An old news, but worth reading. In year 2004, Tesco, one of the biggest supermarket chain in the UK, has introduced a special trolley in Kensington and West London outlet. It is a trolley but with fitness attachments, enabling you do a workout while you shop. Source
This trolley, designed by German company Wanzl, aims to get city folks to work out even when they are shopping. With the increasing concern about obesity and the fitness craze, Tesco hoped that it would be offering something unique to its customers so that they would keep coming back to the stores.
This cool trolley is called “Trim Trolley”. Some of its features include:
- It has a reader showing heart rate as well as how much calories have been burnt.
- User can choose the resistance level, from 1 to 10.
- The longer the user push the trolley, the tougher it will be.
These carts cost £500 as opposed to the standard £50 cart. One cart is more expensive than a mobile phone and Tesco should be happy if thieves did not push them back home.
In a typical 40-minute grocery shopping, one may burn up to 160 calories with a normal trolley. With Trim Trolley for the same amount of time, shopper may burn about 280 calories which is equivalent of a 20-minute swim.
What I think:
- With the calories burnt, shoppers may stay at bakery or confectionery aisles longer to buy more junks foods thinking that they have earned them with the additional exercise.
- Instead of using this Trim Trolley, one can actually carry basket instead of using trolley to carry few items. I am sure the shopper will burn more calories with basket.
- Also, parking your car further away and walking up the stairs instead of using escalators help burn more calories too.
- Tesco actually did not need to invest in Trim Trolley. I have seen many trolleys have spoil wheels which hardly roll, resulting resistance when we try to push them in straight line or around corner. Tesco should have collected these trolleys and encourage shoppers to use them if they want to burn more calories.
Needless to say, this Trim Trolley did not take off well. I guess it was probably due to the irritated shoppers who want less work and not more.
What do you think?
Category: Fitness News 
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Lisan // Mar 10, 2008 at 12:27 AM
Hmmmmm……I wish Tesco in Malaysia have these Trim trolleys! I always do my grocery shopping at Tesco once a week after my gym routine. I think I can burn more calories by carrying my heavy gym bag (consist of clothes, a water bottle and toileries) while pushing the trolley. Needless to say I can get some sore kness and soles as I’d jogged and walked few kilometers on treadmill then walk again in Tesco.
fred // Mar 10, 2008 at 1:24 AM
Ridiculous idea… ;-))
But it seems it’s the sign of our times – push the trolley after feeding oneself with triple-burgers…
bibliobibuli // Mar 10, 2008 at 11:54 AM
agree with you about the workout value of trolleys whose wheels go in all directions! cold storage is best for this.
160 calories burnt off while food shopping? think i’ll go to the supermarket more often
LogicYuan // Mar 11, 2008 at 9:54 PM
i would like those trim trolley…somemore can set resistant levels…
it can be good the overall body strength to push something heavier i guess
Tami // Nov 16, 2009 at 7:10 PM
Here’s an Idea. Just take the wheels off the trolleys. Cost less and gets the same result. The longer you push it, the heavier it will get as you put more food in. If it’s your monthly shop, this will result with you leaving your trolley in the aisle and going home with no food.
Job done.