August 7, 2019
Well-known American supermarket chain Wegmans Food Markets is making
it easier for families with children with mobility issue to shop. How? By
offering a specially adapted cart that makes it easier for them to shop with
their children.
Prominent American supermarket chain Wegman Food Markets
sure knows how to keep its customers happy. Ask Lisa
Rudroff.
Lisa’s daughter Sydney has a neurological movement
disorder, a condition that prevents her from standing or walking. Sydney is
too big to sit in the front of a regular shopping cart, and too small for
other special needs carts. This meant that every time Lisa wanted to shop,
she had to ask a caregiver to look after Sydney at home.
Lisa heard about Firefly GoTo Shop. These carts are designed
by Leckey, a well-known manufacturer of mobility equipment
for children and young people. The GoTo Shop carts are made in partnership
with US cart supplier, .
The GoTo Shop is designed for children between two to eight years of age and
up to a weight of 77 pounds (about 35 kgs). They offer extra support for the
head and posture and come with an open front, making it easy for users to
place their child in the seat. There are adjustable head and lateral
supports, and a fully adjustable, cushioned five-point harness.
When Lisa heard that the GoTo Shop was available in the United States, she
approached the Wegmans management team to see if they would consider offering
the cart. Within two months, Wegmans began piloting the GoTo Shop carts at
its Alberta Drive and Pittsford stores in New York.
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., a 99-store supermarket chain
with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and
Massachusetts, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been
named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by
FORTUNE magazine for 22 consecutive years, ranking #3 in
2019.
It is now the first retailer in the United States to offer GoTo Shop trolley
in all its stores.
At Wegmans, we are committed to providing incredible customer service to
all our shoppers, and we’re always looking for better ways to make our
stores accessible to everyone. When Liza Rudroff, a customer at our Alberta
Drive store in Buffalo, New York, brought this cart to our attention and
shared her family’s need, we recognized that there are more families,
throughout all our market areas, who would benefit from the availability of
this cart at our stores. – Linda Lovejoy, Wegmans Community
Relations Manager
Lisa says she can now take her daughter shopping without a worry. “I can
comfortably and safely take Syd grocery shopping with me, whether it’s a
planned trip or a last-minute decision to stop on the way home from
school”. Lisa regards this as more than enabling convenience, its also
about equipping her daughter with life skills. “Going to the store immerses
Syd in the community and gives her the opportunity to engage with others,
explore the sights and sounds, and learn how to shop. It’s a great life
experience for her, that is now effortless and worry-free for me.”
GoTo Fly carts come with many features that protect the child and guarantee
safety. These are:
Firefly aims to make the GoTo Shop trolley available at every supermarket so
families have the freedom to shop wherever and whenever they need to.
“We are incredibly excited to partner with Wegmans on our journey to make
shopping trips more inclusive for all families around the world,” said
Firefly managing director Jayne Leckey. “For us it’s not
just what we make, it’s what we make possible, and to have a
forward-thinking company like Wegmans believe in our campaign is fantastic.
We are very proud to call them a partner.”
To learn more about the Firefly GoTo Shop, please visit the Firefly website
