(Photo by Christina Estes - KJZZ)

Phoenix wants to raise the fee for its cart retrieval program from $25 to $50.

Retailers in Phoenix that can’t keep shopping carts on their properties could soon pay more to get them back. The city is looking to double the fee for its cart-retrieval program.

In the program’s first year, almost a decade ago, the city collected nearly 10,000 carts that had been left at bus stops, dumped in vacant lots and scattered throughout neighborhoods. In the last fiscal year, Phoenix collected a little more than 2,100.

“Approximately 40 percent of all the major supermarkets in the city of Phoenix now have locking wheels,” Tim McCabe with the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance told a city subcommittee. “A combination of a very effective retrieval program and locking wheels makes a big difference.”

At $25 per cart, the city expects to recover less than 30 percent of direct costs this year. By charging $50, Phoenix thinks it can recover 40 percent of direct costs.

“A shopping cart generally costs approximately about $125,” McCabe said. “The biggest expenses for shopping carts are parts. Child-safety seats, child-safety straps, plastic seats, the wheels in general.”

His group, the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, represents more than 1,000 grocery stores and supports a higher fee.

“Just about the time we think we’ve got every alley, neighborhood, apartment building covered we find something else,” he said. “So, just how the city changes, so changes cart retrieval.”

Since FY 2012-2013, the city’s neighborhood services department reports the number of billable carts retrieved has decreased by 80 percent, while it has received a 45 increase in requests for designated sweeps since FY 2014-2015. In many cases, stores’ names have been removed so the city can’t bill anyone. 

As required by law, the city must post the proposed fee increase before the full council votes this fall.

Shopping Cart Retrieval Program 

• Launched in 2007.
• More than 35,500 carts retrieved.
• Current $25 per cart fee.
• Proposed $50 per cart fee.
• Seen decrease in billable carts.
• Seen increase in sweep requests.