Learning Materials Shopping trolley - Storyline Having seen the steering problems of the supermarket trolley at first hand, designers Richard Seymour and Dick Powell meet Ken Barden, director of procurement at Sainsbury’s, who agrees to consider what they develop. Sainsbury’s has a fleet of 200,000 trolleys, each costing around £60, a substantial investment. Barden explains that with the advent of 24 hour retailing, the need for a trolley that is "fit for purpose" is more vital than ever. Supplier of shopping trolleys to Sainsbury’s is Buko Ltd in Glenrothes, Fife. Buko’s head of engineering Brian Lumsden points out that the cupboards in its factory are full of failed ideas for a better shopping trolley, which is regarded as a holy grail in design and engineering. Undeterred by the scale of the challenge, Seymour Powell invite a group of trolley handling experts to a day-long brainstorming session. The aim is to tease out new ideas but as the group tests existing solutions, the hours tick away without the "killer concept" emerging. Dick Powell proposes a "wraparound trolley" you wear, based on the concept of a baby stroller, but the ultimate easy-steer trolley remains as elusive as ever. So the designers switch focus and see what they can learn from the superior steering and handling of a premier sports car. They visit Lotus Engineering, which agrees to lend its expertise to cracking the problem. Borrowing an old trick from car engineering, the wheels are mounted off-centre for better steering, but the trolley won't change direction. Eventually, a solution emerges in the form of a five-wheeler, with two centre wheels fixed to aid precise steering. Back in their London studio, Seymour Powell start to shape up the design. But, on receiving the drawings from the designers, the Buko team are unimpressed. The main worry is that fixed centre wheels will prevent the trolley from moving sideways, a feature on all current models. Seymour Powell face a dilemma: how to provide precise steering with fixed centre wheels while also allowing the trolley to sweep sideways, as customers expect. Their solution is a ‘breakout’ system, an ingenious ball-bearing catch which releases the trolley sideways when given a good shove. The catch is machined at Lotus Engineering and incorporated into a prototype being prepared at Buko's factory. With time running out before a major presentation to Sainsbury's, the designers visit Buko to conduct safety checks on their new design. The 'breakout' system works and Brian Lumsden admits "the cynicism has certainly gone". But then comes a major setback. The new trolley fails the stringent British standard tipping test (12 degrees in the UK, only 10 in Europe). It isn’t stable enough with a full shopping load. So it’s back to the drawing board for Seymour Powell. "We never give up. There's a great solution here somewhere. We’ll get there in the end," says Dick Powell through gritted teeth. Adjustments to height and width proportions create more stability. The hurdle of the tipping test is overcome. At last a better shopping trolley is in sight. But on testing the new model, Ken Barden of Sainsbury's remains unconvinced. "I wouldn't let that loose on our customers," he says. Seymour Powell won't take no for an answer. They go over Barden’s head and ask his customers to give the new trolley a trial. The response is overwhelmingly favourable. So Barden has a change of heart and agrees to take the concept forward. Sainsbury’s is now planning formal in-store customer trials later this summer.