Tesco makes major change to trolleys sparking fury from customers
TESCO has been accused of failing right-handed shoppers after new trolleys appear to be designed for lefties.
Customers say putting the slot for a portable barcode scanner on the left makes trolleys impractical and awkward to use for righties.
One shopper fumed: “Please put the handheld thing back on the right.
“Or at least make a mixture of trolleys available.
“Years of it being on the right and 90 per cent are right-handed and this change is just awfully impractical.”
Another added: “It drives me nuts.”
A third moaned: “It’s so awkward when right-handed.”
One groaned: “Appreciate the new trolleys, but why the F are the holders for the scanners on the wrong side?”
But left-handed gift shop owner Stel Coombe, 60, from Saltburn, North Yorks, said: “I’m glad to see we lefties finally have a tiny corner of the world for ourselves thanks to the humble Tesco shopping trolley.
“However, because we have superior hand eye co-ordination and we’ve evolved to adapt, I’m sure we wouldn’t mind the scanners being to the right.”
North Londoner Jess Shaw, 48, owner of team-building firm Pact Creative Training, added: “I’ve always struggled to use scissors, peelers and other utensils designed for right-handers.
“When I was a kid, I even used to go to a shop that sold things for left-handed people.
“I don’t know why they’ve put the scanners on the left of trolleys but it’s nice that something works well for us for a change — even if it was a mistake.”
Prof Chris McManus, author of Right Hand, Left Hand, said: “Historically, many items have been biased so that they are easier for right-handers to use.
“Designers have though been very successful in recent years at making objects ambidextrous so anyone can use them, and that is surely the ideal.”
Tesco was contacted for comment.
It is understood the store is considering the feedback.