Phoenix Proposes Ordinance to Combat Abandoned Shopping Carts

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Abandoned shopping carts highlight the growing issue in Phoenix's neighborhoods.

News Summary

Phoenix is taking significant steps to address the issue of abandoned shopping carts through a proposed ordinance targeting large retailers. The legislation mandates larger stores to install GPS tracking devices and locking mechanisms on their carts. In the past fiscal year, the city retrieved over 7,800 abandoned carts, highlighting the problem exacerbated during the pandemic. The ordinance holds retailers accountable and requires smaller businesses to create compliance plans. City officials aim to improve neighborhood aesthetics and enforce regulations among retailers.

Phoenix is taking decisive action to combat the growing problem of abandoned shopping carts with a proposed ordinance targeting major retail establishments. This new legislation mandates that larger retailers, specifically those with 50,000 square feet or more of store space, must install GPS tracking devices and locking wheel mechanisms on their shopping carts.

In the previous fiscal year, city contractors reported retrieving over 7,800 abandoned shopping carts from around 460 retailers in the area. Major retailers such as Walmart, Fry’s, and Target were cited as significant contributors to the issue, while WinCo emerged as the largest offender with a single location losing as many as 262 carts.

The ordinance holds retailers accountable by requiring all of them to register with the city and complete semi-annual reviews to ensure compliance with the new standards. To facilitate this, Neighborhood Services Director Spencer Self highlighted the necessity for individual store registration, where retailers will need to provide contact information that allows for efficient communication and management of abandoned carts.

Residents are encouraged to report abandoned shopping carts through PHX 311 or by calling directly. This public feedback loop aims to assist city officials in addressing the nuisances caused by the presence of abandoned carts left on both public and private properties. The Phoenix City Council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance as soon as September, marking a forthcoming shift in how the city manages this issue.

The problem of abandoned shopping carts has intensified in recent years, notably peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports of abandoned carts have tripled since the fiscal year 2018-19, posing challenges to the aesthetics and functionality of neighborhoods across Phoenix.

In the fiscal year concluding on June 30, the city saw the retrieval of 7,851 carts, revealing an average collection of 16 carts per store. However, the median number was much lower, at just four, indicating that a small number of retailers were responsible for a larger share of the issue. Notably, 12 retailers reported abandoning over 20 carts each during this timeframe.

In efforts to address these issues among smaller businesses, the ordinance stipulates that retailers with less than 50,000 square feet will need to submit a Shopping Cart Compliance Plan. This plan must outline their proposed strategies to mitigate cart removal, including a commitment to provide weekly retrieval services for any abandoned carts.

Should a retailer accumulate 10 or more abandoned carts on two separate occasions within a three-year period, they will be required to install GPS tracking on their carts. This provision emphasizes the city’s goal of holding larger retailers accountable while affording smaller businesses an opportunity to develop effective measures.

To further counter the challenges posed by abandoned carts, retailers will incur fines of $25 per cart if they utilize private cart retrieval services. Should they fail to have a retrieval contract altogether, the fine increases to $50 per cart. The city is actively engaging with various retail associations to facilitate discussions around potential solutions and compliance with the new regulations.

The proposed ordinance by Phoenix authorities represents a robust effort to manage the increase in abandoned shopping carts and restore order to local neighborhoods. By introducing these measures, the city aims to alleviate the nuisances created by left-behind carts, improve community aesthetics, and enforce accountability among retailers in the area.