Asda is battling a shortage of shopping trolleys in the crucial lead-up to Christmas.
The supermarket is waiting on stocks of trolleys to be replenished after placing an order in October, as manufacturers in China are impeded by rigid Covid restrictions and a surge in cases.
In some locations across the UK, Asda shoppers have been faced with empty trolley racks.
A spokesman for the company told the Telegraph: “We know that a small number of stores have fewer trolleys available than normal and apologise to customers for any inconvenience this may cause."
At least one other supermarket is also understood to be affected.
A spokesman for the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said firms were “working with suppliers to address a shortage in materials associated with shopping trolleys, currently affecting a small number of stores”.
China
Much of the UK’s supply of shopping trolleys comes from China.
A spokesman for one player in the industry, storage and logistics company Palletower – which is not itself affected by the disruption – said: “A lot of (supply) is produced in Shanghai and, at the minute, the Covid restrictions are quite strict and factories are getting shut down every few weeks.
“We can buy massive stock in advance, but (other) companies will order just in time for it to arrive for the customer. If that supplier has a Covid outbreak in China, then they can get shut down for two weeks.”
Supermarkets deal with disappearing trolleys on a constant basis as they are stolen, and must factor the constant churn into their businesses.
Mid-sized stores within walking distance of residential areas have much higher instances of theft because the trolleys are used to take items home.
Asda said it had installed stronger locks at some of its stores with higher trolley theft rates to deter thieves.
Collection service
It also runs a collection service for abandoned trolleys with an app called Collex, through which shoppers can report finding abandoned trolleys and have them collected.
All of Asda’s trolley’s currently cost £1 to unlock across its 600-strong estate.
The news comes amid one of the busiest periods of the year for retail, as shoppers flock to the supermarkets to stock up on festive food, drink and gifts.
Kantar has predicted grocery sales to rise above £12billion this December for the first time thanks to a combination of inflation and festive spending.
Asda has grown its sales slightly faster than rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s over the 12 weeks to December 3. Its sales rose 7.7% compared to Tesco’s 6.5% and Sainsbury’s 6.6% compared with the same period last year.
Asda is hoping to eventually overtake Sainsbury's to become Britain's second-largest supermarket after Tesco.