Letter submitted in regards to Agenda Item 5ASeptember 24, 2013
Honorable Polly Low
Mayor, Rosemead City Council
8838 E. Valley Boulevard
Rosemead, CA 91770
RE: Agenda Item 5A: Shopping Cart Discussion
Dear Mayor Low:
On behalf of the California Grocers Association, I write to express our views on the matter of
shopping cart theft.
The California Grocers Association is a non - profit, statewide trade association representing the
retail food industry since 1898. CGA represents approximately 500 retail members operating
over 6,000 food stores in California, many of which are located in Rosemead. As you can
imagine, virtually all of our members offer shopping carts for customer use and it is difficult to
conceptualize a family successfully navigating their weekly grocery purchases without shopping
carts.
The theft and abandonment of shopping carts is a problem that neighborhoods, retailers and the
city share. Removing shopping carts from store parking lots is illegal under California State law
just as stealing any other item from a grocery store is illegal. In reality, it is individuals
perpetrating theft who are responsible for abandoned shopping carts, not the businesses from
which the property is being stolen. The blame for abandoned shopping carts lies solely with the
thief who took the property, not the store.
A possible solution that protects retailers, neighborhoods and customers is to implement an
ordinance that would mandate cart retrieval services for all stores that provide shopping carts.
This allows the city to recoup some of its collection costs, and is the least expensive alternative
for retailers to deal with stolen carts. Similar to the City of Santa Clarita, a mandated cart
retrieval ordinance protects the City and retailers.
In similar jurisdictions with overly burdensome shopping cart ordinances, we have seen stores
leave the City. This type of ordinance can significantly stifle future store development, and
grossly impacts stores already in the City. Again, we urge City Council to think about a
mandated cart retrieval program to help solve this issue.
One thing is certain - the unfortunate circumstance of stolen and abandoned shopping carts has at
least three real victims. Communities are of course victims when abandoned shopping carts
become an eyesore. City officials are victims when they are called upon to address problem they
did not create. And we cannot forget that retailers are victims as well when valuable property is
California Grocers Association 11020 N. Lake Street I Burbank, CA 91502 1 P: 818 - 841 -8640 IF: 916- 448 -2793
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stolen from them. While we all would love to live in a world where individuals did not steal
shopping carts, let alone other property, we simply do not.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns and please know that the grocery industry will
work with the City on this important issue. Please contact me at ssheehy @cagrocers.com or
(310) 779 -6860 to discuss this matter.
Thank you.
Sarah Paulson Sheehy
Director, Local Government Relations
cc: Members, Rosemead
Ms. Gloria Molleda, City Clerk
Mr. Jeff Alred, City Manager
California Grocers Association 11020 N. Lake Street I Burbank, CA 91502 1 P: 818 -841 -8640 IF: 916- 448 -2793