Coborn’s adds to COVID-19 safety measures with enhanced cart sanitization

Midwest regional grocer Coborn’s Inc. this week added another new safety measure as the company begins disinfecting its shopping carts after each guest use, utilizing electrostatic cleaning sprayers to disinfect carts in an effort to minimize surface spread of the COVID-19 virus. Once shopping carts have been returned to cart areas, Coborn’s staff use the Victory Cordless Sprayer to lightly mist disinfectant on the carts. 

Victory’s cordless electrostatic cleaning sprayers hold enough product to clean a fully stocked cart room twice. Store associates replenish the product frequently to ensure carts are always clean. Once carts are cleaned, they are pushed forward for guests as they enter the store, ensuring that guests always have a cleaned cart as they begin their shopping experience. As used carts are brought back into the cart room, employees separate them from cleaned carts. As rows fill up, a fine mist is sprayed over the top and then carts are pushed forward after they have been disinfected. The process usually takes about two minutes and is done as carts are used throughout the day, depending on the day’s business. 

Guest feedback to the new cart disinfecting procedures has been very positive, according to Coborn’s. The retailer noted that research shows that one of the main reasons customers choose to shop with Coborn’s is that they feel safe and that the company is working diligently to keep stores, staff and guests protected from spreading the virus.

Related:Hy-Vee introduces automated shopping cart-sanitizing system

Since the pandemic began in early March, St. Cloud, Minn.-based Coborn’s has taken diligent steps to protect its guests and staff against COVID-19, the company said. Several procedures have been implemented to ensure that all stores are providing a safe and sanitary environment for guests and employees. The new cart sanitization measure is in addition to the many other cleaning and sanitation protocols the company has implemented, including mandatory masks for store employees, continued reminders to guests to wear masks while in the store, plexiglass shielding at checkout and service cases, frequent cleaning of surfaces and high-contact areas, social distancing practices, special senior shopping hours and disinfecting wipes and hand sanitization stations made available to all guests. 

All of the company’s Coborn’s, Cash Wise and Marketplace Foods stores offer online shopping with options for curbside order pickup as well as home delivery in select markets.

Coborn’s recently became Ecolab Science Certified, using many of the same cleaning products and procedures that hospitals and clinics use utilizing Ecolab-certified cleaning products.  

Related:Whole Foods, Costco, Trader Joe’s lead in retailer COVID-19 safety

Coborn’s operates 59 stores under the Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods and Hornbacher’s banners across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.