Superstore’s Anti-Theft Cart Lock Whiplashed My Baby and Blocks the Exit—Staff Just Shrugged

I've been boycotting the entire Loblaws group since February—with one exception. My elderly dog has a preference for the PC brand dog food, and after trying other brands that caused digestive issues and skin problems, I decided not to complicate her life over this Loblaws nightmare. So, every three months or so, I venture to Superstore for her food.

Today, I went there with my baby to pick up the 14 kg bag of dog food. I had my baby in the shopping cart, went straight to the pet aisle, got the dog food, and headed to self-checkout. Everything was normal, and I didn’t buy anything else. After paying, I grabbed my receipt and headed towards the exit.

As I passed through the doors to leave the grocery area, my cart came to a sudden, complete stop. I went from a regular walking pace to a full halt, causing my baby to be whiplashed backward in the cart seat, while I slammed my abdomen into the cart handle. Shocked, I looked down, tried to move the cart, checked the wheels—nothing was working. Meanwhile, alarms were blaring, and I was visibly confused, blocking the exit as other customers tried to get by.

No one from the store came to help, so there I was with a 20 lb baby, an immobile cart, and a 14 kg bag of dog food. Thankfully, a kind woman nearby offered her empty cart. She helped move my dog food, and I moved my baby over to her cart, and we were finally able to leave. My cart stayed in the middle of the access route, obstructing the exit.

I got to my car, checked my baby, and, thankfully, he seemed fine—just a bit jolted. But I was frustrated, so I went back inside, carrying my baby this time, and asked to speak to the store manager. An Assistant Store Manager came out, and I explained the situation. His response? "Oh, that happens sometimes." When I pushed back, he offered to notify their "risk team" and took down my name, number, and address. For this, he used a piece of paper towel. I asked if there was a formal incident report, and he claimed he’d enter it later on his computer. When I asked for a copy of the report and who would receive it, he said that wasn’t possible. He eventually gave me his name and contact info—again, on a paper towel.

I'm not optimistic about hearing from "risk," or that this paper towel report will end up anywhere official. The focus on preventing theft led to a jarring experience for both me and my baby, yet no one cared enough to check or even move the cart blocking the door as I left. Just another frustrating experience with Loblaws.