Phoenix begins fining stores for abandoned shopping carts under new ordinance

PHOENIX - Go to any big city, and you’re likely to spot shopping carts far away from the stores they come from.

Local perspective:

"For many years, the city of Phoenix has had challenges with abandoned shopping carts," said Lucas Mariacher of the City of Phoenix Services Department.

The city of Phoenix is doing something about it, with a new ordinance that took effect on Jan. 15, requiring stores to keep carts on store property.

"They would just have to identify what they're doing to keep carts from leaving the property, and how they're going to get them back," Mariacher said.

What we know:

Stores can now face fines of $50 per cart. With a retrieval plan on file with the city, that fine is reduced to $25.

"One of our initiatives is to clean up streets and make them safe for the public," Mariacher said.

One option for businesses is hiring a company to collect misplaced carts. Another is locking technology. 

What they're saying:

Adam Cooper, CEO of Rocateq USA, likens it to an electric fence.

"Each shopping cart is outfitted with a caster — when it reaches the boundary, the cart locks, preventing it from leaving the property," Cooper said.

He says the new ordinance has led to an uptick in stores requesting the technology, along with new cart tracking systems.

"If a cart exits the property, we can identify its location," Cooper said.

Why you should care:

The city is also providing a live map on its website showing where carts have been reported. The hope is that stores get them back before the city does and issues a collection fine.

"They avoid the fee, we avoid sending a team out — it’s a win-win," Mariacher said.

What you can do:

To report abandoned shopping carts, call 602-534-4444 or report it online here.