Comparison · · Children's Shopping Trolleys
Shopping trolley with child seat: which type suits your store
A shopping trolley with child seat is a full size trolley that carries a small child at the handle end while the parent shops, and guide prices start from £20 ex VAT, bulk price, for a 160 L version. Moulded ride in trolleys, where a toddler sits inside a plastic body rather than on a seat, start from £120 ex VAT, bulk price, per set, and a car bodied trolley is from £156 ex VAT, bulk price. Seat size, the restraint strap, basket volume, castors and colour are all set on your written quote, because every trolley in the children's trolley range is made to order.
What a shopping trolley with child seat has to get right
The seat itself is a small part of the trolley and most of the buying decision. A child sits at the handle end, facing the parent, with legs through two openings in a moulded plastic flap that folds down from the basket rail. The flap has to hold the child upright, take the knocks of a full shop, and fold flat again when the next customer wants the whole basket.
Three things decide whether it works on your shop floor. The leg openings have to suit a toddler in a winter coat, not a toddler in a vest. The restraint strap has to be fitted and easy enough to use that parents actually clip it, which in practice means one buckle rather than a harness. And the seat has to clear the trolley in front when the rank is nested, or your bay grows by a metre for every ten trolleys.
Capacity is the other half. A 160 L basket is the normal size for a weekly shop, and the seat eats none of it because the child sits above the basket rail rather than in the basket. That is the difference between a seat trolley and a ride in trolley, and it is the main reason a seat version stays useful on a quiet Tuesday as well as a busy Saturday.
Seat, ride in or push along: three different jobs
Buyers often ask for one thing and need another. The three products do not compete so much as cover different ages.
- Seat trolley. For a child who cannot walk the shop but can sit up. A full size trolley with a fold down seat, so one unit serves every customer whether they have a child with them or not.
- Moulded ride in trolley. For a toddler who will not sit still in a seat. The child sits enclosed in a plastic body ahead of or beside the basket, which is lower, feels safer to a parent and is far easier to wipe down.
- Mini push trolley. For a child of about three upwards who wants their own trolley. A 17 L steel or plastic trolley from £11 ex VAT, bulk price, pushed alongside the parent.
A food store with a car park and a weekly shop normally wants seat trolleys in the main rank and a handful of ride in trolleys near the entrance. A convenience store or a shopping centre unit, where the basket is smaller and the visit is shorter, gets more out of ride in trolleys and themed trolleys than out of extra 160 L frames.
Child seat and ride in trolleys compared
| Type | What the child does | Shopping space | Suits | Guide price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 L trolley with fold down child seat | Sits at the handle end, facing the parent | 160 L | Main rank in a supermarket or cash and carry | from £20 ex VAT, bulk price |
| 160 L plastic bodied trolley with seat | Sits at the handle end | 160 L | Stores that want a quieter, softer bodied trolley | from £20 ex VAT, bulk price |
| Moulded ride in trolley | Sits enclosed in a plastic body | 60 L | Shopping centres, toddler heavy catchments | from £120 ex VAT, bulk price, per set |
| Car bodied ride in trolley | Sits in a car body with a wheel to turn | Shallow basket | Entrance feature, footfall driver | from £156 ex VAT, bulk price |
| Mini push trolley | Pushes their own trolley | 17 L | Older children, alongside the parent | from £11 ex VAT, bulk price |
Every figure is a guide price in pounds ex VAT. Volume, finish, castor type and branding move it, and the figure that counts is the one on your written quote. The price guide explains how our guide prices are set.
What to check before you buy
- Child weight limit and age range. Ask for both in writing. A seat rated for a sitting toddler is not the same as a ride in body that a four year old will climb into.
- Restraint strap. Check it is fitted as standard, that the buckle works one handed, and that it can be replaced on its own when it wears.
- Leg openings and the flap. Look at the edges where the legs go through, and fold the flap up and down a few times. That hinge is the part that gets the most use and the most abuse.
- Nesting depth. Measure a nested pair with the seat down. Seat trolleys nest less tightly than plain ones, so a rank of twenty takes more floor than you may have allowed.
- Castors. Car park use means two swivel and two fixed with larger wheels. Indoor only ranks can run four swivel, which turn better in an aisle.
- Cleaning. A moulded body wipes down in seconds. A seat with fabric or a padded insert does not stay presentable for long in a food store.
- Branding. Store colour, a printed panel or a logo on the handle is specified at the factory, so decide before you ask for a quote rather than after.
Keeping a child seat rank safe and presentable
Trolleys that carry children get looked at by customers far more closely than the rest of the rank. Build a short weekly check into the routine someone already does: strap present and clipping shut, flap hinge intact, no cracked plastic at the leg openings, castors turning freely, nothing sharp where a hand goes. Any trolley that fails comes off the rank the same day rather than at the end of the week.
The run up to the Christmas trading peak is the point where this slips, because ranks get pushed harder and staff are busy. If you are ordering now for the new year, order a few more than the rank needs so there is always a spare while damaged units are repaired or replaced. The same applies to spare straps and castors, which are the two parts that wear first.
If the rest of your fleet needs attention at the same time, the shopping trolley range covers full size adult trolleys from 100 L upwards, and the two are normally quoted together so the finish matches across the car park.
Prices and what your written quote confirms
Guide prices in this range start from £11 ex VAT, bulk price, for a 17 L mini trolley and run to £156 ex VAT, bulk price, for a car bodied ride in trolley. A 160 L trolley with a child seat sits at the bottom of that spread, from £20 ex VAT, bulk price, which surprises most buyers who expect the seat to add a lot.
Everything is new and made to order at our partner factories, inspected before dispatch with photographs and video sent to you, then delivered anywhere in the UK. Ask for a written quote by email and it will confirm the price for the quantity you want, the seat and restraint specification, volume, colour, branding, freight, duty, VAT and the lead time, and it holds for 30 days. Any quantity is welcome, from a single trolley upwards. Call 020 3576 6910 or use the contact page if you want to talk a specification through first.
Child seat and ride in trolleys from the range
Questions people ask
How much is a shopping trolley with a child seat?
A 160 L supermarket trolley with a fold down child seat starts from £20 ex VAT, bulk price. Volume, castors, finish and branding move the figure, which is confirmed for your quantity on your written quote.
What is the difference between a child seat trolley and a ride in trolley?
A child seat trolley is a normal full size trolley with a fold down seat at the handle end, so it keeps all 160 L of shopping space. A ride in trolley has a moulded body the child sits inside, which is lower and easier to clean but leaves about 60 L for shopping.
At what age can a child use the seat?
The seat suits a child who can sit up unaided and is within the weight limit for that model. Ask for the limit and the recommended age to be stated on your written quote rather than taking it from the photograph.
Do child seat trolleys come with a safety strap?
The models we supply are specified with a restraint strap at the seat. Check that it buckles one handed and that replacement straps can be ordered on their own, because the strap wears out long before the trolley does.
How many child seat trolleys does a store need?
Most food stores start with a short rank at the entrance beside the adult trolleys, then add more once staff see how many go out at the weekend peak. Ride in trolleys are usually bought in smaller numbers because they are a feature rather than a main rank.
Can the trolleys be made in our store colours?
Yes. Colour, printed panels and a logo on the handle are set at the factory, so they are specified before the order is placed and confirmed on your written quote.
