking, roasting, and gifting. Baskets are great for quick, last-minute holiday trips, but carts come in handy for those heftier holiday hauls.

The handheld basket vs. cart question was actually the focus of an extensive study published in the Journal of Business Research. Analysts set out to understand how shoppers make this decision and what it means for retailers.

So, which performs better in a holiday sales environment? To answer that, it helps to look at how people tend to shop.

What the Data Tells Us

According to some very detail-oriented scientists who conducted a multi-store field study observing 3,540 shopping trips, shoppers who chose a basket or cart represented only about half of all in-store visits. The other half opted to freestyle their way through the store without any carrying aid at all.

Not surprisingly, it was also revealed that the group not using any equipment was the least efficient. They moved quickly, saw less of the store, and purchased fewer items overall. This presents you, the retailer, with an opportunity. If a store representative were to kindly offer this segment of shoppers a basket, it might overcome capacity constraints and encourage more purchases.

Buyer Behavior — Carts vs. Handheld Baskets

Cart users move more slowly, linger longer, cover more of the store layout, and buy the most items. Basket users generally make faster trips, cover a moderate area of the store, and buy fewer items than cart users (but still more than non-equipment users). 

Peak holiday shopping seasons can be expected to amplify these patterns. Crowded aisles and time pressure may have shoppers opting for baskets over carts. Handheld baskets make for faster trips, allow for a decent number of purchases, and often lead to the ‘just one more item’ phenomenon. This is where shoppers are subconsciously motivated to add extra items to their basket so it’s fuller, resulting in a higher overall spend than originally planned.

But carts matter too, especially among shoppers on a stock-up mission, or those with mobility limitations. With ample space for their purchases, a tendency to cover more of the store, and a preference for browsing all the merchandise, these shoppers may be more likely to fill their carts to capacity during holiday sales. This is an example of strong retail cart performance in action.

A Higher Order of Shopping Carts and Baskets

At Good L, our shopping carts and baskets are built to withstand even the highest holiday traffic in retail and grocery environments. So, no matter which option your customers prefer, they can stock up safely and efficiently.  

Good L shopping carts are made from the highest-grade materials. Plastic shopping carts come in three sizes, PC10, PC20, and PC30 and our steel wire shopping carts are available in 10W, 25W, 40W, and a children’s cart variety for the little ones looking to compare prices and load up.

Not to be outdone, our handheld baskets are a marvel in both customer-focused convenience and store owner benefits. Our product line includes big, tall, large, standard, mini, and roller baskets, which may be just the ticket this holiday season. Roller Baskets start as handhelds and can then transform into mobile panniers as more items are selected.

Our handheld baskets are made from 100% recycled, premium copolymer plastic and can carry up to 200lbs. Our roller baskets are designed with impact-resistant polypropylene and feature a locking telescopic metal handle and heavy-duty wheel bearings.

Optimize Your Store’s Branding With Spacious Baskets and Carts

While our shopping carts and handheld baskets both help streamline the shopping experience, they’re also great for optimizing your store’s branding. Both baskets and carts allow for your logo to be prominently imprinted in your corporate colors on each side, offering incredible reach and repeated brand exposure.

Make the Most of the Holiday Sales Season!

In holiday sales environments, handheld baskets can improve customer flow. At the same time, carts remain essential for high-volume missions, which means a balanced blend of both should yield the highest purchase volume.

And if you see someone plucking items off the shelves with no visible receptacle in sight, offer them one of your branded baskets. You might just convert a fair-weather pop-in into a loyal, long-term customer.

Partner With America’s Basket and Cart Manufacturer

At Good L, we’ve spent more than three decades perfecting the art of shopping basket and shopping cart manufacturing. We design and produce every U.S. product here in La Vergne, Tennessee, and maintain complete control over quality, sustainability, and innovation.

When you choose Good L, you’re partnering with a team that believes in American craftsmanship and delivers made-in-America solutions tailored to your needs.

Get in touch today to upgrade your current handheld basket and shopping cart inventory, and let’s get this holiday sales season rolling!