Member Article

New invention set to take supermarkets by storm

A TEESSIDE firm is attracting interest from potential customers from as far afield as India and Russia after developing a product which could bring an end to trolley rage in supermarkets.

Billingham-based Storage & Handling Equipment (SHE) Ltd has created a new groundbreaking shopping trolley model which tackles many of the age-old problems caused by the cumbersome traditional trolley design.

The Sassy Shopper range can be used by shoppers down small aisles and is specially designed to be lighter to push. Its geometries which are material-saving, tightly nesting and designed to reduce wear and tear give it a much lower carbon footprint than current models.

For retailers, meanwhile, the trolley design has even more benefits. As well as being stronger and more durable than other models – and taking up less space when not being used – its design is owned by SHE’s inventive associate Martin Eberlein, rather than a single manufacturer, meaning it can be shipped from multiple sources to save retailers on shipping, distribution and environmental costs.

Sassy Shoppers are available for all formats of retail stores and designed for retailers who want a green and sustainable product combining highest quality standards with most competitive pricing.

The range was invented following three years of design, development and patenting work, and will be launched at the National Convenience Show at the NEC in Birmingham in April.

Mr Eberlein said: “We’re very excited to be bringing something new and better to the market of shopping trolleys.

“The invention was inspired by existing quality problems caused by poor design and inefficiencies in production, transportation and servicing of trolleys. Mentioning just one of the more severe problems, the industry has been lacking a standard, which the Sassy Shoppers now provides, to ensure that trolleys made by different manufacturers can nest and that the same spare parts fit onto them.

“Trolleys are used by everyone, everyday, but never noticed unless there is a severe problem so something new and different was overdue in my opinion.”

SHE’s Sales Director Lynn Brown believes the product has huge commercial potential given the positive reception it has received so far.

She said: “We’ve already had interest shown by manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in East Asia, India, Russia and Europe, all of whom benefit from this emerging trolley standard. Our existing customers have also shown a keen interest.

“We are also awaiting news on a potential three-year contract with a major global retailer and are now hard at work on new products for a family range of trolleys.”

For more information on SHE and its Sassy Shoppers range visit www.she-ltd.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey and Hugo .