Caroline’s Cart is a shopping cart for special needs children created by Drew Ann Long.
It will soon be found in Target stores nationwide.
Long was inspired to make the shopping cart and name it after her daughter, Caroline, who has Rett syndrome, a nervous system disorder that causes multiple disabilities.
Long found it difficult to maneuver a shopping cart and her daughter's wheelchair while shopping. According to Caroline's Cart's Facebook page, Long first saw the need for the specialized carts after realizing her daughter would outgrow a typical shopping cart.
"After years of frustration, she founded Parent Solution Group, LLC, designed the cart, applied for a patent and enlisted the services of legal and business professionals to help her bring the cart to market," the page says.
In a company statement, Target said the suggestion to look at Caroline's Cart came from one of its employees who has a special needs child.
Target will begin rolling out a version of Caroline’s Cart to most of its stores across the nation in March.
“Caroline’s Cart can be a game-changer for families, and we’re excited to offer this for our guests across the country,” said Juan Galarraga, Target's senior vice president of store operations. “Target is always looking for new ways to make guests feel welcome in our stores and give them a more comfortable shopping experience. We’re always listening to both our guests and team members and making changes based their feedback.”
At least one Caroline’s Cart is expected to be available in each of Target’s U.S. stores, except for a handful of the smallest stores that don’t have full-size shopping carts. Many stores will have more than one Caroline’s Cart depending on customers’ needs, Target said.
