Shopping trolleys: the new must-have accessory

Shopping trolleys have been given a "complete makeover" and are finding new fans among a younger audience.

They used to be "associated with elderly women who wheeled the drab yet practical accessories around town", said the Daily Mail. But these bags on wheels have "come a long way from the bulky tartan shoppers seen trundling down high streets decades ago", said The Guardian. 

Many newer trolleys "combine lightweight, waterproof materials with stylish design", including foldable frames and, "in a godsend for people who live in top-floor flats", stair-climber designs.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"Fancier versions", boasting limited-edition fabrics and customisable bag, frame and wheel colours, can cost several hundred pounds. However, a "smart entry-level model in Argos or Ikea" only will set you back about £25. 

Their surprising resurgence as a must-have accessory forms part of a wider style trend towards "embracing 'nanna glamour' for its combination of "high fashion with comfort and convenience for a modern, eccentric look".

Roshni Chauhan, a buyer for John Lewis, told The Telegraph that the latest generation of trolleys had helped "shake the 'fuddy' image". The store said that sales had risen by nearly 80% over the past six months, compared with the same period in 2023, with the "high level of interest prompting it to increase the number of styles it stocked", said The Guardian. 

Converts praise them as a "trendy and sustainable alternative to carrier bags", said the Mail, allowing shoppers to transport larger loads without risking back strain.

Younger people are also more attuned to the potential physical impact of carrying heavy bags, Matthew Murray-Downing, a physiotherapist who works with British Gymnastics, told The Telegraph. "My generation were perhaps more 'fashion over function'," he said, but younger people now are more "evidence-driven".