Sophie Angel
I first discovered the world of shopping trolleys when I lived in France. I was surprised to learn how popular they were. I thought they were just plain old bags on wheels that grannies used, how wrong I was!
I met the Andersen team, the original inventors of the shopping trolley; who were trying to modernise trolleys and steer away from the granny stereotype. Although this is still the main market for them, many people find lugging around bags of shopping a real burden, especially as they get older. But Andersen had revolutionised this with a huge range of practical adaptations to the standard trolley, such as in built seats, wicker trolleys and ones that attach onto your bike. Andersen showcased not only the practical side but the health benefits of trolleys too. Lugging around heavy bags is not great for your shoulders or your back, regardless of age.
The main pull for me was the hugely impactful ecological benefits that trolleys have, effectively replacing the need for plastic bags! Andersen also make some of their bags from recycled truck and sail materials, this was a win, win for me! Practical and environmentally friendly! ‘How do people in the UK not know about this?!’ I wondered, remembering all the plastic bags I would come home from the supermarket with, even the ‘bags for life’ were plastic!
My main occupation was a primary school teacher, so the business world is not my forte! But I loved the trolleys and Andersen’s ethical way of doing business so much I just had to try to get the word out about them! So I did some research on how to set up an online business and am still figuring things out as I go along! Andersen agreed to work directly with me in the UK market, so I am able to offer their full range of trolleys here in the UK.
My hope is that we can replace plastic shopping bags with a much more long-term, eco-friendly and practical option for the future, that benefits both the planet and people’s well-being. I also hope the customers are happy and like the trolleys as much as I do! And I have my mother to thank for coming up with the super catchy name! I do hope you enjoy getting trollied! 🙂
Karen Angel
Here is a bit of background as to how I Karen, (Sophie’s mum) became involved with Let’s Get Trollied and the world of shopping trolleys! Whilst living in France Sophie told us about how popular shopping trolleys were, and that she had met a company who made them.
When she explained further about the use of trolleys across the rest of Europe and how it was a rapidly expanding and environmentally friendly product I became interested in learning more about this whole new world! By now Sophie was very keen to bring the trolleys to England and start spreading the word of the benefits and ranges available to the British people, who like me thought they were just for ‘old ladies’ – how wrong I was!
I became intrigued by the choice and selection on offer and by how incredibly practical they were. I wanted to get involved and try to help get the word out there, as I now had the time to invest in this and believed that people would love the trolleys over here if only they knew about them! So I started using some of the different styles out and about and had very positive feedback from people, who had never seen trolleys like these before! This spurred me on to get the trolleys known as I feel that once you know about them you will love them!
I really hope that between us we can show people the advantages and benefits of using trolleys, with the huge range available; there really is a trolley suitable for everyone – even children! I feel very lucky to be involved with this new venture with my daughter and excited about the future of LETS GET TROLLIED!